Kids and cell phones

[MJ]

I have question to offer. Not saying that cell phones are bad or anything but what did you or the generation before you do with out the 'cell phone'? They survived. :shrug: All a matter of convenience I suppose.

Well, my husband and I rode the bus home. We don't have that convenience with my daughter's school. If the technology is there to keep us all in touch and safe and it's not too expensive, why not? That was my original question, who has a good cheap plan?

 

[willie]

$25 plan and always stays under it even with 4000+ min a month

4000 minutes for $25? Where?

 

[vraiblonde]

what did you or the generation before you do with out the 'cell phone'?

Same thing we did before the washer/dryer, the dishwasher, the automobile, the computer and the CD player - WE SUFFERED!

 

[CMC122]

Make sure you get a phone with GPS. God forbid, but if something where to happen as long as she had her phone with her she could be better located.

 

[MJ]

Make sure you get a phone with GPS. God forbid, but if something where to happen as long as she had her phone with her she could be better located.

Maaan! I didn't even think about that (GPS). Maybe I should just home school! Actually, they won't let her off the bus if no one is there to get her, they take her back to school. If Dad's late he can tell her to get off at a different stop or something.
I miss summer already.

 

[alex]

Buddy,

I was always able to find a working pay phone to call home if I needed a ride and the school would even let you use the office phone if you missed the bus and needed a ride home.

 

[suzeQ]

Before I had a cell phone, I went to pick my son up at the high school once. He was not waiting outside where we usually met. I waited and waited. Finally I decided to use the pay phone inside the school (there are none outside). All after school activities were over and the doors were locked. I could not get in to call home and see if he had caught a ride with someone else. Finally, I headed home. I passed him on the way, but didn't recognize him in a friend's car. I stopped at a store that I knew had a pay phone and called home. The message I got was that he had caught a ride, but when he got home, was told I was waiting for him at school, so his friend took him back to school to catch up with me. None of us had cell phones!! It was a waste of about an hour on a very busy evening.

No--they are not a necessity. But they sure are convenient and a time saver.

 

[BuddyLee]

Buddy,

I was always able to find a working pay phone to call home if I needed a ride and the school would even let you use the office phone if you missed the bus and needed a ride home.

As Suzeq pointed out they are not a necessity but they do save a lot of time and throw out some aggrivation. Driving while talking on a cell phone, now there is a different story.

 

[Shutterbug]

Driving while talking on a cell phone, now there is a different story.

Uh-oh....way to get the forum all stirred up!!

 

[Penn]

Ok, I suppose the the things you ought to take into consideration have all been voiced by the good people on our forums, right here in this thread.
If your youngster is involved with a host of activities, it's a good idea.

If you are constantly concerned over whether he or she has a ride home, it's a good idea.

If they've just got their license, and their first car, it's not a good idea.

If they've got nutty friends who go on vacation to Florida, and want them to call every other hour, it's not a good idea.

Mostly, as far as I can see, this too ought to be a consideration: People, you know your kids better than anyone else(or you're supposed to), how responsible they are, etc. and etc., it's up to you to decide if they really need to have a cell phone, eh?

 

[MJ]

Mostly, as far as I can see, this too ought to be a consideration: People, you know your kids better than anyone else(or you're supposed to), how responsible they are, etc. and etc., it's up to you to decide if they really need to have a cell phone, eh?

I appreciate you summing up the thread, but getting one wasn't the question. I want a cheap one and I'm sick of wading through all the cell phone providers bs. But, thanks anyway.

 

[Christy]

I have no problem with giving a kid their own cell phone. I'll probably wind up getting one for my son within the year. I don't see what the big hubbub is over it. Why wouldn't you want them to have a cell phone? :shrug: I'll probably be eating my words when it comes to buying one for my chatty cathy youngest.

 

[Penn]

Christy, and Mrs. Jones, I hear what you both are saying. The thing that I'm trying to get across is that only you, as parents, know if your child should have one,
As to which plan is best, I'm sorry, you're going to shop around as best as you're able to; the plans from Verizon and At&T seem to offer what you want, and sometimes, you can find some really great deals, it seems, just
reading the ads that arrive in your mailbox. They seem to flood mine every week.
What do/are you looking for? Lot's of local minutes? A lot of long distance time? It's going to depend on your situation.

I do have to extend kudos to whomever mentioned the GPS feature. As they said, or something close to it: God forbid, that you need to use it, at least you can pinpoint where your child is, at any given time, and help them when they require it."

I'd go for it from that point of view.

 

[suzeQ]

If you already have a phone with Verizon, you can add another number to your account and only pay $20 per month. All Verizon customers now get free unlimited IN (cell to cell) minutes every month. Basic phones, without all the unncessary camera features, can be purchased for $40 to $50. A cheap investment to know I can always get hold of my kid, and he can get hold of me.

 

[duzzey1]

So what did you and YOUR parents do about after school activities when you were going to high school and middle school? I'm sure everything was worked out. I see no need for cell phones, especially if the child cannot pay one cent of the bill!

 

[Penn]

So what did you and YOUR parents do about after school activities when you were going to high school and middle school? I'm sure everything was worked out. I see no need for cell phones, especially if the child cannot pay one cent of the bill!

Well believe it or not, we had payphones back then, they were in front of the schools where a lot of our activities took place.
Many times I caught a ride from a schoolmate's mom or pop going my way home.
My father eliminated many of those problems when he volunteered to be a coach for a my high school and then Babe Ruth baseball teams I played on, so I always had a ride(dang it!)home.

But today, as they say, times have changed, and we have technology, and we gotta be cool!

Hey, I suggest if the kid wants a cellphone, let them work for it by doing chores, it'll teach them it doesn't come free - you have to earn it.

Not a bad lesson; if you want it, fine - I as a parent will provide the chores, you get the cellphone when you've earned the money to purchase it.

If you already have a cellphone yourself, can't you simply add the new phone onto your plan?

 

[Ehesef]

Hey, I suggest if the kid wants a cellphone, let them work for it by doing chores, it'll teach them it doesn't come free - you have to earn it.

Not a bad lesson; if you want it, fine - I as a parent will provide the chores, you get the cellphone when you've earned the money to purchase it.

That's why I think prepaid phones are such a great idea. If they use all their minutes chatting to their friends, it's their responsibility to do the chores to make the $$ to get more minutes. If they only use it for emergencies and communication with the 'rents, the way it was intended to be used, they shouldn't have to buy more minutes but maybe once every few months or so.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

I like the idea. I wouldn't want my daughter sticking me with a hefty bill, but if she's a good kid, does well in school, and participates in after school activities, I would most certainly get her a phone.

Wait, she already has a phone. Granted, it's not in use (my old one) but she still has one.

 

[Penn]

I like the idea. I wouldn't want my daughter sticking me with a hefty bill, but if she's a good kid, does well in school, and participates in after school activities, I would most certainly get her a phone.

Wait, she already has a phone. Granted, it's not in use (my old one) but she still has one.

OK, I think I followed all that. She's carrying around a dead cellphone that won't do her a bit of good if she really needs to phone home.

There's a certain fatalistic logic there, I guess.

IM4Change, where are you when we need you?

 

[Chasey_Lane]

OK, I think I followed all that. She's carrying around a dead cellphone that won't do her a bit of good if she really needs to phone home.

There's a certain fatalistic logic there, I guess.

She's only seven, and at her age, she's never alone and won't be for several more years. She just likes to carry it around.