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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
AMossy
member
Children & Cell Phones
AMossy
member
So my nephew is 9 years old and he keeps hounding his parents for his own cell phone. HE NEEDS ONE... well, of course I agree because he already doesn't borrow his mom's cell phone and call us at all hours right now. I probably do need to talk to him more, on his OWN personal cell phone. Those dang parents of his though will not agree. They say no way.
So, in these technology driven days, when do you think you will allow your DC to have their own cell phone?
...BTW, I was 18 and went away to college before I got my own. And my plan only had 400 min and text messaging wasn't invented yet. It was a drag.
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Re: Children & Cell Phones
I totally disagree with kids (children--under high school age) having cell phones. I want to have more control over who my kids are talking to and when they are calling people.
Although I can see how cell phones might teach responsibility/accountability, and I foresee that once our kids are driving, I'd likely cave in.
Love, luck, and prayers to my BFPB Dr. SnowflakeBride
My DS who is 9 asked for one and of course we said......no. I am pretty sure if DS has something important to tell his friend....he can hop on his bike and pedal on over this their house and say it
DS will probably get a tracphone or similar when he is in 7th or 8th grade and will only be allowed to use it to call us to let us know when to pick him up from sporting/band activities. he will not have text or picture mail or internet...
i wonder if they still sell the cell phones like Zack Morris had on Saved by the Bell
I personally don't want our child to have a cell phone before driving age but I do think we will probably cave before then. Maybe 13 or so when they start doing more things by themselves? I just know I will for sure be the mean mom and not cave in while they are in Elementary school.
It's amazing how we all survived without cell phones but now it seems like such a necessity. Honestly, I don't even notice places with pay phones anymore.
I agree - no cellphones for kids! My 10 and 12 year old cousins have them. Who, exactly, are you calling at 10 years old?? I don't think so.
I have a friend whose 8 year old begged and pleaded for cell phone for weeks. Finally, his mom told him if he could keep track of a pencil that she marked for entire week then he could get a cell phone. She told him he had to be able to produce it at any time and always had to know where it was. 2 days later he lost the pencil. No cell phone for him. I love it!
My friend's 13 year old twin boys have them. It drove me INSANE when they got them, all they did was call and text ME and my DH all.the.time and the stupidest things. I had to call her and tell her to have a talk with them.
Who knows what I will do. I don't believe in them for kids, but I look at all the things I have thought I woudn't do when I had a baby and it makes me wonder.
As of right now, NO cell phone until she is driving...but I am seriously considering putting a tracking device on her. If she is anything like I was, I will need one on her.
I'm doomed then. One of DS's favorite toys is my iPhone. I'm fully expecting his full sentence to be asking for his own!
That's smart. I do not think any child needs a cell phone before they can drive. Even then it should be limited. These kids that text over 10,000 messages every month and have their phones on in school are ridiculous. My brother is 4 years younger than me and had a phone way before I did. He would literally be up at 3am texting friends. I think taking away the phones after 10pm or something is a resctriction that should be set. It's the same with talking to friends on computers. There shoudl be a time when all technology is turned off or limited.
I think when DD is old enough to drive she can have one. If she wants to chat with her BFFs during school, then she will have to get hall-passes and meet up in the middle of class or pass notes like I did back in the "old days"
haha
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got my first cellphone when I got to high school. But that was only because I was in after school clubs and half the time we were outside and there was no phone.
I think I will do the same for DS. If he is in middle school and needs to stay after school or is going to a friend's house I think I will let him take mine that way I know the excuse of "well there was no phone to call you on" really is a lie.
That's so funny...I'm so old that my first cell phone was like that. My sisters still refer to it as "the Zack Morris phone."
I've seen cell phones for kids that have, like, three buttons - one to call mom, one to call dad, and one for 911. I will probably get something like that for DD as soon as she's in school.
I think a "real" cell phone of her own, probably not until middle school, maybe 12 or 13.
Maybe I am totally old and out of touch, but if you don't have a land line (we do), how would your child connect with his/her friends? Would they have their own computer? Use your cell phone?
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I hate to be the one to say it, BUT many of you may change your mind on this. I too always felt that I would never let my child have one at an early age, but anything that may keep my son safe I'm all for. When my son was five we were planning a Disney Trip. I didn't "plan" on losing my son, but wanted to have contingencies in case of anything like that happening. I bought the following Firefly (www.fireflymobile.com) and put it in his pocket. He also would take it when he would spend the night with grandparents or friends and I felt like it gave him security that Mom and Dad were very accessible.
He is now 11 and has his own cell phone and because he participates in many after-school programs and sports, it is nice to know that he can call me OR I can contact him if needed. He very rarely text and is very responsible with his phone. I would say that almost all of his friends have cell phones.
We'll get ones like this for the girls when they're old enough to be alone for a certain period of time. As for a real cell - not until they're driving or riding around with friends who drive.
That is awesome, I hope I remember that one! I agree with PP, that when DS is around 13 or so, he will probably get something along the lines of a Tracfone, to lear about budgeting minutes/texts; and he'd have to use his allowance for any additional cards. Although goodness knows where technology will be with these things in 12 years...
I was 20 when I bought my first cell phone.
When my stepson can prove to DH and I (we'll give final OK on this since he lives with us FT), is when he will get a cell phone. He is 9 now, and hasn't expressed any kind of interest in one, which is good, because the answer would be no.
Times are different now than when we all were his age (a little more different for some of us, than the younger ones here!) so we're not setting a time to get one or not get one. It's a wait and see game. I also LOVE the keeping track of the pencil idea! My SS isn't anywhere close to being responsible enough for a cell phone. I'm sure when his cousins start getting them he'll be asking for one.
My 10 year old just asked me today when she was going to get one - I laughed at her!
My kids go to school with me - Maybe if she goes to a different school next year I might consider it, but probably not. Certainly when she starts driving, but I doubt that will be until she's 17 - but we'll see.
I actually had a conversation about this with my dad and mom the other day. I was not allowed to have a cell phone until I could pay for it on my own. I was 18 when I got my cell phone. My younger sisters got their cell phones when they were in 7th and 8th grades. One of my sisters racked up a 1,000 dollar phone bill from texting. (This was back when unlimited texting did not exist) of course my parents had to pay for it.
In any case I told my dad that my kids will not get their own cell phone until they pay for it on their own. My dad replied with "Your kids are going to get made fun of"- made fun of or not they are not getting one until they have a job to pay for it. If that means they don't get one until they are 20 then that is the case if they have a job at 15 and want to get one and can pay for it then they will get one.
Our computers will also have the password bugs on them so we can check the sites that they are going on and all of that. One of my sisters is one of those girls that had too risky of pictures on facebook at age 13, my parents did not know about it until I told them. And then they had no clue on how to limit it because she would just go to a friends and change it.
I got my 10 year old DD a cell phone 2 years ago because she started going to her father's (loser) for overnights every other weekend and he wouldn't let her use his phone to call me. Also I had tracking so I could tell where she was. She was only allowed to have it when she went with him.
When she turned 10, I added 250 texts so that way she could just text me, or DH. She also used it to text my mom/SIL on weekends. I also started letting her use it when she goes to friend's houses or is at dance, etc. Basically when she is away from me and may need to get in touch with me. It actually comes in pretty handy on those days when I get tied up with the twins and text her to try and find a ride home from dance, etc. It also gives me peace of mind. She is still not allowed to use it to call and chat with friends, go on internet, etc. She begs me though
I bet, even though you may be against it now, many of you moms, who's LOs are still young, will end up getting your children cell phones around age 10 just because it makes things waaay easier. That when they start going off on their own more and you'll want to be able to get in contact with them.