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"Outhouses"??? Sorry. Bathrooms are a feature of my home and yours. I know that without asking. It's normative. I don't pay extra mortgage money each month so that my teenagers can use a toilet.
They are standard with all homes, apartments and mobile homes and required in most municipalities.
I have a flip phone. My children and husband have the number.
I'll literally do anything to insure that my children receive the best educations available to them. That's an enduring gift.
The latest gadget? Nope. I'll pass.
Sometimes parenting is not about making my life easier - or their lives more fun.
Sometimes it isn't, but sometimes it is. But my point wasn't really about fun.
I see you missed the meaning of the "outhouse" example.
Electric lighting was once "the latest gadget." You see where I'm going with this?
Teens are a huge market segment. They control billions of dollars of buying power.
This is probably the only point where I agree with Ceese. Teens don't need smart phones by and large and since they are marketed to so much by companies, to me, this is a reason in itself why they shouldn't have a smart phone yet. It's bad enough all the ads they see on TV. Oh, and neither of mine have their own TV and we as parents do limit the time tehy can watch too. I guess we need to get with the times on that, too.
Kids with smarphones are almost never into the programming and technology of them, they just like the games, music, messages, and so on.
Being familiar with technology doesn't mean getting into programming and technology. It's about being familiar with using the latest technology. That will be important in most careers. If they are behind technology-wise, they have more catching up to do. They'll be competing for jobs with peers who understand this. If they want to major in marketing or business, they need to know how technology is used. They don't need to be the ones doing the programming. They need to be the ones who envision what they want the programmers to create for them.
My kids got phones when they went to middle school. Without them, they were missing out on invitations to social activities and had a much harder time staying connected to kids they had been friends with for years. As they gained more freedom, it was more important for me to be able to communicate with them (sports practice let out early, etc)
Phones are just a tool bullies use to expand their web. They are not the cause of bullying or low self-esteem.
As for SMART phones...IMHO no one needs a Smart Phone. Huge waste of money. You need to access the internet? Use a computer at home or at work. Unfortunately, my ex thinks it is critical that kids have the coolest stuff to 'fit in'. He is still a preppie after all these years and it make him sad that his kids are not preps. Nonetheless, they were due for upgrades last month and got Smartphones. I'm not paying for it, so.........
It may not harm kids at all - but from what I observe, even among family members is that many kids today are kind of weird. They'll sit side by side and send texts to each other instead of talking. The phones definitely don't help them with spelling "r u ok" and "wats up". A 12 month old baby can figure out the apps, there's not much learning involved. If the phone doesn't vibrate every 2 minutes or so, they start going into panic mode, grabbing the pocket or glancing nervously at the phone for messages.
That's a parenting issue - not a phone issue. Just like anything, you teach your kids how to use the technology, when and where using it is appropriate, etc.
There is nothing my kid could say to get me to get her a smartphone, period. When they have a job and can get one for themselves, then they can have one.
That's a parenting issue - not a phone issue. Just like anything, you teach your kids how to use the technology, when and where using it is appropriate, etc.
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But my point wasn't really about fun.
