Apr
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Aloha Friday #21
Gray Cee on Apr-18-2008
How old should children have cell phones?
I did not have a cellphone until I was 20. However, my younger siblings started having cell phones when they were 14 or 15. Difficult question for me - because I don’t know when my daughter will need to use a cell phone so I would like your ideas on this. Right now she is just 4 so it will not be soon.
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We don’t have a house phone anymore because just for basic service it was $32 so I cancelled it and got my daughter a phone for $10 a month, but since she was only 8 at the time I have main control over it and monitor the usage. So its not totally in her possession yet. I guess it would depend on the child
We made the decision to give my 13yo daughter a cell phone, only to call us when she needed to. Honestly I think we gave it to her too soon. For our other children, we are planning on having them pay as they go (when they are working for their own money), so it limits their time on it, because my daughter could text her life away if we didn’t limit her use of it. As long as she keeps her grades up and doesn’t use her phone during school, and not before 8am or after 10pm, she can keep it. Does this sound like I am being too strict?
It’s an interesting question and one I haven’t had to think about much as my daughter is only 4. I like the idea that with a phone (when she is older) she could call me if she needed help/advice/a lift but I’d be concerned about the amount of time she would spend on it and the cost, and of course there are still concerns about cell phones and health. I’m 35 and I managed to get to adulthood without needing one, but I guess times change!
Great question! When I see kids with cell phones, I start to quiver- barely able to conceal my disdain. I often wonder about these little starbucks going, cell phone using, I POD head-phoned, low jean wearing miniature adults that we are raising?
I wonder if all this convenience is really good in the long run?
When I was little, my mom would ring a giant bell that was on a post in our front year. We would come running. We managed to make it through childhood without these modern ‘conveniences’. My mom had 4 children all one year apart and she ( and we) seemed to come out just fine.
Right now I am saying no to a cell phone….( but I was going to say no to TV too and that did not last very long)
My son is still too young for one. My niece had her own cellphone at age 9 so that her parents could easily call her and vise versa in case of emergency. Honestly, I don’t know the ideal age for kids to have a cellphone. Perhaps, if its for emergency cases, it’s alright to give one to a child.
My children are only 5 so they are way too young and I have not given this much thought. It is interesting to read the responses.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Well, our little one is only 10 months old, so I hope I have a few years before I need to make a final decision.
But I say 16 - when she is driving, and only for checking in with us. She won’t be allowed to date until she’s 30 - we’re strict like that!
I see kids at GG’s elementary school showing off the new cell phones. For me, it’s more about whether they really need one rather than age. My niece is only 8 but she has one because she has to catch a bus from school to the drop-off point. Once there, she calls someone to pick her up. She’s also used it when the bus broke down and needed someone to come and get her.
like kailani said, there are times a kid needs a phone. but besides that, it’s also one of those things that kids want because everyone else has one. and they are a current form of communication in this world we live in. of course this is a personal decision made by parents, but i’m of mind to allow a kid as early as 12 to have one but teach them proper ettiquette and purpose.
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