TOTALLY GEEKED!

ed11563 · Guru

RE: Somewhat of an S/O of the Hacked thread; how young is too young for a cell phone

huskerbb · Guru

ed11563 wrote:
huskerbb wrote:
Dona Worry Be Happy wrote:
Husker, what the h@ll is your problem? NO ONE else has a problem with what NJN said. Seriously.
And yes, there is a drastic difference between a ten year old wanting a phone because all her friends have one and a ten year old needing a phone to dial 911 because his stepdad is beating up his mom. If you can't see that, you are being willfully stupid.
the OP did not say that's why she was thinking about getting her a cell phone, so I'm not sure where you got that nonsense.

beyond that, its arrogant to say that your reasons for doing it are valid, but no one else's are, so therefore your kid needs one, but all other children that age dont. Absurd.
That's not what she said, and you know it.

Um, yes it is. Do I need to go back and requote?

ed11563 · Guru

FNW wrote:
I'm in the "necessity" camp. I, too, carried change for a phone call. I have had a cell phone of one persuasion or another since 1990. Around the time I started commuting to work in L.A. by way of a couple sketchy neighborhoods at night. I want my boys to be able to reach me at all times. So mine will have them soon. Not quite yet, as they are only 7, but soon. Probably in the next year or two.

If I were considering getting a phone for a 7 y.o. (which you are not), I'd look at one of the ones that only let the kid call home or 9-1-1, and that have GPS tracking so Mom can see where the kid (kid's phone) is.

Whether I would do this would depend on how paranoid I was feeling.

ed11563 · Guru

huskerbb wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
huskerbb wrote:
Dona Worry Be Happy wrote:
Husker, what the h@ll is your problem? NO ONE else has a problem with what NJN said. Seriously.
And yes, there is a drastic difference between a ten year old wanting a phone because all her friends have one and a ten year old needing a phone to dial 911 because his stepdad is beating up his mom. If you can't see that, you are being willfully stupid.
the OP did not say that's why she was thinking about getting her a cell phone, so I'm not sure where you got that nonsense.

beyond that, its arrogant to say that your reasons for doing it are valid, but no one else's are, so therefore your kid needs one, but all other children that age dont. Absurd.
That's not what she said, and you know it.

Um, yes it is. Do I need to go back and requote?

Sure. Show me.

huskerbb · Guru

Cell phones are a fact of life. Many people no longer have a land line.

Just like anything else, they need to be taught how to use them properly (which many parents don't do, but that doesn't mean none of them will).

huskerbb · Guru

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:
We went through a nightmare with SS's phone. He's lost it three times. It was lost for weeks. Every time we canceled the service so that if someone found it they wouldn't run up a bill. It was hell getting it turned back on each time.
That's why my kids started with Tracfones. Prepaid, cheap. not much to lose.

But there's no "track my iPhone" in them. Lost is lost.
We put him on our family plan for ten dollars a month. So it wasn't so costly.
And things like glasses are a necessity. For most kids a cell phone is NOT a necessity. We wouldn't have even gotten SS one except in his situation it IS a necessity.

Sigh. Here's the first one, Ed--it's a necessity for her kid, for other kids it isn't. I can keep going, if necessary, but you can go back and read as well as I can.

FNW · Guru

ed11563 wrote:
FNW wrote:
I'm in the "necessity" camp. I, too, carried change for a phone call. I have had a cell phone of one persuasion or another since 1990. Around the time I started commuting to work in L.A. by way of a couple sketchy neighborhoods at night. I want my boys to be able to reach me at all times. So mine will have them soon. Not quite yet, as they are only 7, but soon. Probably in the next year or two.
If I were considering getting a phone for a 7 y.o. (which you are not), I'd look at one of the ones that only let the kid call home or 9-1-1, and that have GPS tracking so Mom can see where the kid (kid's phone) is.
Whether I would do this would depend on how paranoid I was feeling.

When the time comes, that is probably what I will look for...I have no idea really what is out there but I would think whatever I get, I could put blocks on it.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

First - 40% is not most, so no, most households are not without a landline.

Second - yes, a child living in an abusive home is more in "need" of a cellphone than other kids. A cellphone is not a need. It's a convenience in ALMOST all circumstances. Even when DD gets a cell phone, it's mostly going to be for my convenience.

huskerbb · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
First - 40% is not most, so no, most households are not without a landline.

Second - yes, a child living in an abusive home is more in "need" of a cellphone than other kids. A cellphone is not a need. It's a convenience in ALMOST all circumstances. Even when DD gets a cell phone, it's mostly going to be for my convenience.

I didn't say most. I said many, and 40% IS most certainly many.

second--there's the arrogance. everyone can have their own reasons. it's not for you to judge theirs as somehow invalid compared to yours. Even if it is just a convenience--so what? Is there some law against making your life easier?

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

FNW, you can buy some really simple little phones. If that's what you are looking for. I honestly think all situations are different. For example, IKWTDS works (like you do). NAOW is a SAHM (like me) so that makes a big difference when deciding on getting a phone. Whether or not you have a land line matter too. Like I said we gave my SS DH's phone which was older than dirt. He doesn't even attempt to connect to the internet so that's good. I don't remember him having a problem with it at school. I think the first couple days he showed it off but other than that it hasn't been an issue in school. We did have to show him how to put it on vibrate in school though so he doesn't get in trouble.

Our worst issue with it is him not keeping up with it. We need some sort of way to track that dumb thing!

ed11563 · Guru

FNW wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
FNW wrote:
I'm in the "necessity" camp. I, too, carried change for a phone call. I have had a cell phone of one persuasion or another since 1990. Around the time I started commuting to work in L.A. by way of a couple sketchy neighborhoods at night. I want my boys to be able to reach me at all times. So mine will have them soon. Not quite yet, as they are only 7, but soon. Probably in the next year or two.
If I were considering getting a phone for a 7 y.o. (which you are not), I'd look at one of the ones that only let the kid call home or 9-1-1, and that have GPS tracking so Mom can see where the kid (kid's phone) is.
Whether I would do this would depend on how paranoid I was feeling.

When the time comes, that is probably what I will look for...I have no idea really what is out there but I would think whatever I get, I could put blocks on it.

The "Cricket" comes to mind.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

ed11563 wrote:
FNW wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
FNW wrote:
I'm in the "necessity" camp. I, too, carried change for a phone call. I have had a cell phone of one persuasion or another since 1990. Around the time I started commuting to work in L.A. by way of a couple sketchy neighborhoods at night. I want my boys to be able to reach me at all times. So mine will have them soon. Not quite yet, as they are only 7, but soon. Probably in the next year or two.
If I were considering getting a phone for a 7 y.o. (which you are not), I'd look at one of the ones that only let the kid call home or 9-1-1, and that have GPS tracking so Mom can see where the kid (kid's phone) is.
Whether I would do this would depend on how paranoid I was feeling.

When the time comes, that is probably what I will look for...I have no idea really what is out there but I would think whatever I get, I could put blocks on it.
The "Cricket" comes to mind.

Disney has one too that I've heard has excellent reviews. I'm not sure which carrier partners with it.

ed11563 · Guru

From Verizon..

Is Your Child Ready for a Cell Phone?

Will 2015 be the time to say ‘yes’ to that inevitable question?

More About

Although our younger children will surely love their personalized story books, Easy Bake Ovens and LEGO kits, there is one question that is sure to come up: “Can I have a cell phone?” And while the trend toward children carrying cell phones is ever-younger, there is no standard age at which the answer to that question has to be yes.

I admit it. I love how easy it is to connect with my older kids through our smartphones. We’ve used them to find each other in a crowded mall, help with dinner plans and pick up random grocery items and even one another! Cell phones make our lives easier in so many ways. But, along with that convenience comes a lot of responsibility. How do you determine if your child is ready?

Like most parenting strategies, the decision isn’t one size fits all. It’s difficult to assign a specific age and depends more on a child’s individual level of responsibility and maturity.

“Look for the developmental signs,” says Lori Evans, MD, director of training in psychology at the NYU Child Study Center. “Does your child lose his belongings? Is he generally a responsible kid? Can you trust him? Will he understand how to use the phone safely? The rate at which kids mature varies—it will even be different among siblings.”

The following suggestions may help with your decision:

Consider Verizon’s FamilyBase™. This lets you install parental controls on your kids’ mobile devices so you can check what they’re doing. You can also use it to help guide your kids in the right direction by monitoring which social networks they use and for how long, as well as who they’re texting and calling.

Consider a basic phone instead of a smartphone. If the purpose of the phone is just for your child to be able to reach you in an emergency, he doesn’t need the entire Internet in the palm of his hands.

Consider a prepaid or pay-as-you-go plan. Think of this first phone as “training wheels” for your child. As he demonstrates responsibility in using his phone, he can eventually earn the privilege of a plan or a phone with additional features.

Does your child demonstrate an understanding of other limits you’ve set? For instance, restricting TV time or playing video games? If the answer is yes, then the time may be right. If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider, or at least put the decision on hold.

Set clear boundaries about usage. This could include who he can call and when the phone needs to be turned off. Starting out with healthy boundaries will establish smarter usage as he gets a phone with more features and a more versatile plan.

Set a good example by setting your own personal boundaries. For example, we have a “no phones at the table” rule at our house. If you want your child to develop responsible phone habits, demonstrate them yourself. Be willing to put your phone down at mealtimes and during conversations—and don’t obsessively check your messages.

Nobody Just Nobody · Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

I know one of the things that bothers me about SS's phone is that his grandma texts him late into the night. When he should be sleeping. So now he sleeps with his phone under his pillow so he can hear the phone when he gets a text. I do believe it's up to parents to draw strict lines when it comes to phones. Studies have shown this new generation doesn't sleep like they should because they're always plugged in. I had one child that had a phone at 13 and was very responsible with it. I had another one who has broken so many of them. My SS just always looses them. So I do think each child is different. But we've always had a land line so cells weren't necessary in our house.

FNW · Guru

That's a good article, Ed. Thanks for putting it up.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

huskerbb wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
First - 40% is not most, so no, most households are not without a landline.

Second - yes, a child living in an abusive home is more in "need" of a cellphone than other kids. A cellphone is not a need. It's a convenience in ALMOST all circumstances. Even when DD gets a cell phone, it's mostly going to be for my convenience.
I didn't say most. I said many, and 40% IS most certainly many.

second--there's the arrogance. everyone can have their own reasons. it's not for you to judge theirs as somehow invalid compared to yours. Even if it is just a convenience--so what? Is there some law against making your life easier?

Please don't make me turn off editing features.

huskerbb · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
huskerbb wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
First - 40% is not most, so no, most households are not without a landline.

Second - yes, a child living in an abusive home is more in "need" of a cellphone than other kids. A cellphone is not a need. It's a convenience in ALMOST all circumstances. Even when DD gets a cell phone, it's mostly going to be for my convenience.
I didn't say most. I said many, and 40% IS most certainly many.

second--there's the arrogance. everyone can have their own reasons. it's not for you to judge theirs as somehow invalid compared to yours. Even if it is just a convenience--so what? Is there some law against making your life easier?
Please don't make me turn off editing features.

What are you blabbering about? You can see that my post was not edited.

ed11563 · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:

Please don't make me turn off editing features.

I frequently edit to fix typos. I sound a little less dumb then.