10 Ways to Convince Your Parents to Get You a Phone at Age 10

In this technology age, a phone or a laptop is a must-have. Most things – both good and bad – happen online. People now find opportunities and good jobs from the comfort of their homes.Parents are not left out. Every parent wants their children to also have access to these opportunities, but they don’t want them to be exposed to the dangers of social media.The question remains, what is the right time to get a phone for your kid? The general ideal age is from ten to fourteen years. Some parents are still skeptical that they deny their children access to phones or laptops even at the age of fifteen.If you have such a parent, how do you convince them to get you a phone as early as the age of ten? What can you say or do to persuade your parents that you deserve to have a phone at such a young age?Is your tenth birthday approaching? Do you want a phone as a birthday gift? Have you been asking your parents for a phone, and they said no because you are too young? Well, if you have tried everything to convince them and it is not working, you may want to use the 10 steps we have outlined in this article. After reading, ensure you put them in practice, and you will be proud of the result.

10 Ways to Convince Your Parents to Get You a Phone at Age 10

1. Prove to them that you will be responsible with the phone
2. Understand their fears 
3. Be respectful and straightforward
4. Prepare solid reasons why you think you should have a phone
5. Ensure that they are in a good mood.
6. Be reasonable with the type of phone you are requesting.
7. Appreciate them and don’t compare them with other parents.
8. Ask for a phone within their budget.
9. Ask during a special occasion.
10. Get good grades in school and wait for them to offer to get you a gift first.

Prove to them that you will be responsible with the phone

Showing your parents that you will be responsible does not just start the period you wish to request a phone. You have to show some level of maturity before that time.You have to show them that you will not be addicted to the device. It starts with not being addicted to other devices in the house like the television. You should be able to do your schoolwork and housework without being too distracted by these devices.You have to be able to take care of little things such as your school supplies and clothes with little or no supervision. You should take the initiative in doing homework and chores even though you were not asked to do them.You have to let them know that they can trust you and believe that you will do the right things. They have to know that you will not visit the wrong sites and that if anything goes wrong you will let them know.

Understand their fears 

You can’t just be consumed with your anger at the fact that they don’t want to get you a phone. The worst behavior to have at this critical point is an entitlement approach.Don’t cuss them out or throw tantrums. This will make them stand their ground that you should not have a phone. You have to put yourself in their shoes and understand that they are trying to protect you.They don’t want you to fall into the trap of online fraudsters, catfishers, viruses or wrong orientation. They also don’t want you to be asking for the phone due to pressure from friends because if peer pressure can make you ask for a phone today, who knows what you will ask for tomorrow?If you understand how they feel, then you will know how to speak with them to assuage their fears. Also, understand that parents are humans too and they have a right to show concern.

Be respectful and straightforward

While speaking to your parents, you should avoid being cunny or beating around the bush. Don’t make them feel like you are taking them for a fool. They are way older and wiser than you.There are ways that you can show them that you respect them. The first is that you should go straight to the point when making your request. If it is your birthday, let them know that you want a phone for your birthday without being all wishy-washy.Another way that you can be respectful while making your request is by using the right words. Use words such as ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘sir/ma’, ‘may’, etc.If you have a single parent, let them know that you see the sacrifices they are making to let you have the best. They will feel touched by your gentle approach and observation. This could increase your chances of getting your phone.

Prepare solid reasons why you think you should have a phone

It’s not enough to show responsibility or respect, the question they would likely ask you is why exactly do you need a phone? Because you are still young to be requesting for one.They would think that at ten years you should be asking for more toys or to go visit Disney land or to go see your favorite celebrity or even for a pair of Nikes. So what solid reasons could prompt a ten-year-old to ask for a phone?This is why you need to be prepared. If possible, using a pen and paper, write out convincing reasons why you think you should be given a phone on your tenth birthday.The first reason you can give to them is that a phone is a necessity for emergency periods. With their number on speed dial, you can always reach out to them if there is a problem, and they are not around to handle it.You can also convince them that there are educational apps and videos that you can use to enhance your learning. Unlike a laptop, phones are more portable and can even be used to learn while on the school bus.

Ensure that they are in a good mood.

When you are preparing to ask your parents for a phone, ensure to check the way they are feeling at that particular time. If they are angry, sad or stressed then you may want to postpone your asking.If you decide to risk it and go ahead to ask them, there is a high probability that they will not consider your request and will not respond positively.The best thing to do is to allow them to calm down. Allow them to sort through their feelings till they are in a good mood again. You could even show concern at that time when they are down.They will appreciate the efforts you made to make them feel better and respond to your request more positively.

Be reasonable with the type of phone you are requesting for

Remember that you are ten years old and there are certain phones that you should not even be asking for. Not that your parents cannot afford it, but it may be top-grade for a sixth grader.For instance, don’t go requesting the latest version of an iPhone when your parents don’t even own an iPhone. Even if your parents can afford it, they know you will not be able to handle it and if they cannot afford it, it will be unfair to demand such from them.If you don’t know the right type of phone to request then ask them to choose for you. You never know, they could choose the type you wanted by themselves.But if it’s coming from you, they would think that you had discussed it with your friends before bringing it to their table. This could ruin your chances of getting the type of phone you want.

Appreciate them and don’t compare them with other parents.

When asking for a phone, don’t let your parents feel either expressly or impliedly that you are comparing them with other parents. It depends on how you ask.If you ask them for a phone because there is a classmate of yours using a phone, they will feel compared. They will think that you are giving them parenting tips from your classmate’s parents.It sounds like this ‘Dad, mom, you are not being great parents. If James’ parents could get him a good phone then you should get me one’. Have you considered that James’ parents could be more financially stable than yours?The best approach is to appreciate them for what they have done for you so far. Tell them that you are grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made for you before you present your request for a phone, this will increase your chances of getting a phone.

Ask for a phone within their budget.

At ten years old, you may not know how much your parents earn. You could ask them though. If they are willing to share, they can tell you. If not, you will have to find another way to ask.Even though you cannot find out, there are ways that you can determine an estimate. You can look around where you guys live, the kind of car your parents drive (that’s if they have one), the kind of school you attend, the amount of jobs they do to provide etc.For instance, if you guys live in an apartment, take the bus/train, attend public schools, and your parents work three jobs before they can provide then you should know that asking for a phone worth over $2,000 is very unreasonable.

Ask during a special occasion 

The best time to get your parents to buy you a phone is on a special occasion. For instance, if it is your birthday, you know that you are entitled to a gift on that day.It is an open check for you to demand anything and get it. Another special occasion is during the Christmas season. When everywhere is merry and the giving spirit is high, you could ask your parents for a phone.Another special occasion is when you get good grades in school and your parents want to get you a gift to encourage you. These special occasions are good times to ask your parents to get you a phone.

Get good grades in school and wait for them to offer to get you a gift first.

Remember, your parents are the ones sponsoring the gift. You must impress them and give them a suitable reason to buy a phone for you. As we’ve mentioned before, ways you can impress them is by showing responsibility and getting good grades.It is also advisable that you allow them to come to you first and ask you what you want for your birthday. If they are the ones making the offer, they’re more likely to listen to your request.This is because they are already mentally prepared to add whatever request you make to their budget. Even if they do not have the money yet, they can put plans in place to ensure that they get it for you.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know these steps, what are you waiting for? Your parents love you and making them entrust you with a phone at ten years of age should not be too hard.Unless you have given them a reason to doubt you over the years. Regardless, you can still win their trust back but don’t make them regret it. Prove to them that you are different from other kids by using the phone properly when they finally get it for you.Even if they say no, that is not the end of the world. You could ask them their reasons for saying no and what you can do to change their minds in the long run.