My oldest son has asked for a cell phone for his 14th birthday, and I am not sure I want to get him one. He has no calls that come in on our land base phone and it is not that I don't trust him, but I just don't understand why he needs one. Is he trying to keep his life a secret from me? The questions this raises are endless.
2006-06-13 10:34:59 · 32 answers · asked by nu_orleans_lady 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Adolescent
well yes. i got one when i was 12!!!
2006-06-13 10:37:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
2
2016-08-08 18:06:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let him have it, I doubt that he has a "secret life" but I hope you understand that your son is a teenager and within a few years will break away from the security of his parents. Handing him a cell phone allows him some privacy in life, which teenagers respect and well, to put it bluntly, demand.
As a parent, this give you a chance to test the responsibility of your oldest child. Losing the cellphone or going over the allowed minutes/texts can give you a good reason to take away his rights to the cell phone. If he handles it with care, well then he is old enough to have a cell phone.
In response to what he could use it for? He will be entering high school soon, if he already hasn't, and cell phones are a must for after school activities, sports or even just a sudden change of plans like taking his friends bus home instead of his. Out of school it is a good way for the parent to keep track of their child when he or she is away from home. So there are many uses, and of course you can't forget peer pressure. Majority of student in high school have a cell phone now, and that is hard to ignore.
So in conclusion, pull out that wallet and go get your boy a cell phone mom!
2006-06-13 12:59:23 · answer #3 · answered by R man 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dear Bridget:
A Cell phone is a very important communication system, in which it's very important to anybody, no matter the age, sex, race, etc.
If your son asked you for a cell phone in his 14th birthday, he would like to have one because he can make calls to home, to you, to his dad, to his girlfriend, to his friends, to anybody!! So why you don't give one to him?
I knew alot of kids that at the age of 8 and 9 have a cellphone and they knew how to use it and how to make calls, and receive calls. I believe and mostly everybody agrees that at the age of 14 a teenager is a responsible person, that can carry a cell phone with responsability, know what is good or wrong, and know the risks that are in life...
Also the cell phone once again i'm telling you that is very very important to have in emergencies, or in any case, so believe in your son and trust in him, he will not call long-distance where the bill will come to $500!!! No, no : tell him that he only needs the cell phone for make emergency calls.
So give him a cellphone, I mean come on! He can feel like a loser, if he doesn't has a cellphone, mostly everybody of his friends most have one, so give it to him!!! Go ahead! there are many offers in good cellphones and plans.
Try it!
Regards and good luck!!
2006-06-13 11:21:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
to be totally honest, i got a cell phone when i was ten and im fourteen now. I took advantage of having my own phone and now i pretty much totally shut my parents out on my personal life because i have a cell and can call and recieve calls from whoever i want, whenever i want. I really advise that if he isnt getting calls at home then its totally unnecessary.
2006-06-13 11:03:58 · answer #5 · answered by sub_style92 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
HECK NO thts late to get a cell phone i got one when i was 12
how can he be 14 and have no calls im 13 and hav lots of calls
but if your sure he has no calls then u shouldnt get him 1
but they do come in handy at partys when he needs to call to come home or theres a problem.
2006-06-13 12:10:39 · answer #6 · answered by c.frog17 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I understand the position you're coming from, yet i beleive that they shouldhave cellphones. Emergencies do ensue, and in the adventure that they certainly ensue- cellphones are an straight forward thanks to ascertain issues out and settle the project (ex. calling for a holiday domicile. 911, injuries, etc) if a 9th grader does infact have a cellular telephone they ought to no longer have texting on it... that ought to nto be for emergencies- only a waste of money (style of hypocritical reason i had one at the same time as i replaced into in grade 9 and that i texted ALOT) yet definite, perchance a prepaid kinda shitty telephone will be wonderful for a 9th grader :) 'for emergencies'
2016-10-14 03:26:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
14 is too old not to already have a cell phone. I had one when I was 11.
2006-06-13 10:42:29 · answer #8 · answered by Dark Angel-Sk8rgurl 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
honestly, i think kids shouldn't get cell phones until they are mature enough to be responsible to pay for it themselves...i got one at 14, but i am a girl, and i paid for it...and my parents would monitor my call list every month. you could try something like that until you know he is being responsible. otherwise, he probably wants it for peer pressure reasons...everybody has a cell phone, so i need one, too...
hope this helps!
2006-06-13 10:40:54 · answer #9 · answered by philfreak 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going to strap one to my kid (if I ever have one) when they're 5. I think you should get him a prepaid phone and make him do chores to buy more minutes. Oh and you just have to check his calls and outbox on his text messages if you're that nosy. What does a 14 year old really have to hide?
2006-06-13 11:50:23 · answer #10 · answered by beastiebeastiebitch 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what he's using it for. If it's for emergencies then thats a good thing to have around, but he's just gonna be on it all the time talking to his friends and ignoring other responsibilities then he probably doesn't need one.
2006-06-13 10:40:49 · answer #11 · answered by GottaGoToGalveston 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋