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  Moms with Grown-Up Children

Tillia


 
 
Cell Phones
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on Sep 28, 2011 (Read 71545 times | Comments: 35)
What do you think is the right age for a cell phone. The phone in question would have have all available restrictions, with all parental controls possible, coupled in house restrictions and terms of use.
1SwtWrld
1SwtWrld
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

My daughter had a cell phone in 4th grade but never really actually used it until 6th grade, I only got it for her so she could use it in case of an emergency, now a days I think it is fair to say cell phones are good to have in case of an emergency, I think kids know when to use them and when not to use them, kids are smarter than we think....
sunshine5
sunshine5
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

I got both my kids their cell phones in the 6th grade as they entered middle school and were often staying after for sports and other activities. I blocked texting and internet at this time. They received texting when they got into the 8th grade. Still no internet and my son is a sophmore and my daughter is now 8th grade.
redjillybean
redjillybean
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

We got my daughter one in the third grade. It only allows her to call or receive calls from the numbers I have programmed in it. It does have texting.. but again she can only text the numbers who are programmed in it. The bonus is.. when they get in trouble.. it's one more thing you take away as punishment. :)
Sharon_L
Sharon_L
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

We allowed our kids to get phones in Middle School (7th-8th grade) BUT they had to pay for them, and the service was emergency only/call for rides home etc...
DebbieM
DebbieM
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

Our son got his in 5th grade and daughter 7th grade. She uses hers all the time. She's in many sports so it's great for her to contact us if practice ends early or on the bus ride home from a game or school event. She texts a lot also. My son got his because he is always riding his bike or at a friends house. His was more so I could contact him than anything. He does not use his much, but it provides me with piece of mind.
rbdiesel
rbdiesel
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

I have a 1 year old and I often ask myself the same question!! But I have younger brothers that are 13 and 15 and i love that they have cell phones because they are never at home so when i need to get ahold of them it is very easy and i can text them to keep the conversations shorter! That being said I didnt get one until about the 9th grade which was 10 years ago. And I totally abused the use of my cell phone i ran up the bill i used it when i was suppose to be in class and when i was suppose to be studying and when i was suppose to be in bed! Kids do know right and wrong and they do have a lot more restrictions these days then they use to but at the same time i think restrictions need to be placed from the get go for kids to get those sunk in by the time it comes to driving and then we dont run into problems with driving and texting or talking on the phone! I say every child is different so make your decision based on how your child acts,behaves and how there grades are!! :)
krislovejmt
krislovejmt
on Sep 28, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

My children both have cell phones of their own (they're 9 & 11). There's restrictions on their phones such as no internet, limited minutes, and they can only text message the other phones on the family plan and approved numbers on their accounts. They also don't have "fancy" phones, just basic flip phones and they know that's all they get until they're older and the phones will not be replaced if they get broken. My husband and I did away with a land line long ago, and we decided that it wasn't fair to make our children "borrow" our phones to talk to friends. We monitor our kids' usage closely, and they usually ask permission to even call anyone. They've been very responsible with their phones (they've each had one since they were 8). Our kids know that their cellphones are a PRIVILEGE and can be taken away at any point in time.
WellyMom
WellyMom
on Oct 09, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

My children both received their cell phones upon entering middle school (they are both in HS now). Between sports, dance and their ever growing social life I found it was necessary for them to have it in order to keep track of what they were doing, or if plans changed and I had to pick them up. At first we had a family plan with AT&T, but it became costly so now everyone in the house has a Boost phone and for $50.00 each a month it comes with unlimted everything (calls, text, email and web). I don't advise web usage till HS, but texting is fine in middle school with supervision. When my kids were at the movies with their friends, they would text me 20 minutes before the end, so I could leave and be there to pick them up as they were coming out. Good Luck.
lpendergrass
lpendergrass
on Oct 09, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

My son is only 1 right now, but i plan on him having a phone as soon as he is old enough to stay overnight at friends houses and such. At that point it will only be for emergency use and able to call or txt humbers i have programmed in it. Once he is old enough to understand the cost of having a regular cell phone he can have his own with the stipulation that i have full control of it and any time i want to see it, look through his txt, pics, etc... I will or he will no longer use it until he can pay for it himself.
iteachpreschool
iteachpreschool
on Oct 09, 2011 Quote  »     Reply  »

We got our son a "pay as you go" phone when he was in the 5th grade. He went to a weekend retreat with his church youth group and we got it to keep in touch. Without unlimited minutes, he learned to be responsible with his phone time.
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