Comments on: Cell Phones and Tweens

By: CATHY

CATHY — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:56:19 +0000

well than ur just being a b**** im 14. ive had a cell since i was 12. when done with my homeworki text my friends for a couple of minutes and i use it responsibly. it still is my 1st phone and its very nice to , its called the palm centro its like a mini blackbery for kids

By: Babblz.com

Babblz.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:55:18 +0000

Weary Parent: Parenting Tweens & Teens » Cell Phones and Tweens…

When is the right time to buy your kid a cellphone? firefly or pre-paid? Should you even do it at all?…

By: Tay

Tay — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:35:52 +0000

I’m a tween and I really want a cell phone. I was just wondering if the cell phones have done more good then bad for your kids.

By: The Dad

The Dad — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:22:34 +0000

You are not raising kids you are raising young adults. These are the ones that are being targeted by credit card companies, school loans, etc. My kids are now 17 and 19. They have had their cell phones since they were 13. No, I was not excited when my daughter made it clear this was a “must have” item. However, I bought her Virgin Wireless Prepaid (Comes out to $7 to as high as $20 a month). Yeah, I to bought her the cheapest one they make (Kyocera KE433 – available all of the time on Ebay for about $2 plus $4 shipping). Virgin Mobile has a “Vkey” requirement – a password of sorts. I (used to) check the kids use, balance, times of calls. They are on their own now and very good about their use – NO DRIVING ON THE PHONE. I find that the person they call the most is their mom and I. I often times use my (not registered with Virgin Mobile) credit card to throw some extra money on the phones since I appreciate it when they let me know when they have made it to work, school – when in bad traffic, or their friends house to spend the night. Anything but a plan, kids can’t afford it, so why would we encourage something that is not sustainable? When their phones run out of money, they run out of talking. And again, since it costs (them) money, they keep their calls short and don’t spend hours talking while driving. This is turning into a real (dangerous) problem for kids these days.

By: char

char — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:51:32 +0000

Bernadette – I think this is the approach I would use. Thanks for letting us know what works for you.

By: Bernadette

Bernadette — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:15:00 +0000

I purchased both of my children $20 Virgin Mobile pre-paid cell phones with the understanding that they must buy the minutes themselves (I bought the first 200 minutes($18). After 4 months, neither of them has used the initial allotment. This will be a good test of their ability to not lose the phone, run-up the bill, etc.

By: char

char — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:14:50 +0000

Jo – I like your style!

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:02:13 +0000

I’m a mean mom. Neither my 16yo or 12yo has a cell phone and the only way they will get one is if it is a prepaid phone and they pay for it. Like Gayla, we have two cell phones so if the kids go anywhere they need one then they take one phone and my husband or I carry the other. Personally, I think the whole cell phone thing has gotten WAY out of hand but I’m old fashioned that way. LL.

By: Gayla

Gayla — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:50:55 +0000

We have two cell phones in our house. One is mine and the other is for whomever might be going someplace and need to take it with. Most of the time it ends up in my one son’s hands because he’s the most responsible child. I swear the kids is a walking post-it note.

I first got the cell for my kids when they were visiting their dad’s family a lot. That side of their family always runs late and it was just one of those ways I removed myself from stressful situations.

By: Sunshine

Sunshine — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:29:13 +0000

Cell phones can be good and bad. I think it depends on the maturity of the child. If they spend a lot of time away from home on their own. After school functions. I noticed some children are always calling their friends, even when they are away from home. Children need to understand that the cell phone is for emergencies, and to keep in touch with the family. My grandson who is 14 understands that keeping up his chores, and keeping his grades up at school rewards more minutes. Works real well for him. On the other hand the 12 year old thinks has no phone because of his attitude. He thinks everything should be given to him even if his grades are bad and he is very head strong. He likes the phone to play games and does not listen to authority. So no phone for him.