dirty ethel rackham Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 We have one extra cell phone for the family. I got it because the kids have some activities outside the home and it is a convenience for the parents for our children to have it. I feel more comfortable giving them more independence if they have it. However, my kids are unusual - most of their public school acquaintences have the, but most of the homeschooled friends don't. They have heard me complain enough about poor cell phone etiquette (teens and adults alike) that I am not worried. They often have to be reminded to take the phone. We don't text (yet.) I can see that being a convenience in the future, but no need for it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
living_2_learn Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Okay, apparently "everybody" dd12 knows has a cell phone. Her 12 year old cousin got one for Christmas, and a couple friends she races with that are her age have them. I flat out refused her one and I stand my that. Am I the only parent who thinks kids this age should not have cell phones? Please, back me up here, because dd is in her room crying with the door closed . . . Blessings, Lisa Stand your ground! If I had it to do over, my dd (17 now) would never have gotten one. Nothing but a pain, expense, and DRAMA!!!! It's for her own good as well as your sanity. She'll understand when she's older. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisN in NY Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Unless there is a compelling reason, I don't believe a 12yo should have a cell phone. Ds1 got one before he went to school so we could keep in touch with him. Ds2 got one when he got his drivers license; since he's in college it's also a good way to keep in touch with him. Dd1 got one just before her 17th b-day, just before getting her license. She is a texting "queen", which I'm not thrilled about but she does all her work and such so I ignore it. (NO texting at meals, during school, at work, or if she's working under a looming deadline). None of the rest of my kiddos have cell phones, nor are there plans to get them one in the near future. They are 14, 12 and 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I wouldn't buy a cell phone for a kid just b/c his friends have one. If it made sense in our family situation, then yes, I see no reason a kid shouldn'thave one, with appropriate rules in place. If they wanted to buy their own b/c their friends have them or they simply want one, I'd allow it. In our house, buying your own does NOT mean you get to do whatever you want with it. That includes anything - - ipods, computer games, wii games, books, etc. There are rules, no matter who pays. We went to a birthday party last year. The little girl was turning 12, and got a cell phone. I have no problem with that, but her group of friends, all 12 or so, shouted out, "Finally!!" when she opened it. I was astounded that someone turning 12 was, apparently, very far behind the curve in not having her very own cell. It wasn't one kid yelling this out, but pretty much the whole group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My kids all have cell phones. As long as they use them responsibly, I don't have a problem with it. My girls are at dance/gym for hours every day without us. I feel better knowing they can call me any time. All families are different, and I would do what is best for yours. I wouldn't let "everyone has one" sway me. That argument never works around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I do let her use mine from time to time. The circumstances are either: 1. She is going to choir, where apparently she gains some sort of prestige by having good looking electronics bulging out of her pocket, and also she can call DH if he is late picking her up. 2. She has finished her schoolwork, doesn't have anything in particular that she wants to do, and her best friend, who goes to school 25 miles away, has gotten home from school and wants to text back and forth. 3. She has some extraordinary time away, in which having a cell phone is possibly a safety issue. This happened just once, some people that we knew pretty well from a church setting invited her to go along to a secular social event that involved wandering around outside among a lot of other people. I pretty much trusted them, but wanted DD to have a fall back in case she got separated from them by some fluke or in case something weird happened that I was not expecting, like the driver had a couple of drinks, or if something else happened that made her uncomfortable. I didn't expect any problems, and indeed there were none, but I felt that letting her have my cell phone along with some specific instructions as to how I expected her to take care of herself empowered her considerably. Gradually I want her to become more responsible, and letting her go off this way was a step along that path. (We also agreed on some codes about these issues, in case she needed to call me in front of someone else.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... I don't feel paralyzed at the thought of not having it. But for my family, the pros of my kids having a phone far outweigh the cons. I can't think of any good reasons not to have them, and I see lots of benefits. I do know there can be problems (rude behavior, overuse, cost) but we don't have those issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My 12 yo dd doesn't have one. Her homeschooled friends don't have them, but her ps friends do have them. One of her homeschooled friends is at dance for several hours every afternoon, but doesn't have one. She helps teach little ones and takes lessons. I guess her mom figures she'd use their business phone if she needed to call. I think dd would like to have one, but hasn't pushed the issue. I know we'll want her to have one when she starts driving, but I don't know if there will be a need before then. She even has the money to pay for her own. When it has come up in the past, which is very little, I point out that she rarely even uses our home phone, so why would she want to spend money on something she can get for free (the home phone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... I remember when I got a computer, a bunch of my friends were all "Why do you need a computer? Why not use the library?!" Now I really don't know anyone without a computer. Oh, I know one person, but she uses the library computer, but she is not a hser. All the hsers I know have computers. I can only imgaine when someone finally figured out how to make fire without lightening and hosted the first cook out. I'm thinking at least one of the guests said, "Ill always prefer my meat raw, you sissy! Pretty soon you'll be wanting to heat your cave with that stuff" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 We all have cell phones here. Oldest dd upgraded while home and gave her old one to her brother (11 year old) and she text him each night before he goes to sleep. (She's in Kuwait working.) Dad is deployed and if my children or hubby need to reach me or each other we have the means to do so. It's definitely a security thing for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I remember when I got a computer, a bunch of my friends were all "Why do you need a computer? Why not use the library?!" Now I really don't know anyone without a computer. Oh, I know one person, but she uses the library computer, but she is not a hser. All the hsers I know have computers. I can only imgaine when someone finally figured out how to make fire without lightening and hosted the first cook out. I'm thinking at least one of the guests said, "Ill always prefer my meat raw, you sissy! Pretty soon you'll be wanting to heat your cave with that stuff" :D So are you implying all new technology both advances and improves our lives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... I'm thinking about this some more, and I think you could say it about any innovation. I don't really need a car, but it sure makes life a lot easier having one. We don't really need an indoor toilet, but I'm glad I have it. I really resisted phones at first, but looking back I think I was just being stubborn. I didn't want my kids to have one because they were trendy and I don't generally like to go along with the crowd. But there came a point that I was just inconveniencing myself, for no purpose other than to say "I refuse to conform". I would feel differently if my kids were with me all the time, but they aren't. OTOH, I'd be happy to get rid of the TV. I can't stand the thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I'm thinking about this some more, and I think you could say it about any innovation. So do I. Which is why I spoke in generalities ~ "how quickly we adopt the latest gadget", e.g. I wasn't thinking merely in terms of cell phones.I really resisted phones at first, but looking back I think I was just being stubborn. I didn't want my kids to have one because they were trendy and I don't generally like to go along with the crowd. But there came a point that I was just inconveniencing myself, for no purpose other than to say "I refuse to conform". And one can argue that resistance purely for the sake of non-conformity is merely another means of conforming.;) Thinking broadly, the question may be asked (as I posted above), whether or not all technological "advancements" unequivocally qualify as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Thinking broadly, the question may be asked (as I posted above), whether or not all technological "advancements" unequivocally qualify as such. I don't for a second think all technology is an "advancement". I do think there are very good reasons that most kids have cell phones. While the kids want them because their friends have them, the parents want them because it gives them peace of mind and they add convenience. Of course, if the kids are always with the parents they're unnecessary. That's a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinMominTX Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I doubt any of us "need" them. However, we chose to get them for our girls at age 7 for a whole variety of reasons . To each his own and if you don't want her to have one...that is reason enough right there and it really doesn't need any backup or corroboration from anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My boys got them in middle school. For the older, we started with a pay-as-you-go plan so that he could get in touch with us if there was a mix-up at the soccer field regarding pickups, or from church, or whatever. He's now finished high school and it is the main way he communicates with his friends (texting). When I was his age, I spent hours on the phone with my parents constantly telling me to get off....dragging the phone into a closet, whatever. When he goes away to university in the fall, we will have free calling between our phones so that will be great. My younger son got one when we moved to Toronto and he started going to Catholic school (age 12). His commute was 45 minutes by bus-subway-streetcar, so we wanted him to be able to get in touch with us if there were problems, and to let me know when he was leaving school or staying late. That was two years ago. He doesn't use it all that much with friends, but I really appreciate the "I'm just getting on the subway" call every day. He also skateboards to karate lessons and I like that he calls me when he gets there and when he leaves (it's a 20 minute skate each way). The bottom line is, for our family, the phones effectively fill a need. Payphones are nowhere to be found these days. My kids are "free range" so it is good to be able to get in touch with them (and them with me) and for them to be in touch with their friends. I also appreciate not having our home phone ringing all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... My issue is that when I was a kid if I neded to reach my parents there was plenty of pay phones, now good luck to find one. I called my parents a number of time in high school to come pick me up from school or sports because some activity was cancelled (I grew up in France where you can't drive till 18yo). I used the pay phones in front of the school but now those have disapperared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 None of mine have phones yet, but as soon as they would be useful, they will. I suspect they will be getting one the day they get their driver's license unless, for some unforeseen reason, it becomes necessary sooner. "Necessary" in our house is defined by their dad and I. :D Oh, and none of my kids have even asked for one. (So much for peer pressure--they all hate talking on the phone as much as I do! :lol:) We do embrace technology here though for the most part. Only the 5 & 9 yo do not own their own computers. (Why text on a silly little phone when you can use a full-sized keyboard?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 We all have cell phones here. Oldest dd upgraded while home and gave her old one to her brother (11 year old) and she text him each night before he goes to sleep. (She's in Kuwait working.) Dad is deployed and if my children or hubby need to reach me or each other we have the means to do so. It's definitely a security thing for us. That's sweet that she texts her little brother every night. I would totally have phones for all of us if we were all over the place too. We're mostly together though so it would make no sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My dh and I have cell phones plus we have a "kid phone." Our oldest is old enough to watch our others for a couple of hours at a time, so we wanted an extra phone to keep at home. We also send the phone with any kid that is going to be away from us for an extended period with no easy way to contact us. As soon as they come home, the phone gets hooked back up to the charger on my desk. No one has the number to the kid phone except dh and me. This is what we do, too. I am so thankful to my parents for all of the times they deprived me of "what everyone else had." It has made my life as a mom, a wife, and an adult in general much happier. My dc don't even try that argument, as they know the joy we get out of shooting it down. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janna Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I'm thinking about this some more, and I think you could say it about any innovation. I don't really need a car, but it sure makes life a lot easier having one. We don't really need an indoor toilet, but I'm glad I have it. I really resisted phones at first, but looking back I think I was just being stubborn. I didn't want my kids to have one because they were trendy and I don't generally like to go along with the crowd. But there came a point that I was just inconveniencing myself, for no purpose other than to say "I refuse to conform". I would feel differently if my kids were with me all the time, but they aren't. OTOH, I'd be happy to get rid of the TV. I can't stand the thing. Someone else above mentioned this line of thinking with computers. At one time, computers were "all the rage" - and it turns out they are necessary these days. The difference with cell phones to me, is cost. It's an ongoing cost to have a phone. Even our "emergency only" phone has to be paid a minimum of $15/month to "stay active". Personally, it's this reason that I am so anti-cell phone (well, this and the ghastly manners (lack of) most often seen with the person attached to the phone). For us, having something cost so much a month puts a strain on our family. It doesn't matter if there are different plans that cost more or less. Even our $15/month phone, I debate with myself regularly about keeping or not. It's the same thing with cable. We don't have cable because we refuse to pay a monthly fee. We still use a VCR because I think it's ridiculous that it costs monthly to pay for a DVR service. Whatever happened to one-time purchases? Computers took awhile for people to have because they were so costly, but eventually they did and the cost came down - and if people don't, there is always the free use at the library. I think that here in America, we are so used to the "gotta have it now" syndrome, whether we can pay for it or not, that we're used to making monthly payments (i.e credit cards, brand new cars), so why not cell phones and cable, too? We just refuse to succumb to that line of thinking - no matter how "odd" we may seem to "everyone else". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 It's interesting to me when parents say the primary or sole reason their child has a cell phone is so s/he can be reached (or reach parents) when doing something separately. Over and over people use the phrase, "In case my child needs to reach me" or "So I can get a hold of him" or whatever. It underscores the fact that people in our society have become accustomed to on-demand communication. StaceyinLA said, "I honestly don't know how parents survived without them in the past". And yet ~ ta da! ~ they did. Some still do. How quickly we adopt the latest gadget and feel paralyzed at the thought of life without it... So true! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 The difference with cell phones to me, is cost. It's an ongoing cost to have a phone. I don't get this. It's an ongoing cost for me to use the computer because I need to pay for internet access. The outlay for the computer is actually small compared to the internet access. Within the first year of buying my laptop I'd spent more in internet access than on the computer itself. (we're high speed cable & we do not have cable tv so I don't get any discounts....) I also pay to have a landline each month. And I pay $10/mo to have a cell phone, more if I need to buy more minutes. You don't have to do monthly phone plan - you can buy a phone outright & buy prepaid minutes (they do expire after a time though so you need to make sure you buy an amount you'll use....) You pay to use a car each month too.....gotta fill it with gas. I see the phone the same.....gotta fill it with minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 My cell phone is (prepaid) $30/month for 300 daytime/1000 night & weekend minutes. The phone itself was $10. For several years I paid by the minute, but we went to a monthly plan because the monthly plan was actually less than we were spending each month and gave me more minutes. We're still deciding if we want to get a second phone (we have no landline) for our boys (13 & 11) because when Dot has cheerleading they are occasionally left home alone. If we do get one for their use, it will be a prepaid, minute-by-minute plan, with the cheapest phone available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBirdX7 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Instead of a No Smoking sign, I think I'll put a No Texting sign on my front door. I really don't like to be ignored when I'm talking to someone just so they can read a message that says, "lol, me too." My husband's phone is provided through his job. I have a Tracfone which I use maybe once a week and lose around the house about 5 times a week. It's my, "yah, I'll get some brown sugar" phone. Because the cell phone is not a major part of my lifestyle, my children would like them but they haven't presented it as a burning passion. We do have a Tracfone that is activated off and on depending on how busy the kids are and what they are doing and if I think we need a kid phone. We have 6 children ages 12 and under. Part principle, part frugality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 My son was the first to ask for a cell phone when he was about 11, because his best (homeschooled) friend had one. We agreed. Dh is pretty technically minded, we all have our own computers. It seemed anatural extension of our lifestyle. Ds used it a few times and it has sat in a drawer ever since- he is 13 now. Dd15 wanted one soon after- I think she was 13 or so. She has used hers night and day since the day she got it. She is onto her 3rd phone. The latest one she bought herself on a contract. She is a social creature and through the Scouting network she knows kids all over the state and she actually keeps in contact with them all- hundreds of them!- through internet and her phone. She generally only texts. This is her nature, to communicate and keep many friends (not people she met once, but people she spent days with on camps, usually, some even from overseas), and the phone allows this expression and fulfillment of her particular nature (along with the computer). Dh bought me a phone a couple of years back, and I use it just for emergencies and keep it in my car, not my handbag. It is useful to phone home when there is a traffic jam and dh is wondering where I am (happened once, last week). It is useful if my car breaks down. A couple of times I have used it to phone dh when I am away for a weekend. I use it hardly ever. Dh has a phone for the same purpose in his glove box, barely used. We said yes to the phones and really it's only dd15 who is likely to get RSI from texting! Its not a big deal for us. Yes, we do have issues of her using the phone rather than communicating with us or other adults- at times. But in the context of our lives which are so intimiately entwined as homeschoolers, it's not a big deal to use it as a teaching moment and show her that it is rude. She is not generally "switched off" from us. Every family must find its own way with this one, but I dont have a problem with kids having phones, because it is jsut part of the world they are growing up in. It seems natural for us. Could we live with out them? Well, dh, ds ad I certainly could. Dd15 obviously could too, but it would be a big hole in her life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 My 12 year old daughter has had one for 2 years now. 99% of the time it is off or the battery has died. I have never had a problem with her abusing the privilege of having one. When in public school she often stayed late and would call me to come pick her up. Or I let her go to Starbucks in town with a friend and she calls me to pick her up. She took the camp bus home (which always arrives earlier than they say) and she called to tell me when to pick her up. She goes to the ice skating rink nearly everyday and I can call her/she calls me. I have no problem with kids and cell phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmulcahy Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I suppose it just comes down to personal choice. My choice is "NO". My kiddos are allowed to go play at a friend's house or play here. We all have house phones. My 7 and 8yo dds have an 8yo friend who has one........WHY???? I suppose just in case her car breaks down :auto:. My 10yo ds has several friends with cell phones and they can't keep track of them. One of his friends has already had three because he keeps losing them!!!! I may change my mind down the road but for now my answer to my pleading children remians a firm "No, there is no need for it now. When there is a need....we will reconsider it". Therese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmulcahy Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 This is what we do, too. I am so thankful to my parents for all of the times they deprived me of "what everyone else had." It has made my life as a mom, a wife, and an adult in general much happier. My dc don't even try that argument, as they know the joy we get out of shooting it down. :D That sounds reasonable. We're not ready for one yet but I would consider this above just buying my child one of their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 One of his friends has already had three because he keeps losing them!!!! If my children lose theirs, they will be without a phone unless they find a way to purchase a new one on their own dime and time. Other than a tie for my son (which he wears 2-5 times per week), I can't imagine anything I'd be willing to buy multiple times if my kids lost it. I'm sure I'm missing SOMETHING, but seriously, almost anything can be done without and maybe a kid that keeps losing "it" needs to go without for awhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 If my children lose theirs, they will be without a phone unless they find a way to purchase a new one on their own dime and time. :iagree: Same goes for if it breaks. My dd tells me that she knows kids who deliberately break their phones (smashing them on the ground, etc.) when they decide it's time for an upgrade. Their parents won't replace a brand new working phone, but they will replace a brand new broken one, apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springmama Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 My 15 year old has had one for years and I like that she has it. When we first got it, she was traveling by plane to visit her father in another state. I wanted her to have something to use to call us in the even that she needed to reach us in an emergency. Now, if she is someplace with friends, like a church concert, the mall, movies, etc...I can reach her and she can reach me in an emergency. Pay phones are very hard to find these days and my dd is too shy to ask a stranger for a phone out in public. I would have a hard time letting her go places without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherclassicmom Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 My two oldest kids have cell phones. We got rid of our land line and they also started taking a music class at the PS. I did not want them to not be able to get a hold of me. I also would not let them stay at home, even for 10 minutes because of not having a phone to call if something happened. If we had a land line, I may have waited longer. Our rules : 1: no texting with out permission, and they pay for the texts with their allowance 2. no calling anyone except mom or dad without permission They have been very responsible so far, however I reserve the right to take away phones if the rules above are ever disobeyed and then they must go with me if I have errands to run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 We told our children that they can have a cell phone when they have a job and can pay for one. I would love to have an extra family phone for my kids to use when they bike out of the neighborhood or when they are ready to be picked up from an activity. Also my oldest has a group of friends in the neighborhood. They go from house to house to play and often go out to the woods. Sometimes it takes me awhile to track him down. It would be so nice to be able to call him on a cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) My son just got a cell phone three days ago for his eighth birthday. I definitely think that a cell for kids is a personal decision for each family and I don't think there's just one answer. We feel that cell phones have added value to our lives. We live rurally and we feel much safer now that we can have cells with us on the roads...there are places where, if you break down, no one else might travel that road for days. They get cell reception though, so if you have a cell you can call. For our son, a cell is both advantageous and fun and has no real negatives attached to it. He calls and texts only us on his phone, but I wouldn't care if he talked to his friends (none of them are at the calling to have phone conversations stage). As he gets older too, he is at the age where we are soon going to feel comfortable leaving him at home for a few minutes while we run to the grocery and such. I much prefer him to have a phone so that he is able to call 911 or us in an emergency. Dh and I only have cell phones, and no land line, so without another cell phone (whether a family one, or one for him) he would be unable to call for help in an emergency. Right now he has a pre-pay phone since he will rarely use it, but eventually we will probably add a third line to our cell plan. Whether that will be a family line or a line for him, I'm not sure yet. I'm also considering having him save the money to buy his own minutes. The phone can call 911 whether there are minutes on it or not, so I'm not worried about that. But, like I said, I do think it's a personal decision. If we had a land line I would have been much less likely to agree to my mother buying him a cell phone for his birthday. But I also don't see any harm in it. We would take it away from him in a heartbeat if he couldn't follow our rules for it, though. Edited August 19, 2009 by chaik76 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinMominTX Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I suppose it just comes down to personal choice. My choice is "NO". My kiddos are allowed to go play at a friend's house or play here. We all have house phones. My 7 and 8yo dds have an 8yo friend who has one........WHY???? Well, my twins had cell phones at age 7 and here is why we choose to provide them with phones.... We have no home telephone. We live in a fairly isolated area and have no close neighbors (can't borrow a phone in an emergency). The VAST majority of the kids my girls play with also have no home telephones. We can afford it. We like to text message back and forth at certain times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 One of his friends has already had three because he keeps losing them!!!! ! The kids keep them fine there. It's Gramma and GranPa that lose them, or drop them in the toilet repeatedly, etc. $$ :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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