Blogger and mother Janelle Burley Hofman gave her 13-year-old son, Gregory, an iPhone for Christmas. That's a pretty great gift. The iPhone came with a rather special accessory in the form of an 18-point contract between mother and son, which must be observed to the letter. Highlights include:

• "I will always know the password."
• "If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads 'Mom' or 'Dad'. Not ever."
• "Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that."

I love it. As the father of a soon-to-be teenager, I'm saving this for future cribbing. My favorite bit is at the very end:

• "You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together."

Well done, Janelle.

[Via The Next Web]