candlesbytammy1 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 my 12 year old thinks he needed one. I agreed to get him one since he is responsible, but he had to pay for the monthly bill. He changed his mind pretty quick. All his friends have one and that is why he thought he needed one. I can see it maybe more when he is older around 15/16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glitterstarr Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 I can tell you my two daughters 9 & 19 and my son 16 nor my husband or I use text at all. So I cant see how the only reason they want it if for that feature they all know that costs and we all share minutes My husband I don't use text messaging neither but all the teens here where we live that is all they use. Most only have text on their phones and no out going calls at all. My daughter has both she can call and we can call her and text because I told her I wasn't texting anybody. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glitterstarr Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 NEVER get a kid a cell phone that has a per call rate for text messages. My step-daughter taught us a big lesson in that regard. I hope someday that all parts of the country will have multiple carrier choices with no roaming & long distance. Right now the same monopoly exists that used to exist in the local telephone, ISP, etc.Yep this is why we didn't go with Cingular they charge for each text you send. Cellular South is $5.99 a month for unlimited texting. We also have her phone set where it doesn't roam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffnatu Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 NEVER get a kid a cell phone that has a per call rate for text messages. My step-daughter taught us a big lesson in that regard. I hope someday that all parts of the country will have multiple carrier choices with no roaming & long distance. Right now the same monopoly exists that used to exist in the local telephone, ISP, etc. I think it all depends on the kid, how responsible they are.. etc, etc. My brother added our nephew (15) on his plan. Boy did he learn the hard way about text messaging. His bill would be anywhere between $200 and $300 a month because of texting. No matter how many times my brother told him to stop the messaging, he wouldn't listen. If it had been me paying the bill, I would have nipped it in the bud with the first bill. But my brother felt sorry for him (long story) and continue giving him chance after chance. He finally got fed up and took the phone away. So now he's stuck with an extra line until the contract is up. We added my daughter (16) when she was 15. She has been pretty good about her minutes. We have the Circle Of Friends thing with Alltel and she knows she has to let me know if she starts talking to anyone more than usual so they can be added. My son (10) wants one now. But he's not responsible enough right now to take care of one. Like other parents have stated, once he starts spending more time away from us, then I will consider adding him to our plan. I'm not sure why he even wants one, he hardly ever uses the phone..lol. I'm sure that will change once he starts liking girls alot more than he does now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deal Grabber Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Its nt so much the age as it is the need.I know alot of kids have them in my sons elementary school 6th grade.These kids stay after school or have to walk home so its good parents can reach them.If my sons ever has the need i would get him one.If nt then no phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elena_398 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 My son age 12 also says he needs one. I don't see it. Hes in school 5 days a week. Also 5 days a week at nights he does wrestling. Come Spring, track, after that football. When would he have the time to make a call or receive one? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ms_mckenna Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 My son age 12 also says he needs one. I don't see it. Hes in school 5 days a week. Also 5 days a week at nights he does wrestling. Come Spring, track, after that football. When would he have the time to make a call or receive one? lolThat is why DD has one. So she can call me when the game or practice is over. The school is closed by that time and there are no phones in our gym. That and she can walk home and I feel ok about it if need be. We live about a block from the school but she can call me and we can talk till she gets back in our yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia39 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 I can tell you my two daughters 9 & 19 and my son 16 nor my husband or I use text at all. So I cant see how the only reason they want it if for that feature they all know that costs and we all share minutesi thought i'd never use my txt messages eiether... and now i'm a texting maniac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kellylumbard Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 my ds is almost 12 his grandma gave him a track phone he mowed the yard this summer and most of the money from that went to refill his phone w minutes. I think a real cell phone is only when they can afford the bill each month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daworths8 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 My oldest is 9 and has been begging for one too. I say no way...too young. I think 14-15 for their own full service. However looking thru some ads I do see that the firefly for kids is a prepaid plan. I may purchase one of these and just send it with them when any of my kids will be out. I can purchase time as I need it. Like this spring I will have 4 different baseball/softball teams to deal with so Im sure at some point I will be doing drop offs and pick ups with the older ones, I would feel better if they had something they could get ahold of me on for emergencys. With the firefly u can preset for them to only be allowed to call certain numbers and certain numbers to be allowed to call them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
able Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 i think kids just want them to have them...to be cool.. or to have whats in...i myself would think 9 si way to young UNLESS they are frequently left somewhere without an adult Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elena_398 Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 That is why DD has one. So she can call me when the game or practice is over. The school is closed by that time and there are no phones in our gym. That and she can walk home and I feel ok about it if need be. We live about a block from the school but she can call me and we can talk till she gets back in our yard.Im a stay at home mom so I don't leave practices. LOL. Im there watching every night. Sometimes he hates it, but when I can't go because his sister has gymnastics, he has a fit too. Go figure. Its a love/hate attitude towards me there every practice lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvyDuvy Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 My 10 year old stepdaughter got a cell phone from grandma when she was 8 and I was very against it (quietly, lol~) but I quickly changed my mind. She lives in Minnesota for the school year and then down here for summers (OK) so i get to chat with her waaaay more than I did before~my ds (8) has one as well... we don't have a home phone anymore because we all have cells (hey, no more telemarketing!!!) and both our kids have been very responsible with them. they have to do chores and get "credits" for good grades, I like them having cells because then there are NO excuses for not calling me, not answering the phone, etc., I do however absolutely refuse to get them camera phones~not even Santa or Grandma can help them there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peekaboo Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 Thanks to all of you for your input and ideas. After long thought I have decided to wait until she gets older to get the phone for her. Since she is only away from home with my neighbor and best friend she can continue to use their phone to call me if needed, they do not mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carone0318 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 With the firefly u can preset for them to only be allowed to call certain numbers and certain numbers to be allowed to call them.I have done some research on cell phones because I am debating on getting one for my dd (10). One thing to consider with Firefly (which I really loved) and T-Mobile pay-as-you-go phone. Both of these phones the minutes expire if not used in like 90 days. I have Virgin pay as you go because I only use my phone for emergencies and couldn't stand forking out money for a plan every month when I may not even have used the phone. With Virgin, your money/minutes never expire as long as you continue to top-up (as they call it, basically put more money on your phone) every 90 days. The minimum that you have to top-up is $20 every 90 days. If you set up a re-occurring account with Virgin online you only have to put on a minimum of $15 every 90 days or it will autmatically add $15 before the 90 days if your balance goes below something like $5. I have to say that I loved the hardware of the firefly and the t-mobile phone, but didn't want to waste my money if the minutes weren't used. We will be going with the Virgin Mobile. Just thought I'd let others know what I found while doing my research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebirth Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 If they're responsible, they get can it at young as 8 y/o since I know they won't call anyone else but their friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom_of2boyz Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 I gave in this year for his 10th birthday. Insteaad of putting him on a plan, I just got him a virgin mobile. In the beginning he went crazy. But he's calmed down down and rarely uses it. I mainly gave in because I wanted to be able to get a hold of him if he was with his friends, like at the playground, or just out and about. Or even if he was at someones house, drives me crazy if I need to get a hold of him, and wherever he may be, their phone is busy, busy, busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kandy Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 My DD is 13. I got her a tracfone in Sept. She had 240 minutes and still has about 80. I will get her more minutes for christmas. DS is 11 and wants one...Im going to make him wait till he is 13 too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetThomas1 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 I have always told my DS that he doesn't need one until he starts driving. Well, he is 14 and I gave in for his birthday this year - not for him, but for DH and I. He is involved in a lot of activities and his friends don't live in our neighborhood so I wanted to be able to get ahold of him - a little overprotective :) Sometimes I wonder how our parents didn't lose their minds with worry when we were kids!!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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