Mobile phone or not??

Michael - posted on 03/20/2013

Try on auction1 co uk website and some mobile phones and cell phones there under username Supercosts one cell phone there very cheap. Cheaper than Argos.

Mrs Susan - posted on 04/16/2012

Yes I would get him one but make sure you take it off him for punishment. Do not let him buy the phone himself we did with my daughter and its a Blackberry she has been using BMS messaging service and has been bullied over text. So make sure you get a pay as you go phone make ground rules both your partner and you which are the same about when he uses it.

Paula - posted on 04/15/2012

Yes I think it's fine I got her a cell phone on her 12th birthday as for parental controls I have none i don't "snoop" either.

Deanna - posted on 03/26/2010

Like most mothers, I provide my daughters with a cell phone so I can get a hold of them. So I can be sure they are safe. Unfortunately, today's cell phone is yesterday’s computer and worst.

DISTRACTIVE DRIVING - SEXTING - PEDOPHILES - CYBER-BULLIES - and on and on.....

Our mothers could overhear our conversations. They could pick up on what is going on because could actually hear us talking. Now they can be on the phone at 4 am without us even knowing it.

So less than month ago I started researching on ways to take back a little control when it came to my children's cell phones. After a week of research, I finally found what would lead to some 'peace of mind'.

Technology which keeps my girls safe... Stops distracted driving. ALERTS me instantly when there is Sexting, Pedophiles, Cyber-Bullies, Suicide, Drug or Gun talk. Tells me if they are in a speeding vehicle. Warns me if they enter an unsafe zone.

I finally feel as a parent I have some control over their ‘internet’ social life and able to safeguard my girls by being forewarned.... rather than being notified after it’s too late.

But what do I do when I am forewarned and it involves someone else’s children. Personally, it’s a no brainer of course. I feel I am obligated to inform their parents. And I will.

But what was once about protecting my children is not also about protecting other children as well. I HAVE A CAUSE. And it is to Save Lives.

Here is what I found. Now I am an advocate to keep children safe. http://www.mywebsafety.com/deetheis

Manda - posted on 01/15/2009

We have a pay as you go phone system, where you don't pay monthly for the phone, you put some credit in the phone and top up when you need to. Both kids know that as I want them to carry the phones so they can tell me of any problems, I will top the phones up £5 every quarter. Any more and it comes out of their pocket money. My daughter paid for one top up card, and has not needed to since.



We just don't have pay phones here - they have all been ripped out as they were barely used. And the bus company has a history of break-downs, and they make all the kids get off the bus. Often they are in narrow country roads with no pavement. One girl was an hour late getting home when 2 consecutive buses broke down.



I would probably reconsider whether my kids should have phones if they got inappropriate texts. My son has not given his number out to anyone, and my daughter only to only her closest friends - I was firm about that as they are so young.



At the moment though it works okay.

Natasha - posted on 01/15/2009

i waited until all my kids where in double figures to get them a phone i think it makes them grown up seeing as they are going to start at the big school

Natasha - posted on 01/15/2009

i waited until all my kids where in double figures to get them a phone i think it makes them grown up seeing as they are going to start at the big school

Tanya - posted on 01/15/2009

Phones are allowed at school, but only if they are turned off. My middle schoolers attend private school and if they are caught using the phone during school hours, it will be taken away for a week. If it happens a second time, they take it permanently and donate it.

Joanie - posted on 01/15/2009

My daughter texts constantly on her phone, she says without her phone she is miserable. But, she also uses it to let me know where she is at, if she needs to be picked up, so really I think it's good for her.

Manda - posted on 01/15/2009

ps the schools allow phones as long as they are turned off and kept at the child's own risk. My daughter's primary used to have a box for phones to be put in for the day, and any phone that rang cost the child housepoints.

Manda - posted on 01/15/2009

My kids (10 &11) both have phones because they get the school bus home, and it can break down, or they can miss it. My son was very excited about his phone at first, and played the games on it until he was bored of them, but now he never turns his phone on unless he wants to call me. My girl got into texting friends for a little when she got her phone, but now she only turns it on for bus trips.



We got second hand phones for them as I thought it likely that they would lose them, but so far they have only mislaid them!

Joanie - posted on 01/15/2009

Hi Kristen, My son is in High School, he is NOT ALLOWED any sort of Cell Phone in that school. If he is caught with one, he will loose it, the school will take it from him. I am in Louisiana, Middle School isn't allowed cell phones either. They arte really starting to get strict down here.

Kristen - posted on 01/14/2009

I'm curious, where you all are, are cell phones allowed in the schools? Here (Ontario Canada) they are Definitely not allowed in the Elementary schools at any time, but are allowed in the High School (but highly discouraged) as long as they are turned off during class time. (There have been problems with cheating via texting so phones being allowed in the classroom at all has been banned.) My husband is a High School teacher and knows first hand the problems that these "emergency use only" devices have been causing.

Michelle - posted on 01/14/2009

Hello! We have an 11 yr. old son and we homeschool, so the concern about sending him with a cell to school isn't there. My husband and I have set up boundaries for our kid's where it concerns our cell phone. Issues came to a head later though. When we allowed our child to go fishing with a family friend, we couldn't contact them for hours. We had assumed they would be home in a couple of hours. My husband instantly called the cell phone company to find out what the cost would be for a 3rd cell #. It was reasonable, and the minutes are shared with ours. Now, when the kid's leave to go wherever without us, we send the spare cell with them, for our own peace of mind!!! The phone is for special times only, and the kid's know it. We also make sure that the phone given them has the least amount of bells and whistles on it, to discourage fooling around with it! I'm proud to say that they have been responsible with it, and I always feel better knowing I can get ahold of them when I need to!!! We aren't to the point where they are feeling the need to keep in touch continually with their friends ALL the time...................we'll wait for that time :) At that time I'm sure we'll expect them to pay for their phones, as they do now with other things! Responsibility and Privaledge need to go hand in hand!

Josette - posted on 01/14/2009

We're facing the same question.  My daughter is 11, and has been asking for a phone for at least a year.  We've said that we'll talk about it when she starts 6th grade next year -- she'll be going to middle school, at a magnet school on the other side of the city.  But, we're talking about doing it earlier.  Spring is coming, when her activity load increases (drama, track, softball).  One of her classmates got one in second grade, which I think is MUCH TOO YOUNG! But, we're definitely talking about it now, in 5th grade.

Hilary - posted on 01/14/2009

i am not the one that posted this question

Katie - posted on 01/14/2009

I think it's fine to get kids cell phones but with firm rules and consequences laid out before they get the phone. My daughter is turning 12 and we have been having the cell phone conversation/battle for about a year. She has excercised responsibility with our cell phone that we use as our "home" phone by being on time, calling when she is supposed to, not losing the phone, keeping it charged so I can reach her when I need to(not just for friends!) and she respects her curfew, no calls after 9pm. She had to tell her friends not to call late because SHE pays the consequence so she was VERY clear with her own friends! I reccomend you check the call history and text msg log every day. Some kids are more responsible than others, give him a chance and just be very clear about the rules, dont be wishy washy - if he breaks 'em make him pay the consequence, no if, ands or buts... Im glad I can reach my daughter when I need to and if she ever feels unsafe or has a problem I know she can call. I pay the $10 for the basic plan, she pays for texting or any extras, the actual phone was a present but I dont think it's a bad idea to meet them half way on the price of the phone, depending on what phone they want. I can't tell you how many times its been handy, like: just missed the bus, cant get in the house-lost a key, forgot a uniform or instrument, can they stay later than planned, etc. Hope this helps, just make it responsible.

Shannon - posted on 01/14/2009

i used to think that the only reason a child would need a cell phone is if their parents don't know where they are. that was before, when i dropped my kids off and picked them up before and after school. but this last year i began having my son walk to and from school, not only to save on gas, but for him to get some exercise and he has a cell phone that he uses to call me when he gets to school and again when he gets out. it comforts my soul immensely!!! plus, he really doesn't use it for anything else, he'll forget to take it on the weekends...

Joanie - posted on 01/14/2009

oh yes it is!!! And, let me tell you when she looses her phone, she is miserable. She constantly asks for her phone back and I tell her, loo, quit asking me, you will get it when I SAY you can, not when ya want it!!! I even monitor her text messages and she gets really angry about that, but, I have a reason too and she says i'm too overprotective.

Tanya - posted on 01/14/2009

The phone is also a discipline tool. When my kids get a bad attitude, it's great to be able to say "alright, you've lost the phone for today". It's a great attitude adjuster!

Joanie - posted on 01/14/2009

My 13 yr old daughter and my 16 yr old son have prepaid phones. I monitor my 13 yr old's text messages and she always has a fit saying i'm getting into HER business. Well, I have set rules on how long she keeps her phone during school nights and weekends, if she goes out, she uses it to call me. She seems to think i'm very strict with her on the rules saying her daddy got her the phone its MY PHONE, well, obviously when she has that attitude, I take her phone away. It's been a tough battle with her having her phone since her dad got it for her birthday in Dec. 08. Needless to say, she is doing bettershes been giving me her phone when she is suppose too and I say it's worth it and it does teach them responsibility.

Kristen - posted on 01/14/2009

I really don't mean to sound harsh, and I am sorry if I come across that way. Of course my kids have many things that I didn't have growing up and I am thrilled to be able to provide them with those things. I am also very leary of of providing them with things too quickly, things that may be unnecesary, and things that they want just because other kids have them. I hope that this is making sense.

Also, things may be different where I live by the sounds of things. There are still phone booths in the schools and around town. (I am not in a major city).

Being in Canada, I haven't found a cell phone carrier that is less than $25 a month for additional phones. To me, that sounds like a lot of money  ($50 per month) for each of my children to carry a cell phone.

Like I said, when my sons start driving, they will have access to a cell phone at all times. This will be very important, I agree!

Kristen - posted on 01/14/2009

I really don't mean to sound harsh, and I am sorry if I come across that way. Of course my kids have many things that I didn't have growing up and I am thrilled to be able to provide them with those things. I am also very leary of of providing them with things too quickly, things that may be unnecesary, and things that they want just because other kids have them. I hope that this is making sense.

Also, things may be different where I live by the sounds of things. There are still phone booths in the schools and around town. (I am not in a major city).

Being in Canada, I haven't found a cell phone carrier that is less than $25 a month for additional phones. To me, that sounds like a lot of money  ($50 per month) for each of my children to carry a cell phone.

Like I said, when my sons start driving, they will have access to a cell phone at all times. This will be very important, I agree!

Tina - posted on 01/13/2009

I agree with Tanya. I disagree with Kristen. The whole duty of parenthood is to let your kids have it better than you did. There are alot of things that we did not have as kids that our kids can have now. The same will be true with their kids, as it was true with our parents. You posted on a computer to an internet social networking site. Did you have that when you were growing up? Not likely! Just because I allow my son to have a cell phone does not mean I don't know where he is. I always know that. That implication is harsh to say to another parent. However, plans change, both school and extra-curricular. So, if that happens my son can call me anytime. It is very reassuring to know. I also agree that a phone booth is hard to find. I don't have one anywhere in the vicinity of my home, the school or any other place around town that my son could use. What do you do then, tell a parent that their child cannot or should not go b/c there is no phone booth? They just are not needed b/c of cell phones. What happens when you need to go somewhere and so does your now driving child?? I doubt you will allow him to use your cell phone if you need it. I have AT&T also, and only pay $5/month extra. As I said in my previous post, it has been well worth the money. I think I know more about where he is, what he is doing, and who he is with since he got the phone than before. It also comes with GPS, so there is no chance to not know!

Tanya - posted on 01/13/2009

No, we didn't have cell phones as teenagers, but most of us didn't have computers either and none of us had internet. Just because we didn't have cell phones when we were their age doesn't mean they shouldn't have them now. Our parents didn't have cable tv when they were kids, but they let us have that. Geez, it's not bad for kids to have things we didn't have! And phone booths are extremely hard to locate, unless you're in a seedy part of town.

Tanya - posted on 01/13/2009

My 11 and 13 year olds have cell phones because I feel more secure being able to contact them. They also love texting me each morning as they are riding in the carpool to school. They do much more texting than talking, so we got them EnV2's recently for the qwerty keyboard.

Kristen - posted on 01/12/2009

I am having a problem understanding why 10 and 12 year old's need to have a cell phone. I have 10 and 14 year old boys and I KNOW where they are at ALL times. This is part of my parental duty. If my oldest son decides to go somewhere after school, he calls me (from a land line - *shock!*) I don't care for teens txting anyway, as this really should be monitored, as one poster said, the texts were one words like "no",  etc.

I just in the last month allowed my 14 year old to join Facebook. Security is tight, and I have access to his site.  So far, so good.

The thing with cell phones, parents get them for their kids "for emergency use only" but the kids like it because now they have a texting tool like everyone else.  But what kind of emergencies do 10 and 12 year olds have that their are no phones around? Sorry, but I don't get that part.

When my son starts to drive, he will be allowed to borrow my cell phone. When he gets a real job and a cell pphone is a priority enough to him to want to spend his hard earned money on, then he can get one.

How did we all manage growing up as teens without them??

ps. I remember never leaving the house without a dime in my pocket as a teen. Phone Booths may be more expensive now, but much cheaper than a cell phone.

Jan - posted on 01/12/2009

I will be the first to admit I did not think a 12 year old needed a cell phone.  However, I now am glad I did get my daughter a phone.  I went ahead and got her unlimited texting because I did not want to get upset about the bills.  However, she has been very responsible.  She has to leave the phone in the kitchen at night so that she does not have it in her room.  I have the option to look at the pictures and messages on the phone whenever I want to.  If she does not keep up with her responsibilities around the house or at school the phone is the first item to be taken away.  I will say it has made it very easy when she does go to school functions and I need to pick her up or if she needs something following school . Our communication has improved as well.

 

Sincerely - Jan

 

Quoting Peta:

Mobile phone or not??

My son desperately wants a mobile phone for christmas. He is 12 yrs old and is going into high school next year. I know lots of kids have them, but would like to know other ppls experiences with this type of thing, and what other ppl suggest about it. Possibly about rules for it aswell????

Thanks, Peta

Buffie - posted on 01/12/2009

Someone might have already said this but we have At&T and pay a extra $4.99 a month so we can set the time our son can use his phone, when he sends text messages and how many he can send, ect..... it was well worth the extra $$$ so if you get him one that info. might help....

Cat - posted on 01/12/2009

My son has just turned 12, and will be starting high school this year, he doesnt have a phone yet, but will have 1 before he starts school. I am just getting him a cheap prepaid optus phone, ( i am with optus so i can call him from the home phone for free). He will have to earn his money for credit, they have a good one for $10 and they get 60 txt messages.. There is no way i would get him one on a plan or an expensive phone, he looses everything...

Hilary - posted on 01/12/2009

i have a 12 year girl got her a prepayed phone she is good with the phone she really doesnot use it

Tina - posted on 01/12/2009

After a lot of thinking on the subject, I got my 11 year old son (6th grader) a phone. I instituted texting and minute usage rules. He cannot have calls or texts after 9pm, and it has to be in his locker at school. It has been 14 months, and he has never gone over his minutes, his texting, has never broken his phone nor lost it. He plays a lot of sports and I don't always stay for the practices. He is also staying for more school social events. It is great to have that line of communication with him. He has surprised me with his level of responsibility. It is a good test for that! My son passed with flying colors.

Jessica - posted on 01/10/2009

My 11 year old daughter has one and it has a GPS feature. I like the fact that if she is at a friends house I can call her directly at anytime without actually disurbing everyone else, plus I can tell if she is where she says she is going to be(Although I havent really felt the need to use that feature yet). Having a cell phone also teaches responsibility( My daughter does chores to "pay" for her portion of the bll) and most cell phone companies have features that allow you to control when and how much they talk. I will tell you though, the pay as you go option is a rip off..it is much more cost effective to add him to your plan. ANd one last thing.....make sure to add unlimited text...it seems the kids like to text more than they talk!!!

Mellissa - posted on 01/09/2009

You know, I used to be against cell phones for kids. I thought they were pointless. But then I started thinking about how the kids use phones today. Phones are no longer a "status symbol" or frivolous item. When I was 12, I wanted a Merlin game (for those of you old enough to remember!) a phone in my room, and a walkman radio (which was expensive back then!) A cell phone today is alike a combination of the 3! I broke down and bought my son one for his 12th birthday. I have been glad he has it many times! I got my (almost) 10 year old one for Christmas. It is good to have boundaries, etc. with the phones. Many good suggestions on here.

Tammy - posted on 01/09/2009

My Girls have a pay as you go. I don't want the hassels of a monthly bill. They need to do chores and help around the house in order to get the money to put on thier phones. I have bought them each one. My 16 year old still has the first one i bought her and she has just recently bought her second one. My 14 year old has had several phones which she has had to pay for.



They feel safer with the phones with them and I feel safe knowing I can get them if I need them for any reason. Pay as you go they use their time then they wait till they have the money to put back on it. They learn the value of a dollar and responsibility at the same time.

Karen - posted on 01/08/2009

I gave my son a cell phone when he entered 6th grade because I wanted him to be able to call me whenever he felt like he needed to. I got him the free phone (I also have the free version) and programmed in our numbers, grandparents and that was it. He never used his phone to call friends but he sure used it to call me if he needed to. Now he is 13, has the same phone and it rings a lot more than it used to, but I am absolutely positive that having that phone is the safest thing in the world because the phone is a critical part of his safety net regarding being in touch with us and respecting our requests that he call to check in. No, your kid does not need nor even should have a phone that costs more than $0; it needs to ring and you need to be able to call. Buying your kid an expensive phone with web access and texting keyboards is asking for trouble. My son feels safer with his phone and I feel safer too

Peta - posted on 01/07/2009

Thankyou everyone for you input. My son did receive his much anticipated mobile phone for xmas. It is a prepaid phone, that he has to pay for himself if he wants credit on it to be able to use it. He is learning all the rules I have put in place for it, and so far all seems to be going well. It has been really good being able to keep in contact with him when he is away from me, and thus far I have not regretted the decision to get him the phone. Again, thanks to all of you who responded to me, I have learnt quite a bit. Thanks.

Paula - posted on 01/07/2009

Hi.  My son just turned 12.  We got him a basic phone for his 11th birthday so he's had it for a year now.  We had the text messages turned off because they were coming through from ppl we didn't know.  He has been responsible with it, and doesn't overuse it... just with his friends.  We have a family plan so he shares the minutes with my husband and I and we haven't had a problem yet with going over.  We actually shut off features on our home phone so having the mobile phones have been helpful in getting a hold us each other.  It does seem a lot of his friends have their own now.  I can't say whether it's right or wrong, but it's been working for us for a year.  I've seen my daughter's (7 1/2 y/o) friends with them, but she is too young and less responsible with her belongings.  It depends on the child I guess is what I"m saying.  Hope my opinion is helpful in your decision. 

Meggan - posted on 01/07/2009

My 13, 11 and 7 year old do not have cell phones and will not have one until I feel they are responsible for one.  They have become a HUGE issue in our school district.  Cell phones, in my opinion, are a necessity, not a toy.  That is our problem right now; so many parents are giving their children cell phones b/c it's the 'thing to do'.  This drives me crazy!  They became such an issue last year in our school district that now any student that has a cell phone must check it into the office (at our middle school) first thing!  Come to find out, the students were texting answers to tests back and forth to each other.  This caused such a problem, that now the girls are not even allowed to carry purses, which for some middle school aged girls, a purse is  a necessity!  It has gotten completely out of hand and ridiculous.  We even had students texting nude pictures of themselves to their friends.  Needless to say this became an even bigger issue. 

Now, once my children start attending High School and become more actively involved, I can see the NEED for a cell phone for such things as traveling for sports or when they start drving themselves.  Until then, I KNOW where my kids are and I should!  I'm their mother for crying out loud! 

It's really too bad b/c I look forward to 'rewarding' my children the responsibility of a cell phone, but the nonsense that has ensued our school district b/c of them has been disappointing to say the least!  If and when my children do have cell phones, they will be responsible for paying for the bill.  My goal is for them to earn these kinds of things.  They learn to appreciate what their needs and wants are!

Melissa - posted on 01/06/2009

my 10yr old has just got one and for her to get credit she  must do chores to pay for it and its her responsibility she knows if she loses it i will not be replacing it we also did not spend to much on it either

Emilie - posted on 01/06/2009

My 10 and 12 year old have been asking for a cell phone for a long time now. So, this Xmas they got a lot of cash presents. On boxing day we went out and check the stores out and they each purchased their own pay and talk cell phone. I do not pay for any of their minutes unless it was earned around the house. They have to come up with their own cash to add minutes to their phone. I was scared and unsure at first but so far they have done an excellent job. They sure do get to know the value of money and all that by having their phone. My 10 year loves going to the park by our house with her friends. I can't never get a hold of her so this year I hope the cell will come in handy for that...

Leann - posted on 01/06/2009

Our oldest son got one simply becuase he refs soccer and if he's done his games before my husband he calls and lets us know he's leaving the field and on his way home.  As well he has a very leathal allergy to bees / wasps so made all the more sense for us to get him one.  Add to this he will be joining the reserves in the fall so instead of long distance calls to us we got him the unlimited texting so he can stay in touch with us as well.

Lisa - posted on 12/18/2008

I agree with what everyone has said. The other comment I have to add is that, if there is a problem, I can activate a tracking system in my sons' phones. I would get a text if they left the school or any area I designate. (I haven't had to use this.)

Holly - posted on 12/18/2008

I don't have any experience with this so far (my stepson is 10), but here are my views on it. I feel like a kid should get a cell phone when he's away from home without parents enough to justify it. Every child's situation is different, so at 12, he may or may not fit this criteria. If a child is going off with friends a lot when you aren't with him, then it might be a nice way to get ahold of him. But I don't feel like, at that age, they need it "just because". I would also put strict limitations on its use at such a young age, and increase his "allowance" as he gets older. I'd also stay on top of the school issue - as they aren't allowed and the child would definitely be punished if he broke that rule. I'd also monitor text messages. My sister has a teenage boy and she reads his texts and monitors his facebook page.



Just my opinion - I know this is a battle that we are going to have to face soon. One boy in SS's class (4th grade) already has a phone.

Lisa - posted on 12/17/2008

My daughter (13), and son (12 on Friday) have both got mobile phones as they have to catch a bus to and from high school. They have to save their pocket money to top-up and if they lose it they have to pay to replace it. I feel that this way I know I can get hold of them in an emergency as there are 6 all together. My 10 year old is now asking for one but I have said not until her birthday in May or before she goes to High. Hope this helps.

Bonnie - posted on 12/17/2008

Just to add... My 11 year old daughter has a prepaid phone and has for about a year and it seems to work great! She has to earn the money for her minutes by doing chores. It is a great motivator and she has learned the value of what the minutes cost so she is carefull how she uses her phone. honestly we havent had one problem if she runs out of minutes she has either saved up enough money to get more or does extra chores to earn them, or just lives with it and goes without!

Peta - posted on 12/08/2008

Thankyou everyone for your replies.... It has given me a lot to think about. I think a pre paid phone is the way to go and give him the responsibility of paying for it. He often goes to his dads house and to friends places or just out riding on his bike, and it would be handy to contact him. Again, Thanks.

Jodie - posted on 12/08/2008

my 11 yr old son got a mobile for his 10th birthday and i find it so handy when he is out playing with his friends when i need to get hold of him. he earns his top up credit by doing little things around the house and if he doesnt do anything he doesnt get his phone topped up.

Susan - posted on 12/06/2008

The "Tracfone" can be as low as $10.00 on sale. Many of them are $50.00 or less, so it is not a huge investment. It would be each for your son to pay for it himself.

Susan - posted on 12/06/2008

I also have a son age 12. He is in the 7th grade. Many of his friends at school and church have cell phones but he doesn't. A while back I talked with a friend of mine about this very issue. She said that she didn't get her child one until she started driving. That way if the teen broke down she would be able to contact the parents.

However, your situation may be different and there may be a need for a phone earlier. For example, after my sister divorced she needed to be able to reach her daughter. She may or may not know her location depending on who the daughter was staying with that day. For this reason my 12 year old niece has a phone.

As for a phone to choose and rules, my husband and I can't afford the monthly bills and don't want the obligation of the long contract of a cell phone. Therefore we each have a "pay-as-you-go" phone. A "Tracfone" for example. When you are ready for a phone for your teen I would highly recommend this type. You would buy the airtime in advance. You choose how many minutes to purchase at a time. When they are out, they're out. This way you can help teach them to set limits on their phone usage, whether it be talking or texting. (These phones only deduct fractions of a minute for 1 texting.) You could have an agreement with your son that he will get a set amount of minutes each month and then if he say achieves certain goals in school or does all his chores at home he can earn addition minutes for that month.

Just some ideas. Hope that helps.

Susan