How Young Is To Young For....

[basshole8190]

I didn't get one until i could.pay for it myself so i was almost 15 i had a part time job and did what i could around the house for a little money in my pocket. my son won't get one until he's responsible enough to have one so around the age of 13-18 depends on how he matures.

[Mike2841]

I didn't get one until high school, I was maybe 15-16. I think that once your child gets to the age when they start going out with friends it would be nice to have a cell phone. At least when they have a cell phone you know you can always reach them, and they can reach you if they need to.

[shootermcbob]

We didn't get our older two children phones until 12. At twelve they got pay as you go phones and I bought the first "X" number of minutes. The deal was they always better have enough minutes for me to get ahold of them or I would take the phone. If they wanted more minutes, they needed to use their money to buy them.

At age 14 we added them to our plan with a basic phone. We paid the monthly fee for the basic service. If they wanted unlimited text or more minutes they had to pay for it out of their bank. They also had to leave their phones on the counter when they went to bed. Nobody needs to be texting or calling after a certain hour at that age. If they violated the "phone curfew" rule or they went over their minutes/ texts they lost the phone for a month or until they could pay for the overage.

At age 18 my daughter got a phone with the works, but again ahe paid for the up charge. She has since quit paying and I shut the phone off. I am now the worst parent ever because all of her friends get their entire phone bills paid for by their parents. Oh well, she will learn the adult lesson that if you don't pay, you don't play.

Now I have two younger children, ages 7 & 9, who don't have phones. I have am old basic phone that I have around the house because we don't have a land line. They get to use that around the house and in emergencies. They do not get to carry it everyday or need to carry it. They need to be kids who are my responsibility, not unsupervised kids who's parents think that giving them a phone makes them supervised. As you can see, our house is big on earning a privilege and not being entitled to it.

Just my 2 cents.

Well said, and even more importantly, WELL DONE!!!

[shootermcbob]

I can do the exact same thing on an ipad that I can on a cell phone, its a bigger more powerful phone. I bet within five years ever single student down to at least 3rd grade will have their own device that they do take home. The schools will do this so that poor suzy doesnt get a bad grade while rich girl jen is able to be all she can be.

 

The point was, its not going to get "better". This is better, its all in how you look at it. Do I want my 3rd grade son(hes not that age) to have the ability to send text messages through an ipad at school, not really but thats why they have parental tools.

 

You can take a phone, limit it to certain numbers, certain programs and even certain times of day.

While I do not necessarily like the possibilities, I agree that schools will be going the ipad route, maybe sooner than we think.

[Teal]

Dang.... I was 19 years old before I was allowed to use my parents home phone, much less a cell phone....

[nick76]

Thank you shootermcbob. We are far from perfect parents, but we are trying go raised responsible adults. My oldest two (stepchildren) have now left our home for the greener pastures called land of no rules. They have a father who is so self absorbed he gives them whatever. Hopefully they come around, but I will be darned if my two are gonna act that way.

As someone who has looked at technology in schools, we will be heading that way unless something better comes along. IPads are a cheaper alternative to buying text books anymore. As books begin to age, as material outdates quickly and as resources of information grow the IPad grows with it. It is just a fact. Kids these days learn more visually and from hands on than previous generations. Schools taught more auditory learning for those who are 40+. That whole change has only widened in the last 10 years. I am not sure we will ever see every student with one, but they are definitely using them as learning tools and for instruction in our local elementary schools. Those grades usually don't have textbooks for each child. There are a lot of workbooks and worksheets.

Again, just my 2 cents.

[A-Jay]

We didn't get our older two children phones until 12. At twelve they got pay as you go phones and I bought the first "X" number of minutes. The deal was they always better have enough minutes for me to get ahold of them or I would take the phone. If they wanted more minutes, they needed to use their money to buy them.

At age 14 we added them to our plan with a basic phone. We paid the monthly fee for the basic service. If they wanted unlimited text or more minutes they had to pay for it out of their bank. They also had to leave their phones on the counter when they went to bed. Nobody needs to be texting or calling after a certain hour at that age. If they violated the "phone curfew" rule or they went over their minutes/ texts they lost the phone for a month or until they could pay for the overage.

At age 18 my daughter got a phone with the works, but again ahe paid for the up charge. She has since quit paying and I shut the phone off. I am now the worst parent ever because all of her friends get their entire phone bills paid for by their parents. Oh well, she will learn the adult lesson that if you don't pay, you don't play.

Now I have two younger children, ages 7 & 9, who don't have phones. I have am old basic phone that I have around the house because we don't have a land line. They get to use that around the house and in emergencies. They do not get to carry it everyday or need to carry it. They need to be kids who are my responsibility, not unsupervised kids who's parents think that giving them a phone makes them supervised. As you can see, our house is big on earning a privilege and not being entitled to it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

There is so much good in that I can't help but smile. 

The bolded text is fantastic and a sign of the times.

I can see how it could happen.

Perhaps it's the by product of this most recent generation of too busy adults relying on a television to supervise their children.  It seems that these folks now parents themselves, are applying what they learned and using today's electronics to do the same.  My concern revolves around what may be lost in the translation.

 

Yesterday at the grocery store we watched a scene that is so normal now that it goes mostly unnoticed.   A "family"  was shopping.  Mom was pushing and loading the cart.  Dad and all three children had phones in hand, completely focused on it's use and function.   Never looking up, never speaking and barley able to navigate without walking into something.  What a sad way to drift through life. 

 

The debate of phone or no phone will continue.  Perhaps it comes down to perspective.  How do you define "a Phone's" use ?  Is it a recreational luxury, a necessity, or both.  

 

I did my parenting a while ago and the times have clearly changed. 

 

A-Jay

[fadetoblack21]

My 10 year old daughter has begged us for a cellphone for a few years now. I am beginning to think she is obsessed with the stupid things. I told her that the day she can give me a valid reason (aside from playing games) that she would need a cell phone, I would get her one. I also told her that her cell phone would be a basic flip phone that could be used for PHONE CALLS, you know, the whole purpose of a phone. I have yet to hear a good reason from my 10 year as to why she needs a cell phone. 

 

As for the Ipads/tablets in school, I would hope the school's IT department would be smart enough to block the install of some of the mind rotting apps that appear to be the sole reason most kids want a tablet or phone today. If something like that is implemented then I have no problem with my child using one for her education. 

[MarksHooked]

I was 14 when I got my first cell phone, but that was 15 years ago, and purchased when I got my first job.  Things sure have changed since then, and let me say my goodness it must be difficult to be a parent in this day and age! Kudos to all of you who are involved in their kids' lives and trying their damnedest to raise them the best they can! 

[NorcalBassin]

It will likely be junior high for my girls (7th or 8th grade)... definitely like the idea of a cheap go phone to start to see just how responsible they'll be.