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americans are very wealthy. parents love their children. they cannot bear to deny them the things that they never had, of course that was what made them strong.
One of your best quotes EVER Bunk!!! So True.
My kids do not have one and will not have one until they have part-time jobs and can buy their own phone and pay their monthly bill.
My 12yr old has one and I have piece of mind for it. He has several friends in the neighborhood and it's pretty hard to keep up with a kid without one. He also has a key to the house and there have been plenty of times we have called him and told him we would be running a errand and would not be at home for 15-30 minutes. He also goes to the skating rink and the local kids night out events. It just makes it easier to keep up with your child. I think the issue is worse at the high school level because kids at the age see the phone as a extension to their arm.
It's interesting that people who give their kids cellphones say it is for emergencies and calling home. But I see kids with cell phones on the phone constantly talking to their friends! It's like they have the phone glued to their ears. I think it's dangerous to give a 12 yr-old a phone. You don't know who they are giving their number out to!
I'm not sure how all the other providers do it, but we get a monthly statement that shows all outgoing and incoming calls that were made for each number we have. We receive a paper statement each month and we also may log online at anytime to view the activities for each number. As parents, it's our job to monitor this. As the parent paying the bill you absolutely know - or should know - who is calling or texting your child as well as who your child is calling or texting.
I personally don't see any reason why a child should carry or have a cell phone. I guess for emergency reasons. But you know they won't use that for that alone. They will abuse the cell phone and you end up paying for it. So, in my opinion " No"
Kind of off topic... A woman once said "so are you going to reimburse me for the paper plates I'll have to buy because the dishwasher doesn't work?"
Uhhhh... you can't wash by hand??
Okay, sorry for the derailment, your post made me remember that and laugh!
My 1st real paying job after college was at a call center for Kenmore...heard this exact same thing!
As to get back to the OP...there are lots of things we do not necessarily "need" in life such as running water, electricity or cars (do some research on Henry Ford & see the publics initial reaction to cars), but these things make life more convienent. No one necessarily "needs" a cell phone regardless of age.
If you think your child can handle the responsibility, who am I to look at your child & say "Bet that little punk is abusing his cell phone his daddy is paying for and he does need it but wants to cause trouble." I have more faith in humanity & parenting to think that way in life.
My almost 14-year old twins have had cell phones for 3 years, at the time they started having more independence and I wanted them to be able to reach me and vice versa. I feel it’s a necessity for us. I usually receive a call right after they get out of school with a rundown of their plans (i.e. walking home, want a ride home, going downtown with friends, going to a friends house, going to the library, or stopping off at the park).
It hasn’t been overly expensive. They have pre-paid plans (and dd now has unlimited texting). I know who they’re calling/messaging and vice versa by checking the online account history.
I’m thankful that most of their friends finally have their own cell phones and can stop using my kids’ phone to check in with their parents. Using someone elses phone once in a while is fine, but when it's a regular thing to keep in touch with your parent, get your own phone!
When I was a kid, my parents knew where I was and called the house.
How did we ever survive?
I know where my son is. I know whose house he is at. But I have had such a difficult time trying to contact my child when he is over at friends' houses, that I got him a cell phone.
There are people in the world who do not have land lines, do not answer their land lines, or who do not answer their doors or are in a gated community and I can't get in. I have come close to calling the police in order to contact my child at someone else's house, which was the point I got him a cell phone.
If your kid is at someone else's house and the kid isn't carrying a cell, you need the house's landline number(s) (if any), mom's cell, dad's cell, mom's work, dad's work, siblings' cells, nanny's cell, housekeeper's cell if they have English, security code at the gate or the phone number of the guard at the gate because they sometimes have additional phone numbers they will call for you, such as the country club, a grandmother or someone else.
It's not as simple as it once was where you just "call the house." I don't know who is with the kids (if anyone, these are teenagers) which parent, which household staff, which sibling. I don't know if they have gone somewhere with someone, a parent, a nanny, a sibling. My son also travels with his friends sometimes and I want to call and check on him and I want him able to call me whenever he needs to or wants to.
Last edited by FarNorthDallas; 11-26-2008 at 06:54 PM..
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