So I let my daughter have my old phon this week

[vegmom]

I gave my 11 year old my old prepaid cell phone to take with her to softball camp. The materials we recieved said that campers needed to have their own phones as there were none in their dorm rooms. Since it's her first time at an away camp I told her to give me a call before she goes to bed at night to let me know how her day went.

In 48 hours I have had 12 phone calls that went like this:

"Hello"
"Hi"
"What's up sweetie?"
"I'm bored..."
"OK, well I'm at work right now. Can you give me a call back tonight before you go to bed?"
"Ok"

We'd proceed to have the same conversation during her next bit of downtime 2-3 hours later.

Oh, and she knows how to send text messages. Lots of text messages. Last one at 11 pm last night:

"I can't sleep"



And she's been texting her new camp friends too. In fact, most of the girls in line at check-in had cell phones either glued to their ears or thumbs.

Mom shall be reposessing this child's phone on Friday. She can have it back when she needs it for after-school activities or gets a job to pay for her own airtime.

 

[ocean733]

Camp isn't keeping her busy enough?

 

[punjabigyrl]

ohhh. I hear you on the texting bit. I have my daughter on our family plan and before I got her a phone she signed a contract with me that she stays in the amount of minutes allocated to her, no more that 10 texts a month, and to use the phone for what she was given for "emergency" or her she needs to be picked up etc. If she breaks the contract The phone will be taken away from her till she goes to 12th grade or college. Working so far.

 

[vegmom]

Camp isn't keeping her busy enough?

Yeah, I thought they'd keep them busy enough, but it rained up there Sunday and Monday, so alot of sessions were cut short.

I think part of it is that she's never been away on her own before. She's gone to OC and such with family for a few days without me, but this is her first away camp. She's actually called me as she was walking to and from the field...or texting to say she's going to lunch...or just finished dinner...or.....

Oh, and of course a cell phone is a "new toy".

 

[Mousebaby]

I got unlimited texting from the beginning because I knew the texting and pix messaging was going to be the thing that drove my bill out of sight! My kids sit two rooms apart and text each other! I like wtf?? Get up and go ask her, are your legs broken??? Mom it's just easier this way! Aye aye aye!

 

[atrusomder]

isn't that crazy when places like that request that a 11yo has a "phone".

 

[vegmom]

isn't that crazy when places like that request that a 11yo has a "phone".

They have counselors and phones in the building, just no in room phones.

I started going to Bible camp when I was 9 and never called my grandmother during the week. But I was also a latch-key kid and could walk to most of my friends' houses.

We had payphones in MS/HS that you could use to call your parents if you needed to (non-emergency), but even then you had to stand in line at lunch. I think now with as many kids that have cell phones most schools don't even have them. Well that and of course the number of fake bomb threats phoned in from the outdoor ones...

 

[ocean733]

Oh, and of course a cell phone is a "new toy".

That's exactly it

 

[vegmom]

ohhh. I hear you on the texting bit. I have my daughter on our family plan and before I got her a phone she signed a contract with me that she stays in the amount of minutes allocated to her, no more that 10 texts a month, and to use the phone for what she was given for "emergency" or her she needs to be picked up etc. If she breaks the contract The phone will be taken away from her till she goes to 12th grade or college. Working so far.

I made my daughter promise to ease up on the calls and swapped out a bit of the airtime money for a text bundle. Way cheaper than using airtime on her phone.

 

[ocean733]

I made my daughter promise to ease up on the calls and swapped out a bit of the airtime money for a text bundle. Way cheaper than using airtime on her phone.

You might want to consider unlimited texting. She'll not realize what she's doing if she has friends with texting capabilities...

 

[vegmom]

You might want to consider unlimited texting. She'll not realize what she's doing if she has friends with texting capabilities...

I'm more than covered for this week! I told her the money I added to the phone had to last the week and when it was gone it was gone. She can check her balance on the phone, but other than buying a top-up card she can't add any more.

 

[bresamil]

I'm more than covered for this week! I told her the money I added to the phone had to last the week and when it was gone it was gone. She can check her balance on the phone, but other than buying a top-up card she can't add any more.

Killer thing about the pay as you go phones is how limited the plans are. I don't think you can get unlimited texting. At least, you can't on Tracfone.

 

[vegmom]

Killer thing about the pay as you go phones is how limited the plans are. I don't think you can get unlimited texting. At least, you can't on Tracfone.

I had major league problems with Tracfone when I tried to upgrade phones. Spent 2 months calling them almost daily before I finally got my money back. I switched to Virgin Mobile after that - better coverage and you don't have to add airtime as often if you don't use it. They have unlimited text available, but the price varies depending on if you have a monthly voice plan or just pay-as-you-go. 1000 texts costs $10 a month ala carte. Not too bad.

 

[LusbyMom]

We have an extra cell phone we keep around for work and we let boy take it when he went to the track and a sleepover. He called us and everyone in the family all day and night long. He figured out texting too, drove us all crazy... and then the battery went dead while they were at the track.. he totally freaked out and didn't know what he was gonna do without the phone. Our 10 year old keeps trying to get us to give it to her. Not happening... so it sits and I pay $50 a month for it.

 

[getbent]

My daughter is 9 and some of her friends have a cell phone. My niece is 11 and has one too attached to her ear ALL the time. I don't see the point in it. I think they are too young.

 

[LusbyMom]

My daughter is 9 and some of her friends have a cell phone. My niece is 11 and has one too attached to her ear ALL the time. I don't see the point in it. I think they are too young.

I agree.. I ask my daughter who she is going to call on it since she hates talking on the phone... she says her friends.. I tell her to use the house phone.

If she wasn't home alot it would be different but wherever she is I am usually there too. Her friends normally come here instead of her going there. The few houses she does stay at our my best friends and they live on my street.

 

[belvak]

Oh my goodness, how times have changed!!!

 

[getbent]

Unfortunately my daughter loves to talk on the phone, . I'm the same way with my girls. We're pretty much together everywhere. She doesn't really go anywhere that would warrant a cell phone. When she's at her friends house, I know they have cell phones (and house phones too) she could use if needed. I remember begging for a stereo for my room, lol. Times sure have changed.

 

[CalvertNewbie]

My daughter is 9 and some of her friends have a cell phone. My niece is 11 and has one too attached to her ear ALL the time. I don't see the point in it. I think they are too young.

Why do they need a cell phone at such a young age? The exception would be if they were going away without us. I could understand that to an extent, although I spent almost entire summers away from my parents (upstate NY with Gram & cousins) and did just fine without a cell phone. We don't have kids yet so maybe I'm just missing something? By the time we do have a child and he/she goes to 1st grade, all the kids are gonna have cell phones at this rate! Well....except for our kid! Hubby & I have already had that conversation.

 

[widget]

All the texts and calls may seem like a pain but remember your daughter is communicating with you. Texting is the form of communication the kids prefer-- so just go with it.