Welcome to Week 47
of
Friendly Debates With The Danielle’s!
Each Week Danielle from "Happenings of the Harper Household" and I (Danielle) will host this awesome meme and we would love for you to link up and join us.
I do not believe young kids should have cell phones for a luxury. If there is a good reason for the child to have a cell phone then I say YAY, for sure!
Here’s our story:
I’ve always been able to make arrangements for my 3 older kids for before and after school.
When they were very young, I had them in a before and after school program. Then a couple of years later, we lived on the same block as my mom and step-dad so one of them came over for an hour before school… and after school the kids would just walk to their house. But then we moved. For the first time, I had nobody to watch the kids before and after school.
Mike and I decided to get my son a cell phone. He was the oldest and ‘in charge’. We chose a super cheap basic phone and we programed our phone numbers and my parents phone numbers in the phone. The phone was free and it only cost us $10 per month and it seemed the smartest and cheapest way to go.
Of course cell phone companies have special kids phones for emergency use only, like the Firefly. I always wanted to get a phone for the kids like that – but it was cheaper to just add a free basic cell to our plan.
The kids had alarm clocks to wake them up. I would call them shortly after to make sure they were dressed and done eating. I would remind them to watch the time to catch the bus. My son would walk my youngest to the bus stop and call me when she got on. After school, he would call me when him and the middle child walked in the door. Then he would call me again when the youngest got off the bus. We were home within the hour of them getting home, but the cell phone put my mind at ease. At the time, the kids were in 3rd, 4th and 6th grades. Once that school year was over, we took the phone back because there was no real reason for him to have it.
This past year we officially got the kids cell phones again. They were decent phones, but not smart phones. Again, free phones but a little better than bottom of the line. We got the plan where they could text and talk and take photos. They were in 6th, 7th and 9th grades. I monitored the lines online so I knew what they were up to. I put controls on the lines so they could only call or text me or Mike during school hours and bed time hours. We decided to get them cells this time because they were all in different activities after school and they all needed to be picked up at different times and days. I would hate to have forgotten leaving them stranded… so we went with cells. We also had situations where the schools are so big, we would be parked on the wrong side of the school – looking and looking for them. The phones came in handy for this kind of situation too.
Now they are in 7th, 8th and 10 grades and we are planning on getting them smart phones next month. They all have iPods and cells and I just don’t see the point on carrying 2 devices around all the time. We plan on getting the refurbished phones online at a cheaper price.
Another thing… we do take these devices away when they are grounded. The phone and iPods are the first thing that goes. Although sometimes that puts me in a bind, not being able to reach them. But it’s worked so far.
What do you think about kids and cell phones?
Yay or Nay… What do YOU say?
Write a blog post and link up!
If you are not a blogger… we still love you! Let us know what you think in a comment below! We’d LOVE to here from you!!If you get a chance…
Drop in to some of my other Debate Posts:
Tweens or Teens Shopping at Victoria’s Secret
Snacking on food in the store before you pay
Using Anatomically Correct Terms with Children
Privacy Between Couples Regarding Technology
Do you use real names or nicknames on your blog?
Security Blanket/Object Attachment
Baby Showers for Second Baby and Beyond
Bikinis for Toddlers, Tweens and Teens
Do You Return Your Shopping Cart to the Corral?
Extended Rear Facing Car Seats
Banning infants and toddlers from restaurants
Re-Gifting or Returning Gifts: Rude?
Strict Schedules with Children?
My 8-year old wanted one to call her friends on because they all have them (so she says)!!! No thanks!! She will not be getting a phone until she possibly needs it for safety reasons!! Cool link-up you have!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is a total "maybe".
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I do worry about the health effects of cell phone use. That said, I do let me 2yo use mine sometimes. I want him to have as much access to technology as possible because I think it will be to his advantage if it is second nature to him later. That doesn't mean total freedom, though. It will be a long time until he has his own phone, and he will have to earn it.
I do think it's totally weird, though, that you don't really have to call anyone's house anymore. Seems like such a big part of childhood that is gone...
All the uses you have for your children needing phones, I think, is a very good idea. As far as grounding them from their phones when need be, is there a way you can block all the uses except for them calling you or you calling them to be picked up so that it isn't an inconvenience to you? If not sometimes grounding your children just has to be something you have to do even if it is hard on us, right.
ReplyDelete