What do kids love more than video games and computers? You got it... cell phones. Two-thirds of American children between the ages of 10 and 19 have their own cell phone. While cell phones make life more convenient when it comes to arranging pick up times and coordinating activities, they also make life more dangerous for your children.

Before you decide to get a cell phone for your child, sit down and discuss some basic rules that will keep your child safe. Here are some things for you to consider discussing.

Don’t Talk to Strangers

"Don’t talk to strangers" is something all parents tell their children. This no longer applies to just strangers in person but strangers who call your children. Teach your children to never talk to anyone they don’t know. If this happens, teach your young children to hand the phone to an adult, preferably mom or dad. If your child continues to get calls from strangers, use the reverse phone number search to find out who is calling your child.

Use Cell Phone Only When Appropriate

Teach your child when it is appropriate to use their phone. For example, it is not appropriate for them to use it during school hours. Teach them it is also not appropriate to use it at night after they have gone to bed. This is not just to insure they are getting a good night’s sleep but so unwanted people aren’t calling your child at night when they think it is safe to talk to your child.

With teen drivers you need to make it an unbreakable rule that they are not to use their phone while driving. The distraction could cause them to wreck and hurt not only themselves but other innocent drivers on the road. Make sure your teen understands this rule and the consequences of breaking it. Then... enforce it.

Don’t Text Strangers

Many phones today are equipped with geo location systems. This device is handy in the event of an emergency because 911 can trace the phone to the exact location where help is needed.

In the wrong hands, these geo location systems are dangerous. This same system that is so helpful to emergency personnel is dangerous if your child is being tracked by a predator. To prevent this from happening, tell your child to never text anyone whom they do not personally know.

In addition to these rules, you need to regularly check your child’s phone to scan for numbers that you don’t recognize. Ask your child who the caller is. If their response is satisfactory, it’s probably okay. However, if something just doesn’t seem right in your child’s response, use reverse phone lookup and see who the caller is.

Because of many cell phones having internet connections, sexual predators are no longer limited to your home computer. These predators can now reach your children through their phones. This is a very good reason to check for those phone numbers you don’t recognize.

If you decide to get your child a cell phone, discuss these safety rules with him. Be sure and let him know the rules are for his own safety and they will be strictly enforced. By doing this, you can rest assured you have done your best to keep your child safe.