How to Convince Your Parents to Get You an iPhone

Showing Your Parents You Are Responsible

Keep track of your current phone and other electronics. If you tend to lose or break your expensive belongings, your parents probably won't be eager to "waste" more money on an expensive iPhone. You need to devote several weeks or even months to turning things around before you make your request. If you already have a phone, keep careful track of it. If you are constantly losing it, your parents will remember that when you ask them to upgrade you to a more expensive model.

Take care of all of your expensive belongings. Take care of your other electronic devices too, such as your gaming systems, iPods, tablets, and/or computers. Keep them clean, organized, and well-protected. For example, always carry your laptop in its protective sleeve, never eat or drink around it, etc. You should also be careful with your jewelry, watches, and other expensive accessories. If you recently lost the pricey earrings you received for Christmas, for example, your parents may take that as evidence that you shouldn't be trusted with something else (like an iPhone!).

Stay on top of your chores. Your parents will notice if you have been doing your chores regularly without them having to nag you. This will go a long way when it comes time for you to convince them that you deserve an iPhone. By completing your chores quickly and without complaint—and perhaps even by being willing to do more chores—you are showing your parents that you take your responsibilities seriously and that you care about helping out. Look for opportunities to go the extra mile with your parents. For instance, you could fill up the gas tank in the family car instead of leaving it on empty so your parents can drive on a full tank.

Keep (or get) your grades up. While an iPhone can be a helpful tool for school (more on that later), your parents may be worried that it will distract you from your studies. Before you talk to your parents about getting an iPhone, take a careful, honest look at your grades. If they are weak, then you should take the rest of the term (or an additional term) to bring them up into an acceptable range. Meet with your instructors to get feedback on your strengths and weaknesses and to make a plan about how to get your grades up. If you do get a bad grade, take the initiative and tell your parents about it instead of letting them find out on their own. You'll be able to do better at school and will be showing your parents that you take your education seriously.

Consider getting a job. As part of your strategy to convince your parents to get you an iPhone, you may want to help pay for it. You'll, of course, need money of your own to be able to do this. So long as your parents are ok with it, consider finding a part-time job after school or on weekends. Scope out local grocery stores, shops, and/or restaurants to see if they have any openings. Advertise your services as a tutor, babysitter, or lawn-care worker, or start your own business making and selling crafts, or selling baked goods.

Spend your money responsibly. Once you have a flow of cash coming in, you may be tempted to spend it on fun things, such as new clothes, video games, or nights out at the movies. While there's nothing wrong with treating yourself to some luxuries if you can afford it, you have a larger goal in sight. Whether your money comes from your work or an allowance or gifts, you need to show your parents that you can save and budget your money.

Make and stick to, a budget. Take the time to draw up a budget that outlines your weekly/monthly income, and which lists your regular expenses. Then, be very careful about sticking to your budget. This may mean that you will have to turn down an occasional invitation to go out for pizza with friends but keep your eye on the prize. By following a budget, you are developing discipline and focus. You will soon be in a better position to be able to show your parents that you can afford to help out with the costs of having an iPhone and data plan.

Preparing for Your Meeting

Research the costs. Before you meet with your parents, do some research on your own about the current costs of either buying or upgrading to an iPhone. Be sure to find out what carrier your family uses and what your current plan is, and then go online to research the costs. It may be possible that you can get the phone itself at little cost, or perhaps even for free, depending upon your family's current plan and rewards program. Even so, your parents may have to pay an additional $40 a month to add a new smartphone to a shared data plan, which will amount to almost $500 more a year. While the cost could be lower, the point is that you need to do your best to learn what the current costs are and how much of a financial burden the addition of an iPhone will add to your family's monthly expenses.

Prove that you are responsible. You have been working hard to become more responsible with your time, money, and belongings: good for you! Hopefully, your parents have noticed, but now is the time to show them your evidence. Gather copies of your recent report cards or graded exams and assignments. You may also want to collect your pay stubs and a copy of your current bank balance. Be sure to include a copy of your budget which includes the amount you'll be able to contribute to the phone. Place all of these documents in a folder, which will be part of your presentation to your parents.

Ask to sit down with your parents. You must choose the right time and place to have this conversation with your parents. You want to convince them of your seriousness and you want to up your chances of getting a positive answer. Instead of ambushing your parents at the end of a long workday, try the following: “Mom and Dad, I've been researching all of the advantages of having an iPhone, and I think I'm now mature and responsible enough to have one. I've prepared a proposal I'd like to go over with you. Can we talk about it sometime this weekend?” They may be wondering who this new, mature person is, which is a good sign for you!

Making Your Pitch

Explain how you can use the iPhone to stay organized. Once your parents have agreed to sit down with you, you'll want to explain to them how useful it can be. One of the most useful features of this smartphone is its built-in organizational tools, such as its calendar feature. Explain how you can use this to keep track of your school, work, and extra-curricular activities, and also explain how your parents can send you appointment information which will then appear in your phone's calendar.

Explain how you will use the iPhone for homework. The iPhone is essentially a portable computer with easy access to internet resources; having one is like having immediate access to the best libraries, teachers, and references. Explain to your parents all of the useful features you'll have at your fingertips with an iPhone, such as free dictionary and encyclopedia apps, and easy access to your class websites. It may help to have a list of these educational apps ready to show your parents. You can also have a page to the app store pulled up on your laptop/computer, or you may even be able to borrow a good friend's iPhone to use during your demonstration.

Let your parents know that you will be careful when you're online or texting and that you won’t be irresponsible. Your parents may be aware of studies that report alarming statistics, such as a recent one which indicates that as many as 1 in 3 young people had sent a nude picture of him/herself to someone else, and that more than half had been asked to do so. That same study also suggested that kids who sext may be more sexually active. Let your parents know that you won't use your phone to sext or to take sexual pictures of yourself, and promise them that you'll let them know if anyone else makes you uncomfortable or makes sexual advances towards you. Take maybe the most convincing thing for your parents to get it.

Promise your parents that you won't sleep with your iPhone. Your parents may also be worried that you'll become “hooked” to your iPhone and will stay up late surfing the web and responding to texts. Studies have suggested that sleeping with your phone near you can interfere with your sleep, and may be linked to depression. Agree to turn your phone off at night and leave it in a separate room. While the iPhone does have a built-in alarm, you can get by with an old-fashioned clock.

Promise to go easy with texting. Even if your plan will come with unlimited texting, your parents may be worried that you'll spend too much time glued to your phone, sending and responding to texts from friends. This can make you less connected to your family and could hurt your communication skills. Let your parents know that you are willing to put down the phone during dinner and when you are all hanging out together, and let them know that you won't text when it's time to study.

Be willing to let your parents "spy" on you. Your parents will probably be more willing to let you have an iPhone if you are open to them using the parental control features. With these, your parents can see how much time you spend on your phone, and keep track of the sites you visit, among other things. In fact, your parents may even feel comfortable giving you more freedom once they know that they can use GPS and tracking features to know where you are and who you are with.

Let your parents know how grateful you will be. Once you've made your pitch, try something like the following: “Mom and Dad, I know that I'm asking for a lot and that I'm asking you to trust me. If you're willing to give me a chance, I won't let you down, and I'll be super grateful.”

Give your parents time to think it over. Your parents may want or need to time to think things over and discuss it together privately, and demanding an immediate answer won't help your case. Let them know you are willing to wait for their answer: “Thanks for hearing me out. Do you guys need time to talk about this together?”

Be prepared for rejection. You've made your best case for why you can be trusted with an iPhone, and of course, you have high hopes. Your parents may say “no,” though. Even though you have your reasons for having an iPhone, your parents surely have their reasons for saying no right now. It's fine for you to ask them to share their reasons with you, and if they are willing to do so, you might be able to address their concerns and change their minds.

If so, you can suggest giving it a trial run, and be willing to give the phone up if you don't keep all of your promises. For this to work, you have to accept it if you need it to be taken away.

Respect their final decision. If your parents reject all of your suggestions, ask them if they'd be willing to reconsider it down the road, and then leave it at that. You'll have better luck getting a “yes” in a few months if you can keep from nagging or pouting while you wait.

Keep your word. If your parents come back with a positive response—congrats to you! You now need to live up to all of the promises you made. For example, if you promised to turn off your phone at 9 pm every night, then do it! Don't think that your parents won't know or won't care if you sometimes check it at 10 or 11 after they've gone to bed.