Perry Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 How much does your teen text per month? If they have unlimited texting, do you keep track of how much they use it? Would there be some point that you would tell them it's too much? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My 20 yr old pays his own texting bill. My 15 & 16 yr olds share a phone with no texting. Too $. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 We have unlimited texting for me, dh, dd (20), ds (20), and ds (16). Ds (15) has a pay-per-use cell phone, so he doesn't text much. My kids text to communicate when they need to communicate. I'm not sure what "too much" would look like; they do what they need to do. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherLynn Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My plan has unlimited texting for all lines ($25/month). I do not monitor their texting much. Every now and then I pick up a phone and read what they have recieved and sent. Never anything I was concerned about. They can text anytime they have free time. Not during chores, not during meals, and not when having a conversation with an adult. Also, if they get late night texts, they text their friends and say something like "You're gonna get me in trouble, please don't text me after 9". My DD texts lilke CRAZY in her free time. Silly things like "what song is on the radio?" "What about now" and all her little girlfriends are the same way. As long as it is not interfering with anything else, I don't care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 The only rule is that they are not allowed to text me because I have no idea how to use it! :tongue_smilie: We have a family plan so it all cost the same. I hardly ever see them using it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 dd12 doesn't have a cell phone of her *own* (and won't for some time yet), but she likes to use mine now and then... she only texts my cousin, his wife, and her dad though - because they're on the MY5 and it's free.. plus she doesn't really know anyone else to text.. none of her friends have cell phones. :) (well, a few from back east might have them now, I don't know. They just talk on our house phone - we've got unlimited LD in Canada, so they can gab for hours, no need to text :tongue_smilie: ..none of the friends she's made here have them yet.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 (edited) I have two teens, 18 and 16. We just got new phones and paid for limited texting - 300 per phone per month, I think. I was very against texting at first because I saw it as a big time waster so this is our first experience with it. I wanted my oldest to be able to text as she meets new people at college in the fall so we figured we would all try it out. Both girls are not really interested in texting their friends - they honestly do not want to be bothered all day like that! They are not big on using the phone either - they use Facebook and the occasional e-mail. They have one friend who is a big text-aholic (her mother has shared her concerns with me!) and I suspect that they have told her not to text them as they just do not have the time. They would rather see her in person anyway! Another thing - my daughters only have their phones on when they are out. And my oldest turns hers off once she gets to her parttime job as she is not allowed to be on while working! So there is really not that much time for them to be using their phone at all. ETa: I would be concerned if they went over the 300 mark as I think that we are spending quite enough on this already! I hope that I will not need to keep track of their text use...but they have both shown themselves to be fairly responsible in many other ways so I am not planning to keep a close eye here. I see what they are up to on Facebook, know all their friends and pretty much always know where they are and what they are doing so I try to gove them a little freedom on the phone! Edited May 17, 2009 by Liza Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My DD texts lilke CRAZY in her free time. Silly things like "what song is on the radio?" "What about now" and all her little girlfriends are the same way. As long as it is not interfering with anything else, I don't care. :iagree: My ds is now 20 and on his own in Iraq, but when he lived at home as a teen - this was my take on it. My other kids are too young for this, but I suspect I will be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 We have unlimited texting. DD 13 is allowed to text during free times...not (like someone else mentioned) during school, family time, after 9pm...and any time I tell her that enough is enough. She is not allowed to delete any of her incoming/outgoing messages. When her phone starts to fill up, she is to bring it to me. I scroll through the messages and then delete them for her. I am pretty strict, so she knows that if at anytime she takes advantage...it can/will be taken away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura R (FL) Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Me two girls and I have unlimited texting. They text friends, we text each other, we text AI votes...whatever tickles our fancy. We haven't had any issues with it. If it seems overused, we have taken the phones away and it's always nice to have something to take away as a consequence. ;) We haven't set the rules out loud, but we seem to have an understanding that you don't text during dinner, personal family time, etc. That would be as rude as anything else that takes away from the moment. I have found that it helps the girls keep in touch with their friends and it makes them feel up to date. My oldest is super techie, so that's important to her and I don't mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 We have unlimited texting. DD 13 is allowed to text during free times...not (like someone else mentioned) during school, family time, after 9pm...and any time I tell her that enough is enough. She is not allowed to delete any of her incoming/outgoing messages. When her phone starts to fill up, she is to bring it to me. I scroll through the messages and then delete them for her. I am pretty strict, so she knows that if at anytime she takes advantage...it can/will be taken away. Those are our rules exactly. Except the deleting messages, but I do randomly flip through them and her email at will. And often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisN in NY Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 We have unlimited texting on all the phones that are on our family plan. Ds once had his texting "turned off" during his senior year because he was texting at all hours and was barely doing any schoolwork. Dd has been texting a ton (10K) lately, helping a friend who is in crisis. But she knows she has to keep up with school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 How much does your teen text per month? If they have unlimited texting, do you keep track of how much they use it? Would there be some point that you would tell them it's too much? Just curious. I prefer that he not text during school hours, though this is far from being a hard fast rule. Absolutely no texting during church service or youth. Um....that's about it. I don't know what too much would look like as he has not texted enough to bother me yet. I make up the rules as I go along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Ds once had his texting "turned off" during his senior year because he was texting at all hours and was barely doing any schoolwork. Okay, that's what "too much" looks like!! I would do the same if texting were taking place of doing what needs to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 When we first gave my teen a phone, I paid for the unlimited texting. Never again. When you have to make rules like Don't text during meals and don't test while I am talking to you, it is too much. We changed it to something he paid for himself, and he quickly changed his texting habits. It was fun when it wasn't coming out of his pocket. He and his friends would sit and text each other - while they were in the same room. My advice is to decide the place and purpose texting before you open the door to it. The best thing about it is that it gives you something to take away from a misbehaving teen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My texting rule is no phone. My teens dont drive or go places where they need to phone me for emergencies, which would be only reason for phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLH in ND Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My texting rule is no phone. My teens dont drive or go places where they need to phone me for emergencies, which would be only reason for phone. This is pretty much where we are with dd. She doesn't have her own phone, rather, she is allowed to use one of our 2 phones when on a babysitting job (not many of the families have land lines), or if she & her sisters are on a bike ride, etc. We send the phone along 'just in case it's needed' to make a phone call - no texting. Since we don't have a special texting plan with our service, it costs a lot if it is used. This is working fine for us at this point in time. Sheri :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My dd has unlimited texting. It's the only way she can connect with friends since they all live an hour or more away. The only time I limit it is when we're together and I feel it's distracting her from me or our family. But actually, she's fairly good about not texting when she's busy with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 I got the bill the other day. *I* texted the most. I don't care about the kids texting. We have unlimited text (and data), please use them. If I didn't believe they were responsible enough to use their phones appropriately, I wouldn't have gotten them phones. If they proved to be irresponsible (texting through supper or at meetings, doing nothing else, not meeting their responsibilities, etc), I'd simply take the phones temporarily until they were ready to try again. <shrug> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryTX Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 He has had a phone for about 2 years - he does more texting than calling. I have never really looked at his texts - right now he averages about 2000 to 2500 texts per month. He and I use it to communicate a lot when he is at work because he doesn't like to have it ring during work. He is 18 though - I got on his back last year because we almost had to pay a $200 extra fee for all his texting. However, we were in the middle of switching plans, and he was confused - I was able to get the cell phone provider to waive it because it really was supposed to be switched when he thought it was. I will give our 13 a cell phone to use starting this fall because her high school is about 2 miles away and she will have a lot of after school activities. The middle school will allow the kids to use the office phone, but the high school isn't as nice about it. I am just going to put her on a Virgin Mobile plan, and will either have no texting, or she will have to pay out of her allowance for texting. If I were working full time, I would just add her to our family plan in the fall, but I need to switch to something cheaper when my contract is up in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 All but my youngest have phones. They play lots of sports and church activities so texting is how we stay in touch. I have unlimited for all and they know the rules. As long as they are responsible, which has been the case so far, I don't really care. I remember my parents getting mad about me talking on the phone for hours so I guess this is better. I think lots of it is a generational communication thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 My texting rule is no phone. My teens dont drive or go places where they need to phone me for emergencies, which would be only reason for phone. This is us as well. No phone. There are certain times I'll send my phone with my daughter so she can check in with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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