Kid and cell phones

[marcyleecorgan]

I don't like it... I don't want my DD to be glued to a screen all day... but all the adults around her seem to be creating ways to make them more and more necessary!
I think we may end up getting her a very locked-down phone and making her pay for any "upgrades" with her allowance.

I mean, I don't even have a cell phone right now and I've managed 10 years without one. Just this past year my DH got a free tablet when he had to replace his broken phone but it doesn't do phone calls, it can just access the internet and do texts. Skype works with a Wifi connection but that has limited usage.

I have an atlas in my car and I research things thoroughly before I set off on a trip... navigational street smarts have served me well so far!

 

[wenrob]

I don't like it... I don't want my DD to be glued to a screen all day... but all the adults around her seem to be creating ways to make them more and more necessary!
I think we may end up getting her a very locked-down phone and making her pay for any "upgrades" with her allowance.

I mean, I don't even have a cell phone right now and I've managed 10 years without one. Just this past year my DH got a free tablet when he had to replace his broken phone but it doesn't do phone calls, it can just access the internet and do texts. Skype works with a Wifi connection but that has limited usage.

I have an atlas in my car and I research things thoroughly before I set off on a trip... navigational street smarts have served me well so far!

See and having the Maps function on my phone has literally changed my life. I am so directionally challenged it’s not even funny. I have gotten turned around in an area I’d lived in for years. Can’t read a map to save my life. Tell me to “go North and turn at the Southwest corner” and I’m screwed. This then brings on panic and I get even more turned around. Navigation is something I’ve never been able to grasp and no amount of trying to teach me has ever sunk in. Having audible directions, “turn left here, go right here” and a function that will re route me if I do miss a turn has given me freedom and confidence I can’t even begin to explain. I no longer reach near panic levels when I have to go somewhere unfamiliar. It’s helped my DH in the sense he no longer has a worthless co-pilot, lol.

I think we all own or don’t own phones/smartphones or give them to our kids for a variety of reasons. What works for one person or family may not work for another and that’s okay.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Middle school

My BIL bought my nephew, who is in 5th grade, a kid version of the Apple watch or whatever it's called, that has his and my sister's pre-programmed phone #'s in it in case he ever needs them. He gets teased, so he refuses to wear it.

I think somewhere between 4th-6th grade is about the time when most kids get a phone. With the lack of public phones and landlines, and the fact that pretty much any kid under the age of 18 has now only been alive in a world with cell phones as the main method of communication, the prestige/privilege/stigma/emotional feelings that older adults attach to cell phones is silly and outdated. Most kids don't even realize that cell phones were once a "thing". Now it's just...a phone. Not really a big deal or a monumental parenting decision anymore, IMO

And the "glued to the screen" issue is a parenting issue, not a phone issue. It's still up to the parent to place boundaries, and to teach appropriate phone manners.

YMMV

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't like it... I don't want my DD to be glued to a screen all day... but all the adults around her seem to be creating ways to make them more and more necessary!
I think we may end up getting her a very locked-down phone and making her pay for any "upgrades" with her allowance.

I mean, I don't even have a cell phone right now and I've managed 10 years without one. Just this past year my DH got a free tablet when he had to replace his broken phone but it doesn't do phone calls, it can just access the internet and do texts. Skype works with a Wifi connection but that has limited usage.

I have an atlas in my car and I research things thoroughly before I set off on a trip... navigational street smarts have served me well so far!

Does that atlas use real time traffic to determine the best route? I love google maps and Waze.

 

[aprilgail]

I don't like it... I don't want my DD to be glued to a screen all day... but all the adults around her seem to be creating ways to make them more and more necessary!
I think we may end up getting her a very locked-down phone and making her pay for any "upgrades" with her allowance.

I mean, I don't even have a cell phone right now and I've managed 10 years without one. Just this past year my DH got a free tablet when he had to replace his broken phone but it doesn't do phone calls, it can just access the internet and do texts. Skype works with a Wifi connection but that has limited usage.

I have an atlas in my car and I research things thoroughly before I set off on a trip... navigational street smarts have served me well so far!

An atlas? Hello 1980. I don’t fear technology, I embrace all new technology-especially that which makes my life easier.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Waze.

Excellent!!

 

[Southernmiss]

I just threw 2 Atlases away this summer. They were in the bottom of the school supply closet.

A couple of our kids liked to follow along on the map on road trips. It must be 12-15 years since they were last looked at.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I love google maps

Once I got a smart phone, I (sort of) like the Google maps.

However, it's not infallible. We recently returned from a long RV trip. The directions given on my map app neglected to mention that when we crossed an Interstate connector on the highway we were on we needed to be in the left 2 lanes. Believe me, it's NOT fun trying to change lanes at the last minute in commute traffic while hauling a 5th wheel.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We live in a new neighborhood. we'd moved in before google maps added our street (due largely to DS getting all his friends to report it so they would, or at least that seems to have helped).
I happened to be waiting for DH to finish at a doctor downtown recently and picked up an atlas they had out at the bookstore while I waited--wondering if we have made it onto paper maps yet--nope! But we have been on google for about 15 months at this point.


I see nothing wrong with not using digital if paper and pre research is working for someone and their situation. Then again, I see nothing wrong with using digital and on the spot phones if that works better for you (which might be the case even if you are great with directions).

In my case, I am in unfailair cities or towns, often in countries where I do not speak the language, several times in a typical month. I'd spend far too much time, and waste far too much paper researching every place I might want to go and printing, writing out or buying maps to each location. Plus the phone's translation feature can be priceless.

And the phone lets me chat with my kid who is away at uni while they work desk shifts and i am a pasenger getting to one of those towns. Or trade whatsapp messages with the kid at home while we travel. or with my dad--- who loves getting photos as I go and talking about them, etc.

I just don't see what is negative, or isolating about any of that

 

[ShayBells]

I think about all the times I’ve broken down (once on a highway) and I don’t know how people managed before. My anxiety never lets me drive without my phone for emergency purposes. And yes. I always print out mapquest as a back up but I love my maps on iPhone.

 

[ShayBells]

Though I prefer the roll down windows and I wouldn’t say no to a good record.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

We got our kids phones a few weeks ago, right before they started 6th grade. It was one of those moments where I was eating my own words, because we always said they could have one when they can pay for it. However, they are going to school in a not so great area, and with sports starting up and what not we thought it was time. They aren't allowed to sit on them though.


That's what they have Ipads for

Kidding...

 

[MrsPete]

the prestige/privilege/stigma/emotional feelings that older adults attach to cell phones is silly and outdated. Most kids don't even realize that cell phones were once a "thing". Now it's just...a phone. Not really a big deal or a monumental parenting decision anymore, IMO

Oh, no. Not true at all. Among my high school students, phones are absolutely the #1 fashion accessory /prestige item. They want to be seen carrying their phones in their hands /headphones in their ears between classes ... who has a new phone is big news ... cool covers are "a thing". In addition to "Best All Around", senior superlatives now include "Best Social Media Presence" and "Selfie King/Queen". Kids care more - way more -- about phones than clothing and cars combined.

 

[neverlandsky]

We caved this spring. The kids were 12 & 14. We held off for as long as we could. It was more for us then for them.

Both their schools came down hard at the beginning of this school year on their cellphone policy with no cellphone use during school time except for lunch.

 

[Kellydelly]

Keep putting it off. My kids got them at age 14. Once you give them one they always have their face stuck in it.

 

[BLAZEY]

My daughter's school doesn't allow student's to have phones. That might change in a couple of years when she goes to middle school. They have classroom sets of chromebooks for looking stuff up already linked to the schools internet. No non school devices can connect to the schools internet.

 

[EveDallas]

See and having the Maps function on my phone has literally changed my life. I am so directionally challenged it’s not even funny. I have gotten turned around in an area I’d lived in for years. Can’t read a map to save my life. Tell me to “go North and turn at the Southwest corner” and I’m screwed. This then brings on panic and I get even more turned around. Navigation is something I’ve never been able to grasp and no amount of trying to teach me has ever sunk in. Having audible directions, “turn left here, go right here” and a function that will re route me if I do miss a turn has given me freedom and confidence I can’t even begin to explain. I no longer reach near panic levels when I have to go somewhere unfamiliar. It’s helped my DH in the sense he no longer has a worthless co-pilot, lol.

Are we related?? I swear this is me. I also get super frustrated when people say "go north, then go west" - JUST NO. Left and right, please.

 

[wenrob]

Are we related?? I swear this is me. I also get super frustrated when people say "go north, then go west" - JUST NO. Left and right, please.

My dad is the same way. We went to a concert once and the bartenders started waving to us about the third time we passed trying to get out of the venue. We were literally going in a circle!

 

[NHdisneylover]

Oh, no. Not true at all. Among my high school students, phones are absolutely the #1 fashion accessory /prestige item. They want to be seen carrying their phones in their hands /headphones in their ears between classes ... who has a new phone is big news ... cool covers are "a thing". In addition to "Best All Around", senior superlatives now include "Best Social Media Presence" and "Selfie King/Queen". Kids care more - way more -- about phones than clothing and cars combined.

interesting---that's not at all how it is with DS19 and his friends or classmates. I guess it varies by area.

 

[Klayfish]

I don't like it... I don't want my DD to be glued to a screen all day... but all the adults around her seem to be creating ways to make them more and more necessary!
I think we may end up getting her a very locked-down phone and making her pay for any "upgrades" with her allowance.

I mean, I don't even have a cell phone right now and I've managed 10 years without one. Just this past year my DH got a free tablet when he had to replace his broken phone but it doesn't do phone calls, it can just access the internet and do texts. Skype works with a Wifi connection but that has limited usage.

I have an atlas in my car and I research things thoroughly before I set off on a trip... navigational street smarts have served me well so far!

No offense, but if you don't have a cell phone of any kind and still use a paper atlas, then you are in the far extreme minority. If it works for you, then that's fine, but I think it's not realistic or fair to impose those beliefs on your kids. I don't text (only with DW on rare occasion), but I realize I'm in the extreme minority and don't impose those feelings on my kids.

If you don't want DD to be glued to a screen all day, then don't let her. That's in your control. It'll be up to you on how "locked down" you want it. We don't have our kids locked down at all, and never have, but that's just our decision.