Patch Asks: Do You Limit Your Kids' Cell Phone Use?

When surveyed last spring, 43 percent of Needham sixth graders said their parents don't monitor their cell phone use, though they reported spending an average of 2.04 hours daily sending text messages.

With many cell phones these days capable of doing much more than sending or receiving calls—from texting to Internet surfing to video watching—allowing kids unbridled access to their phones is not all that different from letting them loose on the Web. Needham Youth Services Jon Mattleman recommends parents assert their authority—remembering who pays the bill—and set some limits on phone time for the middle to high school age.

So what do you think? Should kids be allowed to keep their cell phones in their bedrooms, or do you take them away once they are home for the evening? What's the right age to give a kid a cell phone, and what limits should parents set?

Share your cell phone rules in the comments below.