Can your child use a mobile phone?

[scarmig]

I'm almost 40, a computer programmer, and I can't use a mobile phone.

So your kid is at least as smart as me.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by TumbleBug

This is NOT a question about whether or not a child SHOULD use a phone but a question about whether your child is ABLE to use a phone.

The other day I was driving my stepkids to school when my mobile phone rang.

Because I never answer my phone when I'm driving I asked my 9 year old stepdaughter to answer it - but she didn't know how to - even after I gave her the simple directions.

It was almost as dangerous as answering the phone myself.

She just couldn't open the phone and find the answer key - then she said she couldn't hear - then she couldn't find the loudspeaker key.

Then she couldn't hang up.

Sigh.

I think she's old enough to answer a phone but she isn't really capable.

Can your kids do it?

From what age??? and did you have to sit down with them to teach them???

A 3 year old can use a cell phone IF they have been given access to them and have watched others use them. It's all about familiarity. Kids tend to pick up some of the newer gadgets more quickly than adults, but only because they aren't afraid to "play" with them which is the best way to learn.

[wyoquilter]

My girls know how to use a cell phone better than a landline phone. They do not have a cell phone of their own and they hardly have need to use ours, but still they have them figured out better than I do. I can use mine just fine, I however can not figure out how to use my DH's at all, not even how you answer the stupid thing. When I went to use my mom's cell phone one day I had to unlock the keypad in order to dial out. She had to repeat the instructions several times before I could figure it out.

Every cell phone is different or so I have been finding out. If they made them pretty much the same I'm sure I could use every make and model without problems, but they just keep making them with a ton more features and buttons. It just confuses me. I like my much simpler phone with a much easier menu, less features and a lot less buttons. Mine is not a flip phone or a slide phone. Mine is also a dinosaur by todays standards, but hey it works for what I need it for.

[Lol_Stacey]

I have boys, and they have no interest at all in using the phone. We ONLY have cell phones, one in which I keep at the home (for the sitter, for them). I have gone over it multiple times with them to show them how to use it. I also have only very few numbers (mom, grandma, emergency, just a few more) programmed into the phones contacts. I also changed the setting on the phone that any key pressed will answer the call. The phone is a simple style phone too, which helps.

Kids are not necessarily born knowing how to do these things. Take a few times to sit down with your daughter and show her. She should pick it up pretty quickly, especially if you have an easy phone, change settings to pick up call with any key, and have contacts easily accesible for dialing.

Now programming the DVR.....yeah my older son (now 10) has been programming the thing for a few years, and I for the life of me, can not figure out how to "unprogram" all the stupid shows he tries to record. LOL

[stanman13]

Originally Posted by mommytotwo

Anyone know how I find out if 911 would work w/out calling 911 directly? Is this a question the PD would be able to answer? If it would work, I'd probably program that in as number 3 or something, and show that to my son. Well, maybe not, don't want any accidental calls. Pressing and holding 3 would take the same amount of time as pressing 911 SEND.

Any cellphone I've ever had would call 911 if you press and hold 9. Already loaded in.

My kids are 10 and 8, and they can use one just fine. We are a cellphone only household, with a third phone that is the "home" phone, so I wanted them to know how.