Hi, I'm a 12-year old and I have wanted a phone ever since that HTC ThunderBolt came out. I want the new HTC Rezound on Verizon that should be coming out some time this month. It has awesome features, but it costs $300 (mostly because of the 1GB of RAM, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, Beats speakers and earphones, and its 4G LTE capability) on the contract and my parents think I'm too young to actually get that kind of phone and because it's WAY too expensive (plus this would be my first phone; And my birthday's coming up: November 23rd). So I was wondering how can I talk my parents into getting me the HTC Rezound without having to get a prepaid phone ('cause those phones are ***)?

You are growing up and you should tell them that you need to start taking
Responsibility for your items and actions.

First of all, don't fight them. If you whine, complain, or fight with them about being allowed to have this phone (or if you complain to other people or your friends) they'll just get upset and become more convinced that you're not ready.

What you SHOULD do is prove to them that you can be responsible. If you have chores, do them when you should, how you should, without being asked. Help your little siblings with their chores or homework; keep your room clean, and put away anything you use, even if you didn't get it out. Focus on your schoolwork and keep your grades up. If you have pets, whether they're yours or your family's, do what you can to take care of them - even if it isn't your job. Take care of the things you DO have - computer, video games, CDs, DVDs, television, musical instruments, books, furniture - you name it. Keep them clean and treat them like you'd have to pay for any damage. (You know, the whole 'you break it, you buy it' thing.)

After several weeks, go to your parents. Without whining or complaining, politely and respectfully ask them about getting the phone. Point out how responsible you've been, and see if they think you're ready. If not, keep being responsible and respectful. You could offer to pay part or even all of the price, depending on if you have a way to make money. (Even if you don't get an allowance, you could babysit, watch pets, mow lawns, etc.) The key is to act like a responsible, mature, respectful adult; the more mature and responsible you ACT, the more mature and responsible your parents will believe you ARE.