Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Don't laugh

Do any of you have cell phones for your kids? I am interested in the idea of getting a phone for Anna so she can reach me if she needs anything. I have heard that there are phones made specifically for kids that can only call 5 people, etc. I desire your knowledge.

19 comments:

Molly said...

How old is she? My little sister got one in Middle School, nothing fancy, just something to call my mom with. Honestly, I think it's a great thing to have, to know that I can contact my parents when I need them is a wonderful thing!

MoserUpdates said...

Yes, there are phones made specifically for children with all kinds of parental controls. I don't really have an opinion on this either way. I think it depends on the child, on the parents, and why it's being used.

Lissa said...

She seems a little young to me. We all survived without one for many, many years! But you have to do what is best for your family.

amyl4 said...

I got my kids their phones when they were in middle school. They really come in handy when you get separated at the mall, store....My oldest son who has Ds carries his everywhere. He has walked away from me at the grocery store and when I call him and ask him where he is, he will say "I'm right here." LOL! I tell him to look up and tell me the aisle number.:) It gives me piece of mind that they can reach me and I can reach them at all times.:)
Amy

Katie said...

I think the phones you are thinking of are the firefly cell phones (http://www.fireflymobile.com/).

Is she going places where there isn't a phone or an adult that you can reach? I'm thinking that if you get her started with a phone now (even a restricted one) there is a real potential for it becoming a bigger part of her life (and your wallet) than you might want at an early age. I know kids with phones, but I don't think any of them are quite that young. And the majority that I know are kids with divorced parents who have it so the parents can reach them without going through the ex. It is up to you, though, to decide what would be best for your family.

Introspective Steph said...

I agree with most everyone as well. It's yours and tyler's decision ultimately. If you think she needs one I would suggest getting children's cell phone and or a prepaid phone. That way you decide how many minutes will be on the phone and how much money you will spend and then only give it to her to use if she is away from you. I didn't have a cell phone until I moved to Idaho for college and even then it was a prepaid cell. But, since there aren't as many pay phone around now...it might be a good idea to get one for her. But, it's all up to you.

Lucie said...

I bought my sons phones at 13. My older son uses it all the times- they all text now. My younger son usually just brings it when he is out without me.
I would get a prepaid phone with minutes on it. That way if your daughter loses it or you decide she is too young- it's easier to get rid of. Once you sign a contract it's expensive to break.
I really like cellphones because you can easily reach your kids- but I found they were not necessary until they spent time away from us without adults.

Lucie said...

I just wanted to add- if you feel more comfortable with your daughter having a cellphone- get her one- they are cheap now and not a big deal.

Saquel25 said...

I would never do that especially at age 7. I'm sure you know exactly where she is at all times. I never had a cell phone until I was married and then quickly decided I didn't want it. (But that's just me) I think having a cell phone would not be good for my kids. Technology addictions are pretty real and kids are texting while driving these days. I'd hate to start something and then regret it later. I need to find out more about my kids as they grow older.

Anonymous said...

My own opinion on cell phones is probably not the popular one: I don't think they've been around long enough for any long term studies to determine whether or not there is a health risk associated with usage. Think cigarettes: this country was told for over 50 years that they do not adversely affect health, they're not addictive, don't cause cancer, and that they're cool. Now we know that they do cause cancer and other health issues, they are addictive, and they're not really that cool.

That being said, cell phones do have a place. In an emergency situation, or your call is stalled or broken down after dark (esp as a female), and you might be afraid to get out of your car for any number of reasons, you're lost in a strange city (I got lost in DC by accident and called a friend to use his internet and help get me out). But most of the time these are isolated incidents. I don't believe any of us really needs a cell phone. But they are convenient for a lot of things. But I see way too many people, particularly at college campuses, who are always on their phones talking or texting, even during class. How much of their lives are so important that they'd risk messing up their futures b/c they didn't pay attention in class due to texting?

Personally, I only have my cell phone b/c I'm still moving all over the country, and I haven't been in one apartment for longer than a school year (many times less than that) and it's easier to just keep my cell number. But talking on the phone too long gives me headaches, I hate spending extra money if I go over my minutes, and sometimes I really don't want to talk to anyone. My plan is to get rid of it when I get a job that I plan to keep for more than one year and stay in one spot.

But as has been said, this decision is up to you and Tyler. The only place Anna should be right now without you is at school (adults around) and maybe at a friend's house (adult should be around). She's still young enough to be made to go along with you through a store, so that separation should not be an issue. But if you're thinking about safety/kidnapping types of possibilities, that makes the situation completely different. For that, perhaps get a GPS type of tag to keep in her backpack or something. There are no clear-cut answers to this question; really just opinions are what we offer. Another thing to consider: how often do you expect there to be an emergency need to contact you when that would not be possible w/o a phone?

Perhaps you can tell just from this line of thinking that I'm single and have no children. Or perhaps you just know me anyway. Hope I've given you more to think about.

KC

Kelly said...

My kids get one for 8th grade graduation. We live in a small town, so it works well for us. I will say that with my 2 highschoolers, who have more freedom after school it is nice to be able to text back and forth during the school day.

Lucie said...

I would be concerned about the health risk if my kids had them up to their ears for a long period of time- but my experience is that calls are short and text messaging is more popular with kids today-
The peace of mind is worth it to me as a mother.

Queen Mother said...

Honestly, I am anti-cell phones for kids. =) But then again, I'm anti-Ipod and all of those other little gadgets that all kids nowadays believe they MUST HAVE! lol So I wouldn't get one.

Queen Mother said...

(not that sweet Anna would ever do such a thing, but my mom is a teacher and she says it is a HUGE problem with kids bringing phones to class -even though they're not allowed at school - and using the texting feature to cheat on tests.)

Lynn said...

we gave both our kids phones at age 6. with our dd we limited the numbers she can call.
and yes it has been invaluable for many, many reasons.

ShelbeeDawn said...

It is really interesting hearing everyone's thoughts on this. As a teacher of 2nd Graders (which Anna is) I would advise against it. We have had instances where kids will sneak their phones into the bathroom and call parents to have them come pick them up for no reason. They get lost or stolen and then its the teacher's responsibility to keep up with it (which is not part of our job). Also, it becomes a toy and a HUGE distraction. I would advise to wait and get her one in Jr. High. Just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

As a mom and teacher, I would say definitely not. Anna has at least 4 to 6 more years of being with a parent/teacher/responsible adult at all times. Why would she need a phone when she is not able to ever be left alone? When we push our kids to grow up faster in seemingly little ways, the faster they get pushed into situations that they really are too immature to know how to handle. I always vote for keeping them innocent as long as we possibly can. This is just my opinion, but I do think a little research would confirm my feelings. :)

Anonymous said...

When my husband and I decided to drop our land line we got cell phones for each of our kids who lived at home at that time. It was actually less expensive than keeping the land line, since my husband and I already had a cell plan. I had an 8, 11, and 16 year old at home at that time. The younger two actually were more careful with their phones than my teenage daughter. We didn't have any issues with loss or breakage with the 8 or 11 year old. They do understand that they will lose the privledge if it is abused. We did it purely for cost reasons, but I do like the fact that I can be in contact directly with them when I need to. If someone was at a sleepover with a friend and wanted to call me and check in, they could do that without asking the friend's parents (or auntie/ uncle) for permission. I think it depends on the intended use and the child in question. It's been nearly 4 years and we've had no regrets. Just my 2cents worth.

KathB

Melisa said...

I'm years away from getting my kids one.