Most children carry cell phones. And most use them responsibly. But how would you know if your children weren’t being responsible?

All the information you need is on the phone. It stores their text messages, photos, contacts, browsing history and more. Theoretically, all you have to do is look. Unfortunately, all of this data can be erased. Children determined to keep secrets won’t have a hard time.

You might think your cellular provider can help. Its network handles all data sent to and from the phone. It should have copies of everything you need, right?

Not so fast. Your provider may have a call history. This would show the numbers for outgoing and incoming calls. In fact, it may be on your bill. But that’s it. No photos. No Internet history.

Your provider does store text messages. But you can’t have them, even if you ask nicely. Providers only release these records under court order.

That doesn’t mean providers don’t care about concerned parents. The major providers do offer robust parental controls. They won’t monitor your children’s activities. But you can place sensible restrictions on phone features. Read more about your options in this tip.