Among kids’ cell phones ring tones, there is one special tone that cannot be heard by adults.  It’s called “Mosquito,” which was originally created by Compound Security Company.

The primary purpose of this tone is to gratify adults and annoy teenagers who are loitering in front of stores.  The ear-splitting 17-kiloherts buzzer was marketed as “ultrasonic teenager repellant.”

How it is used today

But today, somebody copied or imitated this high-frequency buzzer and then reinvented it as a cell phone ring tone.  According to reports, this “mosquito ringtone” is being used in places where it’s forbidden to use a cell phone.

For example, your child could use this ring tone in class to alert him of text messages or calls without being detected by his teacher.  It was unbelievable at first, but there was a teacher that tested it – she played the tone to her first graders and they all could hear it except for her.

Principle behind it

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It can be a daunting task to choose your kids’ phones cell phone service provider.  With plenty of regional providers and 4 national carriers – Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile USA Inc., and Verizon Wireless – the criteria for your choice might be a little complicated.

Best Plan

You may want to look for the cheapest rates.  The national service provider with the most creative plans is T-Mobile.  However, don’t discount regional players in your area.  Small service providers like Cricket and MetroPCS offer robust service plans too.

To choose the best provider for your kids, it’s better to look for carriers that offer family plans.  These plan types will allow sharing of minutes.  Sprint Nextel and Virgin Mobile have also designed prepaid plans for teenagers.

Best Coverage

Another important consideration in getting kids’ phones cell phone service is the best coverage in your area.  Generally, Verizon Wireless is the leader in customer satisfaction (wherein coverage is the largest factor).

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Cell phones might be rare in pre-school.  But some are wondering whether they should pack a wireless cell phone in the bags of their children together with pencils, pens, and other school supplies.

Is it really necessary to buy kids’ cell phones?  Busy parents agree.  They say that the peace of mind and convenience it offers is worth it.  However, there are some issues that parents should consider before giving cell phone to their children.

Cost

In purchasing a cell phone, you’ve got to match the cost of the phone to the age or responsibility level of your child.  This is because there are some children who can’t resist downloading games or songs on the internet.

Certainly, the cost of a phone is critical.  Will you risk giving a $100 phone to a child who may just accidentally drop it in a puddle?  Moreover, you can also save money by choosing plans with unlimited text-messaging or restriction of internet access.

Safety

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The issue whether it’s safe to give cell phones to kids is still debatable.  Some are worrying that it’s dangerous, but there’s no conclusive evidence that confirms this.  Not to mention that kids best cell phones today emit less than 10 times emissions than other conventional phones.

Still, responsible usage is the key.  Your child shouldn’t be given a cell phone just to chit-chat with friends.  It should be very clear that it will be used for necessary purposes only.

Cute Phones

Cingular’s Firefly Phone is a cute one.  There are little lights and see-through cover that little kids will love.  It stores 20 numbers and has 5 buttons (with neat pictures of Mom and Dad in 2 of them).  You can also set the phone to restrict or allow calls.

Another cute-looking phone is the Migo Emergency Phone from LG.  It’s a basic phone (looks like a cartoon animal) that is primarily intended for child emergencies.

Unusual-Looking Phones

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If you are looking for a way to keep everyone in your family connected at little cost, you might want to provide your kids’ cell phones.  Family plans attached to these phones are your wisest choice.  Sometimes, these plans are called “shared plans” – it is perfect if you have a household with multiple cell phone users.

Family Plan Defined

A family plan is similar to an individual plan.  You still have the freedom to choose the number of minutes – whether you spend hours chatting with friends, or your children use it only in emergencies, there’s always an appropriate plan for you.

With family plans, each person has their own cell phone with a unique phone number.  However, everybody receives only one monthly bill.  The minutes coming into the plan (monthly airtime allowance) is pooled.  Therefore, family members can split it in any way they want.

Advantages of Family Plans

For kids’ cell phones, family plans are the practical choice.  Its main advantage is huge savings for your phone bill cost per month.  For example, a cell phone plan is $40 a month.  When you add an additional line, you will pay only $10 more.  So instead of paying $80, you will pay only $50 on a shared plan.

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