The United States of America is home to over 200 million cell phone users, with the fastest growing segment being young people. Whether your teenagers are already asking for a mobile phone or whether they just plan to start shortly, odds are good that you will have to choose whether or not to get them a phone, as well as which make, model, and service plan.
Although many adults are used to using a mobile communication device such as a cell phone, pager, or Blackberry for work, they are often unaccustomed to choosing their own plan or device. Actually choosing a service provider, plan, or mobile device is made additionally complex by the fact that the North American market particularly is home to a host of compatibility problems between devices, networks, and geographical locations.
Although convenient, cellular phones are the least reliable form of mainstream communication. As such, there are locations (even in major cities) where calls will be suddenly lost or where network access is totally unavailable.
For many teenagers, a cell phone is not as much a communication device as a fashion accessory. With this in mind, the style of the unit may be more paramount in their mind than the battery life, network modes, or other technological features. That said, it is very important as a parent to let your son or daughter have input into which phone model and/or service provider they want to use, as well as to understand the reasoning behind this choice.
If your teen's choice is based solely on clever music video style marketing messages, you may want to go over their reasons for wanting a phone and what they intend to use it for. Try to see their reasoning, and at least get them to admit it if they want a particular model because they think it's just "cooler". There's nothing wrong with buying something based solely on style, as long as they recognize their motivation for what it is.
As with most purchasing experiences involving both teens and parents, there will be compromise involved - if you are paying for the phone or plan, you may be inclined to make the final decision yourself. However, unless it's solely a matter of price, it may be better to let your young person make the decision - they'll have to live with it after all.
A Parents Guide To
First time parents have enough on the their minds without having to worry about choosing the right set of clothes for their new addition. Still, these choices must be made. If the expecting parent looks closer at the construction of good baby clothes, there is something to be learned about the nature of babies. Baby clothes are usually made of cotton, and for good reason. Cotton is easy on the delicate skin of infants. Baby clothes are also devoid of buttons and tassels, as these items can end up in mouths and become potential dangers. When you find outfits that you like, also try and confirm that the cotton is hypoallergenic.
In terms of clothing style, one- piece outfits are the most popular baby garments. These crawl suits are great for your active infant while they wiggle in their cradle or crawl around the house. They're also great for easy diaper changing. New parents should have a half dozen one piece outfits at the ready when baby arrives. And heads up: Babies grow quickly, so always buy outfits that are on the large side.
Newborns sleep a lot, so pajamas are another critical item to have in your arsenal of baby clothes. Flannel is warm and soft which makes it a very popular material. Find pajamas that cover the feet at the bottom. Built in feet coverings will certainly help keep babies feet cozy through the night. This helps them avoid colds, which can be serious events at very young ages.
Also try and pick up a few pairs of undershirts. They're good to have on hand in situations where you might need more than just a one-piece. Look for varieties with shoulder snaps for easy removal.
Buy at least eight pairs of socks. Size them carefully to make sure they're not constricting to the feet. Keep an eye out for socks that have rubberized grips on the souls. This helps to eliminate slipping as your baby starts to get up and learn to start walking. As well, remember that infants do not really need shoes since their feet do not often touch the ground. Soft, light shoes known as "padders", however, can be gently strapped to the feet of crawlers to offer them some light duty foot protection and warmth.
Lastly look into finding some fancy outfits. There will be times when you need to take your baby out on the town, if only to go to the supermarket. Dressing your tot up in some unbearably cute clothes helps promote "going out" as a fun experience for both parent and child alike.
Both Zed Hayden & Paul Wise are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Zed Hayden has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Personal Technology and Information Technology. Zed Hayden is a big geek. He is also a regular contributor to gizmocafe.com - an extremely biased guide to consumer electronics, with information about
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