Does Your Child Have A Cell Phone?????

[TheRogue]

This is a big bone of contention around our house. My ten-year old daughter is always whining about "needing" a cell phone!! Nearly all of her friends have them!! It's absolutely nuts.

I REFUSE to believe that there is a genuine need for any child not yet in highschool to have a cell phone; the exception I could possibly see is one of those little phones that has 4 buttons you can program for 4 different numbers.

The un-negotiable rule in our house is PERHAPS she will get one when she is old enough to drive. My wife is 101% with me.

How about other Ifish'er families?

TR

[Snowman]

I am with you Kyle.
My daughter is 9 and son is 11. I am constantly hearing about how their friends are texting each other. They asked for phones for christmas but they have not gone much farther than that. (No whining yet)
If they go somewhere that I think they might need a phone, I will loan them mine. (dance, skiing...) I dont know when I will bight the bullet and get them phones, but not yet.

Originally Posted by TheRogue

Sorry about the all caps, but this is a big bone of contention around our house. My ten-year old daughter is always whining about "needing" a cell phone!! Nearly all of her friends have them!! It's absolutely nuts.

I REFUSE to believe that there is a genuine need for any child not yet in highschool to have a cell phone; the exception I could possibly see is one of those little phones that has 4 buttons you can program for 4 different numbers.

The un-negotiable rule in our house is PERHAPS she will get one when she is old enough to drive. My wife is 101% with me.

How about other Ifish'er families?

TR

[Chromaflage]

I found that as my kids starting to go places with their friends, I was more comfortable with them having cell phones. We just gave my 14 and 15 year old daughters Go-Phones with prepaid cards with very strict rules about use. We would buy them each $25 refill cards every three months and we expect there to always be a a few minutes remaining on them in case we need to call them or they need to call us.

Prior to this, we did not feel they "needed" their own cell phones. If they went out for an evening, we'd give them either my or my wife's phone just in case. But as they have become more involved in after-school activities and are spending more time with their friends, we felt, although maybe on a necessity, it does give us a bit more peace of mind.

We felt that the pre-paid phone was the way to go so there would be a built-in use limitation.

FWIW - we were staunchly against them having their own phones at age 10. Too many horror stories about $300 phone bills.

My .02.

CrF

[goodkarma]

Our 12 year olds have phones and it's worked out great! they are on a family plan so it's very affordable. They haven't abused the privelage at all, in fact we usually have to remind them to take their phones. It's very comforting to know that we can get a hold of them if they are out somewhere, not to mention knowing that they can call for help if need be. Our kids really don't see the phones as a novelty so it's just another communication device to them.

[matttheduck]

I think it depends on the maturity and independence of the kid. I can't see any 10-year-old needing one, but as they get a little older and start getting out without mom or dad more, the usefulness gets higher. I think 14 is about the lower end of need on this one.

[BaitStop]

Both my daughters had them at ~14. The biggest negative is the text messaging that can get out of hand. In general the pros outweighed the cons.

[goodkarma]

I suppose it also matters what type of situations your kids are in. For example, ours ride the bus to school (junior high), go to school dances (which are held at night) go to friends homes, go to the gym (which is biking distance), etc. As a family we go to football games where the kids often go play with other kids their age. All of these situations present opportunities for kids to need their phones, for safety, or convenience. I like knowing my kids can call me if they get lost, or just need something. I got a call on Friday afternoon from one of them saying he'd locked himself out of the house, so I was able to go home and let him in. Point is, what's the downside to having phones? Our kids never text, in fact they may not even have that option on their phone. But in any case, being on the family plan the phones cost almost nothing and the benefits are fairly substancial in my opinion.

[Just_learning]

Originally Posted by TheRogue

This is a big bone of contention around our house. My ten-year old daughter is always whining about "needing" a cell phone!! Nearly all of her friends have them!! It's absolutely nuts.

I REFUSE to believe that there is a genuine need for any child not yet in highschool to have a cell phone; the exception I could possibly see is one of those little phones that has 4 buttons you can program for 4 different numbers.

The un-negotiable rule in our house is PERHAPS she will get one when she is old enough to drive. My wife is 101% with me.

How about other Ifish'er families?

TR

I would get her one, just as a safety precaution. Get a "Go Phone" use is restricted and you pre purchase minutes. Give her 60 minutes of "Emergency" use only. In todays world she NEEDS one, but not like she thinks she "needs" one.

[rimrock]

CrF's Go-Phone route as described above in his post sounds like an excellent way to give kids a phone and teach them responsibility all at the same time. Great idea!

[djchaser]

My son really wanted a phone so we got him a pre-paid phone and he use's his allowance to buy minutes.If he talks to much then its off until he buys minutes.It has taught him to be a little more responsible with his money.

[Herring Problem]

Heard this from my nices 9 years old, her mother bought them a plan for the two of them. First months bill was to be $79.00 for 900 minutes etc , etc.

The fine print -text messages were 15 cents for each message.

First bill from this nine year old texting messages during school, after school totaled $379.- first payment.

Mom believed this child , she wasn't texting her friends, Next months bill a whopping $860 bucks.

Gee I wonder how we ever grew up without all of these expenses.

[StickFish]

Our 13 year old has one the 9 year old doesn't. It has been a good thing for Twig #1 to have a phone. When she is out with friends at a movie, or baby sitting a neighbors child. The most helpful is being able to leave her a message about changes in the afternoon schedule and that we will pick her up or to get a ride with a friends mom. In the past the school hasn't been very good about making sure she receives those kinds of messages.

When our younger one gets into middle school we will probably make the same decision. There are lots of kids in 3rd and 4th grade with them already, but I don't see the need there quit yet. We use a family plan and have never gotten anywhere running out of minutes - we did have to get unlimited text message however, as I would have gone broke on that one. If you do get that option I would upgrade the text feature as that is what the kids use most

[Queeg]

Wireless service has more or less become part of the overhead for our lives. I guess we first got the family plan when the youngest was ~ 13 ?

They do all have them, your kid will be a social outcast without a phone. I'm sure you can live with that! When it's time to call them and ask them where the heck they are and suggest that they come home right now - - it's pretty handy!

[Clyde]

This could also be a great time to teach her some responsibility and give her a lot of extra chores around the house to make up for the cost (I'm sure mom and dad would like to not have to clean bathrooms and dishes for a while)...also, tie it directly to her grades. Anything less than a 3.5 and the phone goes away until the next report card.

[Chromaflage]

Originally Posted by Queeg

...your kid will be a social outcast without a phone.

I don't buy into this. If it's true, that really says something about the superficiality of our youth today. To me, that's like saying that a kid has to wear the right clothes, listen to the right music, etc. We've worked hard teaching are kids that in the scheme of life, this stuff means NOTHING! BTW - our kids are far from social outcasts - even without a stupid cell phone.

[crazyinoregon]

Originally Posted by TheRogue

This is a big bone of contention around our house. My ten-year old daughter is always whining about "needing" a cell phone!! Nearly all of her friends have them!! It's absolutely nuts.

I REFUSE to believe that there is a genuine need for any child not yet in highschool to have a cell phone; the exception I could possibly see is one of those little phones that has 4 buttons you can program for 4 different numbers.

The un-negotiable rule in our house is PERHAPS she will get one when she is old enough to drive. My wife is 101% with me.

How about other Ifish'er families?

TR

100% agreed on this one.....Ya know, I just cant imagine how we made it through life 30-40 years ago as children.

[pdxkevin]

Even my 9 month old has a cell phone...




it plays recorded messages by Mini Mouse and a couple little 15 second song refrains when you press the buttons.

[Danno]

The pattern that is obvious from most of these posts follows my decision for my kids; they get one when their activities result in a lot of uncertanty of ending time. Soccer practice was always predictable but high school athletics are much less predictable (middle school athletics are somewhat predictable). The more we let one go hang with friends at a Starbucks, etc, the more they can use the phone to keep up updated on pick up times. For our first two kids, that meant a phone as they entered high school.

Our youngest is in 6th grade and is begging for one as TR's are. We don't see the need at this point but since getting her homework done has been more of a problem for this one, we incentivised the process by requiring straight A's for two quarters. She's working hard on quarter 2 right now.

Both of the older daughters ran into cost issues. While the go-phones are an alternative, family plans are very reasonable pricewise. The oldest ran up a $200 phone bill when she went over the family plan minutes (most of my wife's and my calls are between each other so those are free). The middle child is big into texting and although we have had to increase the number she can make, she still pushes the limits so we have set some rules there: No texting between 11:00 PM and 7:00AM and we taught her how to look up her usage. If she continues to run into problems, AT&T is starting a parental control where we can block her texting after a predetermined number of texts, between specific hours and even block specific people. That $5/mo cost will come out of her allowable texts so she knows if we have to institute it, her allowable texts will drop dramatically.

I also recommend buying a used phone or getting insurance coverage for potential loss. The middle daughter dropped hers in the toilet a month after getting it.

Good luck on your decision!

[Tilla]

I think an editorial by Steve Duin a few weeks ago pointed out a scary situation. His daughter and friends were taking a taxi home very late when traffic came to a stop on south bound I5 due to an accident. The taxi driver kept the meter running as they sat there stopped on the interstate (Terwilliger curves). Fear of not having enough money to accomodate the running meter they had to leave the cab, they walked to the accident and the police told them to go back...to where?.... A cell phone to a parent had someone drive the northbound lane and pull over, the gals crossed the median to their ride.

[djb]

My 11yr old had a cell phone on his Holiday wish list. I absolutely refuse to believe that a child has a need for one.

[uhmw]

my daughter at 13 got one. I love it . Its like a gps. I can call and check on her at my conveince. If she is in trouble she can call me or mom. For me its not about her using it-The cell phone is about me keeping track of her-I pay the bill and get to see who she calls. She has learned to use it after 7pm which is free time any way. If she turns it off or I cant reach her she gets in trouble .My parents used to buy my shoes on special at safeway and I allways was getting cracked on for wearing canvass keds. Back then I promised my self to outfit my kids with some things that would help them feel like they fit in if I could afford it and a phone seemed important. For my 10 year old it was a Ipod.

[ORrinker]

So I am probably the odd man out on this one as all three of my children have them. My daughter is only 10 but she is very responsible. We like the peace of mind that when she goes someplace either to spend the night or just for the day with friends we can get a hold of her and she can call us if she has any problems. Not too long ago she went to stay at a friends house and something happened that made her feel very uncomfortable so she called us and we went to pick her up. We also appreciate not having the home phone tied up while the kids chat with friends.
Ultimately it is really an issue with maturity rather than age.
Just my thoughts:-)

Randy

[kaaruchi]

The kids are on the family plan and we went through the huge bills for text messaging 2 months in a row. Kids swore they weren't doing all of the text messaging and we started going through the bills with them line item by line item. Found out a couple of things, most of the text messages were being automatically generated by internet sites that the kids put their numbers onto. So lesson 1 learned, do not put your number out on the internet. Second lesson was when we called the carrier to block the internet access for their phone numbers. They couldn't block the access but gave us clear instructions on which sites were sending the text messages and would block those for us and gave us credit back on those messages so we wouldn't have to pay. Pretty nice of them on that since we were on the verge of cancelling and going to pay as you go. Kids responded well to losing their phones for a month and we haven't had a problem with it since.

[TheRogue]

We have call waiting at home. Daughter is under extreme orders to hang up on her friends and answer any incoming calls. So, her tying up the phone is not a big issue.

The "outcast" thing is hooey.

It's amazing we survived when we were kids. You set up a time and place to meet, and you were there, period. If you weren't, you found a phone and called. Not any pay phones around anymore...but if all your friends have phones, well.....

good input, all.

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by TheRogue

This is a big bone of contention around our house. My ten-year old daughter is always whining about "needing" a cell phone!! Nearly all of her friends have them!! It's absolutely nuts.

I REFUSE to believe that there is a genuine need for any child not yet in highschool to have a cell phone; the exception I could possibly see is one of those little phones that has 4 buttons you can program for 4 different numbers.

The un-negotiable rule in our house is PERHAPS she will get one when she is old enough to drive. My wife is 101% with me.

How about other Ifish'er families?

TR

I think that at 10 years old the need is "iffy" but as they get older it's a must. Our kids now both have cell phones on our family plan at age 13 (Almost) & 14. As was mentioned before, middle school brought varying sports schedules and our family has an "on the go" lifestyle. Plus we moved them to a better public school some distance away, due to the neighborhood school being a ***, so after school activities mean that someone has to pick them up or it's Tri-met for a ride home. After school/weekends brings a new set of challenges because the world isn't as safe as it was when I was there age. They like to go fishing at the pond near our house, skateboarding at the park, and other assorted active-kid things rather than sit on their butts playing video games.

Having the ability to call means that help is only a few minutes away, weather it's from us or 911. I also like being able to call and say "Where are you and who are you with?" so that I can show up at the location moments later to check up on things. For the rare occasion when they're going to be a little late coming home, they have to call me before hand. It virtually removes all the excuses like, "we didn't know what time it was", "we had a flat tire and no way to call", etc...

We do have pretty strict rules on the usage, but also a pretty liberal plan to allow them some latitude. They can talk to their friends anytime they want on weekends since it's free, but texting seems to be the method of choice for communication between teenagers. Consequently, we have unlimited text usage for not much extra money and it keeps the voice minutes down.

BTW - They do not have internet capability enabled on their phones and continued access to their phones is directly linked to their GPA - it's great motivation

"CL"

[Hooked up]

I never got my two daughters a phone. If they were going some place where WE thought they needed one my wife would give them hers for the night.

I told them that when they could pay the bill and were old enough to get one on there own then they could do what ever they wanted.

The years came and went and now they are both over 18 and have their own phones. They seem to have forgotten how mean I was for not getting them one like all there friends had.

Giving a tool to a child that requiers adult responsabilty to use properly never made sense to me.

[Reelentless]

Both sons had cell phones starting at 12 and 14. No issues other than a $250 bill one month for text messages. Fixed that by putting them on an unlimited plan. That bill was one of his Xmas presents.

I like the idea of being able to call them when I need to.

[goodkarma]

I still find it surprising that you can watch the news each day and still not think it's important that pre-teen/teen children have a cell phone. For virtually no cost at all, you can have the security and convenience of a phone.....what's the downside?
Nearly every phone plan I've seen gives you a phone for free and as long as they aren't texting, the monthly costs are next to nothing if they are on a family plan.
Honestly, the cost is almost nothing each month so I'm really at a loss as to why you wouldn't want them to have one?

[OceanBlue]

My kids both got cell phones when they had the ability to pay for it... and it's use. Both started on "prepaid" phones. Both were in their teens.

Same with cars and other priviledges. They have to pay for it before they can have it.

Too many kids have "entitlement" complexes today.

Stick to your guns, Kyle. There should be no reason a child at age 10 should need a cell phone.

[CamoHunter]

My youngest son complained about not having one the the last couple of years. He will be 15 in April.

We finally let him have one, but you have to buy the minutes up front, and when you use them up you have to go buy more. This way he can't run up a bill and he has some extra incentive to do chores for $ to buy minutes.



CH

[backlash442]

My son got one when he was a freshman in HS I think because he was playing football. Needed to call home when he was ready to get picked up. He's a senior now and now pays for his own minutes. He's a working man.

My daughter got on last year for X-mas. She was 11 going on 31. She spent a hundred bucks (X-mas money) for prepaid minutes and went through over 1000 minutes in no time at all. Texting just burns them up. Bought her some minutes that lasted until summer break and she went phone less for the summer. I bought the last 2 rounds of minutes so she's going to get this round.

Things have changed a lot since growing up in the 60's and 70's. I don't think you can compare it. Lots more preverts running around and just more situations that can arise compared to 35-45 years ago. My daughter doesn't go anywhere unless with multiple friends and or a parent. Yet I still like for her to have a phone "just in case".

[OceanBlue]

Something to consider, when the kids do get out on their own, there sure aren't pay phones on every corner anymore

[CATCH AND EAT]

Kyle, the rule here is no cell phone until 15. No dating until 16. Abuse the previllage, loose the phone. Yippie yi yo kai yea!

[cimfl]

Before I get into who "needs" to have a cell phone, I just wanted to ask, Haven't any of you people heard of Cricket? Its $50.00 a month, UNLIMITED TEXT and CALLS!!! ANYWHERE!! No, I don't work for them. I just don't get paying for contracts, minutes and all that. Anyway, what I think about children getting phones doesn't matter much, the only thing I worry about is my own three kids, and at 15, 13, and 11, none of them have a cell phone that is "theirs". They do have one in the home, no land line, but they do not get to take it with them when they leave the house, unless mom sends it with them for an outing. Texting simply isn't allowed, because mom got locked into one of those 2 year Quest ripoffs that allows a whole 50 minutes or something stupid like that. Cell phones have become a major source of irritation for me. (Yes, I have one...its my only phone) I have had two vehicles slam into me, both were dialing numbers on their cells. This texting thing has gotten completely out of hand. It seems like backwards technology to me. I guess I am getting old. (sigh) I sound just like my dad.

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by Hooked up

Giving a tool to a child that requiers adult responsabilty to use properly never made sense to me.

Don't you think though, that someone has to be responsible for teaching that skill to kids? If not the parents through a relatively minor financial investment, then who? The schools? Not in my district - they're all about ditching blame for their financial woes. Adult responsibility is a learned behavior and examples of people that didn't learn any fill our jails. Personally, I think it's the parents obligation to society that those kinds of skills are taught at home - before turning their kids loose on the rest of the world.

We've had exactly one overage incident and it was due to a mutual misunderstanding of the number of text messages that were allowed in our old plan. Basically, the price for what we were getting was a rip-off and by spending another $10/month we got unlimited texting on all of our phones.

Problem solved for the cost of a six pack per month. It's the same standard carrot/stick relationship I had with my parents except that I just wanted a bicycle. If they keep up their good grades, do their chores and keep on learning how to be responsible adults then the benefits continue. Screw up and they're gone.



"CL"

[toblerone]

we got a verizon migo phone (has 1-2-3-4 and 911 on face)for an eight year old when the teenanger moved out. Or pay the early termination fees. turns out to be something we use. even can have a locator feature. readable on my phone as a gps view. kinda cool for me. the time period for letting it go or keeping it was last weekend and we decided to keep her phone. my two cents......John

[Mojo]

Several weeks ago a couple of 13 year old girls were walking home from the school bus in a nearby town. 1/2 block away from the front door of the house some pervert tries to grab one and throw her in his car. The other one punched "9" on her phone and the cops were on the way. The pervert made it 3 blocks before he was pulled over and arrested. I live in a little town in rural Idaho. I'm pretty sure there are the same type of perverts in Portland or Vancouver.

My 13 year old daughter has a cell phone, and I won't let her leave home without it. It has GPS locator for the 911 folks. All she has to do is hit the 9 button and everyone in the local law enforcement knows she is in trouble and where.

Listen, just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me...

[xdynamite]

Originally Posted by CATCH AND EAT

Kyle, the rule here is no cell phone until 15. No dating until 16. Abuse the previllage, loose the phone. Yippie yi yo kai yea!

Can I change it to " No phone until 15 and no dating until....... 21"

Man this hits home. The wife and I are still undecided about what to do. My daughter (almost 12) ask all the time for a cell phone and most of her friends have cell phones already. On one hand she isnt going to be anywhere that I can't get a hold of her. On the other hand, in an emergancy it would be nice for her to have if she needed it. I also know that the texting thing would be huge between her and her friends. I know I don't want a huge bill either. Things sure arn't as simple as they used to be
XD

[Reelentless]

Originally Posted by CombinationLicense

Don't you think though, that someone has to be responsible for teaching that skill to kids? If not the parents through a relatively minor financial investment, then who? The schools? Not in my district - they're all about ditching blame for their financial woes. Adult responsibility is a learned behavior and examples of people that didn't learn any fill our jails. Personally, I think it's the parents obligation to society that those kinds of skills are taught at home - before turning their kids loose on the rest of the world.

We've had exactly one overage incident and it was due to a mutual misunderstanding of the number of text messages that were allowed in our old plan. Basically, the price for what we were getting was a rip-off and by spending another $10/month we got unlimited texting on all of our phones.

Problem solved for the cost of a six pack per month. It's the same standard carrot/stick relationship I had with my parents except that I just wanted a bicycle. If they keep up their good grades, do their chores and keep on learning how to be responsible adults then the benefits continue. Screw up and they're gone.



"CL"

Couldn't agree more.

When my son ran up his bill and had to pay for it with his Xmas money, he learned real quick to think about the consequences of not being responsible.

[Pickles]

Life was so much easier before cell phones!

[LiveLarge]

My oldest is nine and has not even asked for a cell phone .........yet.......... It is a different world now than when I was in school. Pay phones could be found on every corner. I think of the times I spent waiting after a band competition, or away football game. A cell would have been handy. I definately think that there should be clearly written rules along with written consequences if these rules are not followed.

I would like to add that cells with cameras are probably not the best idea.

[fishncliff]

My kids are 13 and 15. They have whined about a cell phone for years.
This christmas, their dad got them phones on his plan.
They have chores and responsibilities that come along with the priviledge of having the phones.
If the rules are not followed, and abused, the phones get taken away. If the crimes especially egregious, the phone gets pounded flat on the stump out back, and they get to pick up the mess.

[Super Fluke]

I'm 15, I got my first cell phone when I was 13. I really don't think there is a need for a ten year old to get a phone.
When you deside to get her a phone in a few years, don't let her get texting, most of my friends have texting and they're always doing it.

[Super Fluke]

...oh ya, if you do get her a phone, she doesn't need the really nice phone (the ones that have the cameras, music players, ect.); one of those cheap $15 phones will be just fine for her.

[Danno]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Life was so much easier before cell phones!

Life was so much safer before perverts were so plentiful and bold. If not for the safety factor, I wouldn't see the need until they were driving.


I checked my middle daughter's text total for the month. Over 1,100 text messages. That's 35 every day! I guess I'll be using that parental text messaging limiter afterall.

[MacFish]

I got both my kids phones in their early teens primarily for the security they offered. It was a few years ago and the issue wasn't complicated by the availability of texting, but neither kid was a phonoholic, so I had few reservations. The very few times they were used for that purpose greatly outweighed any downside.

[MXRacer105]

Originally Posted by Super Fluke

I'm 15, I got my first cell phone when I was 13. I really don't think there is a need for a ten year old to get a phone.
When you deside to get her a phone in a few years, don't let her get texting, most of my friends have texting and they're always doing it.

Yeah 13 absolutely, but 10, no way!!!

Just giving you a hard time by the way, your post just struck me as funny the first time I read it, but I can understand where your coming from.

I didn't get my phone until I was 19 and starting my 2nd year down at Oregon State. I can't even remember a lot of my friends having them at the time. Mind you this was a long time ago, way back in 2001!!!!!

It seems like everyone has one now, guess that is where the world is heading. My favorite part about having a phone now is when I leave it at home. Kinda like a dog that shakes its leash off I guess....

[CATCH AND EAT]

Originally Posted by xdynamite

Can I change it to " No phone until 15 and no dating until....... 21"

Man this hits home. The wife and I are still undecided about what to do. My daughter (almost 12) ask all the time for a cell phone and most of her friends have cell phones already. On one hand she isn't going to be anywhere that I can't get a hold of her. On the other hand, in an emergency it would be nice for her to have if she needed it. I also know that the testing thing would be huge between her and her friends. I know I don't want a huge bill either. Things sure aren't as simple as they used to be
XD

We were tempted also because we have a daughter that is now 19. Rule seemed to work just fine with her but of course being the dad and knowing what is on a young testosterone laden boys mind at that age we demanded to meet whom ever she was dating. Some came to dinner at our home. All were required to come to the door. If they honked, no dice for that night.

If their is a need for a cell phone I have loaned my child a phone for the evening and it had to be returned to me that night. Another option is a prepaid phone to be loaned to the child when they are away from the parent. As for a permanent phone. Forget about it until you are 15.

[lostbackpacker]

I added my 9 yo son to our plan. it costs an extra 10.00/month. he uses it right now for school.. more than once he has called my wife from school when she forgot him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wthr4d]

My Niece was given one at the age of 12 because she had multiple sports activities with variable time frames (Lacrosse and soccer). I was appalled, my kids had no need for such a thing as they were rearely unsupervised. my oldest is 5 months behind the niece. Now that she is 14 and her younger sister is just behind her at almost 13, I am considering their need again.

The question I ask myself is "Are they participating in any activities that take them to varied locations or times where they won't have communication ability through house telephone, friends telephone, or my own cell?" "if so, HOW OFTEN?"

I don't think a 10 year old should have the freedom to require the use of a cell phone that regularly. At that age it is just a status symbol or an expensive toy. if you think your child MIGHT have the need try this litmus test.

get a used cell phone that works with your provider (found through Ifish or craigslist etc) don't pay more than $20 for it. go to your cell provider and tell them you want to set it up as a prepaid phone (YES they can do this and no they wont suggest that option). they will sell you a $25-50-100 card with a set number of minutes and no contract. the minutes will be valid for about three months without being recharged (I'd get the cheap one). give it to your kid and see what she does with her phone.

Paul

[Fishnfire]

Originally Posted by pdxkevin

Even my 9 month old has a cell phone...




it plays recorded messages by Mini Mouse and a couple little 15 second song refrains when you press the buttons.

How do get one of thoes?
It would be better then dispatch being able to call me all night long

[Jig]

Absolultly NOT!!!

[RascallyRabbit]

We put our 15yo son on our Familly plan last year, he also had a texting problem. The money for it came out of his allowance, and he lost his phone for a month. Turned out that it was his friends texting him that ran up his bill. It took him a couple more months, but now almost no one text's him. His is also tied into his grades (3.5 GPA).

Steve/RR

[Blind Bobber]

4 kids ages 3, 6, 9, & 11 No cell phones. I have no problem loaning mine out to my two oldest if circumstances dictate which is rare. We budget well and are blessed so that my wife is a stay at home mom which, I suppose, makes us a minority.
BLIND BOBBER

[River Bum]

My son got his phone at age 11, he has been very responsible with it so far (little over a year). He knows I will take it away if he gets crazy. I feel better knowing that he can get ahold of his mother or me, anytime, anywhere. I dont think it is a bad idea IMO.

RB

[drhall99]

No job, no money of their own, no cell phone. 10 year olds get 4 button emergency phones. The rest is simply her desire to "keep up with the Jones kids".

[shinook65]

My two sons, 12 and 15 have them.. Both have been VERY responsible.. Not going over minutes, or texts. Taking care of the phones. Not broken or lost in almost a year.. It sure is nice to be able to call them, or have them call me..

[Spindrifter]

Originally Posted by shinook65

My two sons, 12 and 15 have them.. Both have been VERY responsible.. Not going over minutes, or texts. Taking care of the phones. Not broken or lost in almost a year.. It sure is nice to be able to call them, or have them call me..

I have 4 kids....12,14,15 &16 and they are very responsible with their phones. No problems so far.

[flyfisherwoman923]

my kids got one when the word "teen" was at the end of their age. They were 90% responsible with them. And I worried a lot less about not being able to get a hold of them. I loved it. Good Luck!!

[dodgeboy252000]

My daughter has one at 11 and so far so good but i keep a close watch on minutes thru out the month to make sure we are on track. Unlimited text messages is a most, if not prepare for big bills as it is not always them texting it is all there friends income text that rack up.