Children and Cellphones

[jyl]

At what age do your children get cellphones?

At my kids' school, by 6th grade (so about 12 y/o) some have cellphones, but most do not.

I am not particularly tempted to get my daughter a cellphone yet at 12 y/o, but am thinking about when I should do it.

[Dantilla]

My daughter is almost 13, and wants a phone desperately. Most of her friends already have one, but mostly they just want to be seen with a phone.

One of her friend's phones is an old hand-me-down from her parents, that doesn't even work- Can't make calls, but it still does "the important stuff", like changing the screen colors. Another friend pretends to text just so she is seen "texting".

It's merely the middle school status symbol.

[jyl]

I'm thinking about one of those little kid phones -

http://www.fireflymobile.com/store/firefly/

- which would definitely *not* be a status symbol. It'd be like wearing a diaper to class.

Oh, I'm so mean.

[kstar]

My kid's 9 and has had a cell phone for about a year. She can pick up most phones and figure them out in short order and she's an ace on my iPhone. Her phone is a "pay as you go" flip model from Samsung. I spend about $10 a month on minutes.

Great for emergencies, learning phone etiquette and honing her machine manipulation skillz in the computer age.

I don't see what's wrong with kids having cell phones. I got to use a phone when a was I kid, only that phone was wired to the wall. The units are cheap and basically disposable; just work out a way for them to earn minutes and not be obnoxious in public on the phone. Heck, kids don't need to a phone to do that.

Funny aside: we use cell phones for 100% of our phone calls, but do have a land-line because of of DSL/network services. The other day I had to teach her how to use our land-line! She entered the number in first then tried to press the "call/on" button. I had to show her how to get a dial-tone first then enter the number! I'm glad she has this "knowledge" now, in case f emergency.

FWIW.

[john70t]

Call her 20 times a day with nagging questions. When the phone "breaks", just don't replace it, or have her pay the bill with a summer job.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

Funny aside: we use cell phones for 100% of our phone calls, but do have a land-line because of of DSL/network services. .

Do yo know if verizon will "cancel" the LL and keep the DSL? I don't use my LL very much and frankly I'm tired of paying ridiculous sums of money when I do.

My 11 year old has one of my old phones but is only allowed to call me or his mom.

[kstar]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Do yo know if verizon will "cancel" the LL and keep the DSL? I don't use my LL very much and frankly I'm tired of paying ridiculous sums of money when I do.

My 11 year old has one of my old phones but is only allowed to call me or his mom.

Last time I checked with ATT, I had to have the land-line service to get DSL - they basically force me to pay for a "basic service" line with a phone number. I understand that DSL is via the same twisted pair as the phone, but making folks also pay money for voice services they don't need or want appears silly.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

I don't see what's wrong with kids having cell phones.

I see nothing wrong with kids having cell phones. In our case, two things-

1- She doesn't get anything she wants, just because she wants it.
2- I will use this as a way to build her responsibility. We will discuss who should pay the bill. We will discuss appropriate use. We will let her know, in no uncertian terms, that we as parents are not responsible for her phone, that if she misplaces it somewhere, it will not be our job to replace it. She will know that having a phone, especially since we will be paying for it, is a privilige, and can be revoked at any time.

As much as I want to just give her a phone, and see the smile on her face, my job as "Dad" is to prepare her to someday leave us, and tackle life on her own. This is part of that proccess.

[SeanR]

Got ours one when she turned 8, almost 12 now . I'm her step daddy. Wife went back to work and the kid started riding the bus to school at age 10. She gives us a call when she gets off the bus and we talk to her for her 1 block walk home.

The only three numbers she has in it her mine, momma, and her real dad and she typically only uses 30 minutes a month. I look at it as easy access for when she is at school or camp when she needs to get ahold of us or send me pictures that she think s are funny.

Worth the extra $20.00 per month.

We also don't have a land line, total waste of $$.

[kstar]

To Dantilla:

Agreed.

All of the points you make were part of my kid's phone deal.

Edit: Her computer came with similar responsibilities.

[cantdrv55]

Nick was in 7th grade when I gave him his first cell phone.

[m21sniper]

So far my cat hasn't asked for a phone. Not sure what i'll do if he does....

No kids here, thanks.

[kstar]

FWIW, Hop-On Mobile is now selling "disposable" cell phones for about $10 at some retailers. Despite our best efforts, kids will lose things and a $10 loss is probably easier for most kids to digest.

FWIW.

[porsche4life]

I got mine when i was 14 and getting my motorcycle license. I paid for the phone and pay the bill most of the time.

[Joe Bob]

Out of service cells will still work for 911 calls....

My twin girls got phones at 13.....the monster wants one at 12. She MIGHT get it but she REALLY needs to improve her act....

[Jims5543]

My son got one at 12 because it was a 2nd phone free $1 a moth for service 2nd phone on a plan.

He does not care about it and leaves it home 99%of the time when I wish he had it.

My in laws on the other hand their 12 y/o daughter fights with them for a phone and when she gets it spends all her time texting boys.

I am glad I do not have a any girls.

[Joe Bob]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

My son got one at 12 because it was a 2nd phone free $1 a moth for service 2nd phone on a plan.

He does not care about it and leaves it home 99%of the time when I wish he had it.

My in laws on the other hand their 12 y/o daughter fights with them for a phone and when she gets it spends all her time texting boys.

I am glad I do not have a any girls.

Gee thanks...rub it in.....

I'm waiting to conduct a cat funeral.....