Greg Hoffman, 13, begged his parents for an iPhone all year long. He was ecstatic when he saw he had received the iPhone 5 for Christmas. There was however a catch. Greg had to sign an eighteen point plan before he was allowed to use the phone.
The first and most important rule (in my opinion) was the following: “It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?”
Janell Hoffman, his mother, wrote the following intro to the contract:
“I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership. I love you madly & look forward to sharing several million text messages with you in the days to come.”
She forbids him from viewing porn, sexting, being hurtful to others and most importantly unequivocally states that if she or her husband calls him he has to immediately answer. Greg must hand over the phone at 7:30 pm every night to either parent. She emphasizes that he needs to make sure he doesn’t get consumed by the new technology.
I think this idea is ingenious. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many children I see and know that are spoiled rotten. This mother took a creative means to ensure her son used technology, but maintained a socially interactive life.
*I’ve attached the complete agreement if you’d like to see it.
Complete iPhone contract posted on mom’s blogging site
What do you think of her idea?
