cell phone or no cell phone

Sarah - posted on 11/17/2011

I would say yes i gave my son one when he was 8...It was only a simple slide phone though when he turns 10 or so he will get a touch screen....I think its harnless for your hild to get a phone.:)

. - posted on 05/31/2009

I had an unfortunate event a few years ago that has made me believe kids should have a pre payed one for security.

I had a dodgy man come up to me in a very public park saying if I gave him a hug, he would give me money for Christmas shopping (it was January when he confronted me).

Had I had my cellphone with me, I could have called the police much sooner and he could have been caught.

Amie - posted on 05/30/2009

Well for us if they want their own their gonna have to buy it and pay the bill themselves. Before that happens when our oldest does go somewhere without us or another family member (which is very rare; even 99% sleep overs with friends are done at our house) she gets to take either my own or my hubby's cell with us. It has all our family numbers plus each others numbers programed into to it so if she does need us she can get a hold of us and if we want to check up on her we can. There is no good reason for her to have her own.

Amie - posted on 05/30/2009

Well for us if they want their own their gonna have to buy it and pay the bill themselves. Before that happens when our oldest does go somewhere without us or another family member (which is very rare; even 99% sleep overs with friends are done at our house) she gets to take either my own or my hubby's cell with us. It has all our family numbers plus each others numbers programed into to it so if she does need us she can get a hold of us and if we want to check up on her we can. There is no good reason for her to have her own.

Julie - posted on 05/30/2009

my daughter is 8 and yes, she does have a cell phone, its a razor and it was free. She only calls me or her dad or soon to be step dad. My reasoning for getting it for her is so I have contact with her at all times while she is with her father. My other and main one is.... she was at a friends house on the next street over. I had gone down to pick her up when it was time to go home only to find out, no one was even there. I went into panic mode because I had no clue where she was. Hopped back in my car to go looking for her when I turned the corner there she was walking home. The mother had told her it was time for her to leave because they were leaving. And instead of just dropping her off on her way out of the subdivision, she just sent her on. Its not my daughters fault for this arrogant mothers bad decision, needless to say she does not go there anymore to play.

Latrice - posted on 05/30/2009

I think that 13 is a good age for them to have a cell phone if not for personal use at least for safety precautions. My daughter is 13 and she has started doing more activities and wanting to go to the movies and things like that with her friends and she has one just so we can communicate with each other and I can know where she is at all times. Especially for after school practices and activities.

Lynda - posted on 05/30/2009

Once my daughter starting being involved in more outings, activities, etc. (middle school) we got her a cell phone. I want to be able to call her when I need/want to and her to call me if plans change, she needs picking up earlier than expected, etc. She is on the "family plan" where she, my husband, and I share minutes and up to this point she hasn't abused her privledge of having a phone. Of course she was also instructed to only use it when she needs to.

Michelle - posted on 05/30/2009

My 12 year old wants one of her own but what she uses is my husband's old phone that is on our family share plan b/c he has another one that he got thru work that he uses more. Usually it stays in the house turned off but when she goes for a walk in the neighborhood (we live out in rural MS) she and her younger sister take it with them so if they need to call me they can and if they are late, I can call them and find out where they are. She knows that it is for safety reasons.

Helen - posted on 05/30/2009

we got given phones when we started travelling to school on our own but only got £5 top up a month the rest had to come out of our pocket money

Kristy - posted on 05/30/2009

I have to say that I am for cell phones and there are pros and cons of having one. First of all kids these days are well ahead of themselves. I myself also didn't get a phone til I was 18 and for the most part didn't even have a home phone growing up. However I think having a phone is beneficial for the children and the parents alike. When your kids are off with there friends and maybe on a walk or at a park, not at home. There is not a way for you to get a hold of them. There are many freaks out there today that prey on younger children. I have 14 year old step daughter and an 8 year old sister. They both have cell phones. The 14 year old uses hers much more but my sister has had a lot of things happen to her that haven't been good at all. I got her the phone to take it to her fathers house that way she can call her mom or myself if she is uncomfortable and wants to come home. Why a cell, her step mother would refuse to let her call home. I pay for the phone if her Dad or step-mother takes it away they know there will be problems. I think it is scary what the world is coming to. Kids are not safe in their own homes. I am all for cell phones. If they are at sports practice, walking home from school, with friends, wherever I like being able to get a hold of them.



Hope that helps, and maybe I am just being paranoid but I don't know, anything is possible!

Karen - posted on 05/30/2009

When my kids were younger they wanted cell phones because their friends had them. I would always hear, "But Mom, their parents got it for them!" We told them they had to be 16 years old, driving and have a job to pay the bill. Once they turned 16, and they saved enough money, that's exactly what they did, they got a phone and of course a bill and learned to be responsible for paying it as well.That's what worked for us.

Kim - posted on 05/30/2009

Our daughter is 10 and we used a prepaid plan where we buy the minutes as we need them. This gives total control over the phone which she usually just uses to take with her when she stays the night somewhere or something - this way she can never be put into a predicament that she cannot get out of. There are so many stories of girls having sex, etc at this young age and we want our daughter to be able to call us without the worry of getting in trouble. She is a good kid and this helps relieve her worries of peer pressure (yes, peer pressure) occasionally.

Joy - posted on 05/30/2009

The rule of thumb we went with our two older girls 11 & 13 was they needed one when they did things without us. But, paying $300 for a phone is rediculous. Not to mention, my 11 year old isnt allowed to use it for calling friends etc. Its for emergency purpose only. Just this year my 13 year old is allowed to use it for calling friends, texting etc. Works for us. Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 05/29/2009

The rule we have put in place for our kids, when it comes up, is that they can have a prepaid phone that they must pay the bills for, when they get their first part time job, which will be when they are at least 15. Anytime before then, they don't need it.

Angela - posted on 05/29/2009

My husband and I both agree that our kids will have to be 16 and driving when they get a cell phone, which by the way they will have to have a part time job to help pay for it!! If need be when they are 12 and are going to be away from home for the evening/night we may let them use ours but not for every day uses. That is one thing that I will definitely stick with. Plus its been know to cause cancer.....just like about anything else out on the market. Any ways kids grow up way to fast on their own and by giving them their own cell phone will just add to it.

Liz - posted on 05/29/2009

I think the right time for a kid to get a cell phone is whenever he or she is going to be absent adult supervision. I didn't buy my boys phones until they were old enough to be riding their bikes all over the neighborhood alone or with their friends (around 12). It's a matter of safety then.

Toni - posted on 05/29/2009

My friends daughter is 3. She has a cellphone, a old worn out one, but it still works. The only one who calls her is her daddy- because he isnt living in the same city. I think its encouraging her understanding of that form of communication, plus helping her connect with her far away daddy! It is a bit crazy, but its just like a toy phone you buy. Personally, I dont think kids who are old enough to understand a phone , as long as its really basic , is a bad thing. Not something crazy expensive, but something for emergencies. I think its good to encourage interest and understanding of technology, as our world is based on it so much these days! but nothing 300$!. and as long as parents dont let the child know their phone number- so they dont give it out to strangers, or stress to them the safety aspects before letting them have one.

Jocelyn - posted on 05/29/2009

i don't agree with cellphones for younger children, but i think it would depend on your situation (i was 15 when i got mine, but my sister was 13...she was wilder than i was, and my mom had a hard time keeping track of her sometimes!) but i think if your kid has lots of extra curriculars going on, you have more than one busy kid (all in different schools) then it might be appropriate. but not a "normal" phone, i'd get them one of those fireflys (i think that's what they are called) that have room for like, 5 numbers (mom, dad, home, 911, guardian). i think highschool is a good time to get them one (a proper one), and most hs kids have jobs now, so they can either help or pay entirely

Victoria - posted on 05/29/2009

my son has had a cell phone since he was in 5th grade because he was attending a different school than the previous years. we wanted to have contact with him at all times basically. i bought him a phone that was on sale for .01 and added him to my share plan that only cost additional 20.00 at that time. this was a great way to test how responsible he would/could be. he is now 16years and i haven't had any problems with him overdoing it on calls/texting etc. and he learned how to be very responsible with this very important tool to keep up family communication

Jessica - posted on 05/29/2009

I didn't get a cell phone til I was old enough to hold a job down and pay the bill myself which I was 21 by that point

Angie - posted on 05/29/2009

We got our son a cell phone when he was in middle school because he was very active in athletics and we wanted to know when the bus got to the school so we could pick him up. We will do the same for our daughters when they become active in school activities and need to be able to call us. To be honest, before our children were so busy with school we didn't understand why cell phones were needed but we quickly learned what a help they are.

Betsy - posted on 05/29/2009

I am not for cell phones for little kids. Our 12 yr old wants one, but we have made it clear it will be the same for her as her 19 yr old brother. When he started driving, he got one.. That is more to ease our minds, and it was basic. If they want a nicer phone or to text or anything like that, they can pay for it.