Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Need some input please.
At what age it is appropriate for kids to have cell phones?
I am talking just a regular old fashion phone for calling, not texting, iPhone, web, camera.
what conditions did you put on having one?
What simple phone did you get?
have you regretted giving them a phone? Did they have to earn the phone?
Thx.
I think it's appropriate as soon as they know how to use one and might be away from home for any length of time. Tracfones have a family phone with $5.50 a month for the secondary phones and the phones themselves cost about $20 which makes it worth it for the insurance of a child being able to call a parent easily. If a child needs a ride home, gets lost, or the parent needs to get ahold of the child, I think it makes sense to give them a phone.
I don't believe in unlimited text messaging for kids. With the prepaids, they can text message but also can see how many units they've used and can learn to budget.
I've never regretted getting my kids a prepaid cell phone. Since they're prepaid, there are no surprises and with limited minutes, they've never gotten out of control. They use their phones like I think kids should use them and aren't constantly on them.
In our Jr. High school, my son tells me several kids play a game where they take turns throwing their IPhones at a hallway wall. If their phone breaks, they are out.
We live in a semi-wealthy area.
Demonstrates why kids should not have cell phones and rich kids should not be just given expensive items. If they worked their tails off all summer to pay for those Iphones, it is pretty certain they woudl nto be throwing them at the wall.
Well our kids were given cell phones and have never broken one. Our kids, and all of their friends, know darn well that if they are careless they are NOT getting their phones replaced. I would say that we live in a "semi-wealthy" area as well, but people here teach their kids the value of money and have some standards of behavior for their kids I guess.
Well our kids were given cell phones and have never broken one. Our kids, and all of their friends, know darn well that if they are careless they are NOT getting their phones replaced. I would say that we live in a "semi-wealthy" area as well, but people here teach their kids the value of money and have some standards of behavior for their kids I guess.
Generalizing. Generalizations are generally false. Just like here, I am sure some parent swhere you live teach their children the value of money and some do not. Just like some kids in your Jr. High have started using drugs and some have not. Generalizations donto work and no one lives in nirvanna
Generalizing. Generalizations are generally false. Just like here, I am sure some parent swhere you live teach their children the value of money and some do not. Just like some kids in your Jr. High have started using drugs and some have not. Generalizations donto work and no one lives in nirvanna
I can say that no one in our middle school has every played 'throw your I-phone at the wall" game--but I can double check with the principal when I see her at grad parties later...I'll ask about the drug situation too. It really wasn't an issue when our kids were in middle school, not that it didn't happen but it certainly wasn't something that was a huge issue....
But the generalizations about where you live are true I guess....and some people DO live in areas where kids actually behave....
Generalizing. Generalizations are generally false. Just like here, I am sure some parent swhere you live teach their children the value of money and some do not. Just like some kids in your Jr. High have started using drugs and some have not. Generalizations donto work and no one lives in nirvanna
Didn't you say, "rich kids shouldn't be given phones"? And that wasn't generalizing? LOL!
We're by no means rich, but there is no way that my son would intentionally do anything to his phone (which, at 12, he does not pay for). He knows he wouldn't be getting another one. As it is, he's extremely careful with his possessions. He's never lost/broken a pair of glasses (has worn them since he was 7), always knows where his phone is and will give it to me to hold if he's planning on doing any type of rough play with his friends, etc.
Now, my daughter, she's another story. Thankfully she doesn't wear glasses... the way she is with her things, I bet they'd be lost/crushed by the end of the week! She's not intentionally destructive, just careless. So while I'm sure she wouldn't throw a phone against a wall, I could totally see her jumping into a pool while it's in her pocket or something. So unless she gains a lot of maturity in the next two years, she will not be receiving a cellphone at the age of 12 like her brother did. It really depends on the individual child, and since I have one really responsible kid and one not-so-much, I don't think it necessarily has to do with parenting.
My son was one of the first of his friends to get a cell phone; he was in 5th grade. He's 17 now so that was a few years ago.
It wasn't fancy. I had just taken a job that required a good bit of day travel; I was still within the state but often an hour or two away. I wanted him to have a way to reach me if he needed to. We lived within walking distance to and from the school but still . . . . it gave ME such peace of mind to know that he could easily reach me if he needed to.
As he got older; he didn't call much - but he will text. Frankly, it just makes life easier IMO.
I got a cellphone when I was in 6th grade and until 8th grade it was prepaid. I only had one because my parents.had an hour commute so if I needed them o had.to get into contact with them quick and vice versa
Generalizing. Generalizations are generally false. Just like here, I am sure some parent swhere you live teach their children the value of money and some do not. Just like some kids in your Jr. High have started using drugs and some have not. Generalizations donto work and no one lives in nirvanna
One problem I think and have observed, is that some kids are really never taught how to budget -- which includes scrimping and saving. They're so used to having the latest gadgets, even being the first to have the newest thing out that they don't know how to delay gratification.
I've now come across several couples with two good incomes who ran into big debt problems. It seems to me that learning to do without, or make do with something very basic and affordable is also a good lesson in life.
I like my cheap prepaid with the family plan that costs $5.50 a phone -- even if I can afford iPhones, I want my kids to understand that those meaningless texts actually cost money. All that money is gone, it's not invested. My plan gives them 80 units a month, which amounts to 160 minutes for calls, and 320 texts. That's plenty and they also learn that it costs money and they don't need to sit in class texting back and forth.
When you actually read what kids are texting, you can see that parents are spending a whole lot of money every month on something pretty inane.
Now, my daughter, she's another story. Thankfully she doesn't wear glasses... the way she is with her things, I bet they'd be lost/crushed by the end of the week! She's not intentionally destructive, just careless. So while I'm sure she wouldn't throw a phone against a wall, I could totally see her jumping into a pool while it's in her pocket or something. So unless she gains a lot of maturity in the next two years, she will not be receiving a cellphone at the age of 12 like her brother did. It really depends on the individual child, and since I have one really responsible kid and one not-so-much, I don't think it necessarily has to do with parenting.
I believe that some kids (and adults) are just "hard on things". Growing up I was always told that I was "hard on things". I was absolutely NOT spoiled or indulged and I definitely understood having to wait for things or work for them or do without if it wasn't a necessity. I was just really really absentminded and kind of klutzy and somehow rough on my things even when I tried very very hard to not be!
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
One problem I think and have observed, is that some kids are really never taught how to budget -- which includes scrimping and saving. They're so used to having the latest gadgets, even being the first to have the newest thing out that they don't know how to delay gratification.
I've now come across several couples with two good incomes who ran into big debt problems. It seems to me that learning to do without, or make do with something very basic and affordable is also a good lesson in life.
I like my cheap prepaid with the family plan that costs $5.50 a phone -- even if I can afford iPhones, I want my kids to understand that those meaningless texts actually cost money. All that money is gone, it's not invested. My plan gives them 80 units a month, which amounts to 160 minutes for calls, and 320 texts. That's plenty and they also learn that it costs money and they don't need to sit in class texting back and forth.
When you actually read what kids are texting, you can see that parents are spending a whole lot of money every month on something pretty inane.
I remember how proud my older son was when he got his first job after school and bought himself an Ipod. Peers would assume it'd been given to him by his parents or Grandparents and he was so proud to be able to say that he saved for it himself (I don't remember how much it was but it wasn't cheap at the time). When I was that age; my mom provided shelter and food but I worked and paid for all my own clothes, any extras, my car's maintenance, gas, etc. It made me appreciate things more.
I definitely agree that learning to do without or make do is a very valuable and important lesson. With regard to unlimited texting, for the plan we use, it simply doesn't cost any more for the phones to have unlimited texts so I don't see any point in trying to limit it. They have limited talk time.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I was that age; my mom provided shelter and food but I worked and paid for all my own clothes, any extras, my car's maintenance, gas, etc. It made me appreciate things more. 
