2006-08-09 19:51:33 · 30 answers · asked by wade2diesel 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
If it comes down to the absolute need for a cell phone .. for example if your child does alot of social activities .. volunteers .. and needs you to pick him/her up .. then sure i can see the need for a cell phone and if it's during the night then yes even more so i would like to give a cell phone
HOWEVER in order not to run up your bills and not to fall under peer pressure of his/her friends wanting to use the phone to yack to no end which WILL most likely happen? cellular phone nowadays have functions such as 'fixed calling' which will force that phone to only be able to call ONE particular number .. yours! make it your own cell phone number since there's only one number that can be stored and at least you can keep track of him/her while you go pick him/her up ..
Another option if you are worried that there may be a need to call several phone #'s off that phone is to buy a fixed number of minutes on the phone .. make it productive though! instead of you paying for the minutes? if your child is old enough have the child take up a job and tell him/her if he/she wants more time he/she is going to have to earn it .. and thus you have responsibility AND a way to keep track of where they are :)
Good luck :)
2006-08-10 11:59:22 · answer #1 · answered by tantalus1076 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My children did not get a cell phone until they got their driver's license and started driving on their own. I don't think children need a cell phone until then.
However, I do know that Cingular makes a "Firefly" phone, which can be added as a "line" or "prepaid". You can program the numbers you want your child to actually call and the numbers they can receive calls from. This gives the parent some control and assures them, for example, if they miss the bus at school that they will have immediate access to call Mom.
2006-08-09 23:03:40 · answer #2 · answered by Momof7 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on how old the child is. If your child is in after school activities and is at least a teen,I don't see anything wrong with this. They might need a ride after or need to tell you they might be running late. Also if you think they are responsible enough to handle a phone. This can go a long way in giving you peace of mind. But as for grade school children, I say no.
2006-08-10 01:28:18 · answer #3 · answered by mrsreadalot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No! Your child should have a cell phone as young as 10. Don't you want to be able to reach them at all times? They are safer that way...
Cell phones have SAVED the lives of children and teenagers in many cases.
Also, Cell phones could have saved the lives of many kids in other cases.
Imagine if everyone had a cell phone during the columbine shooting...
Imagine if all the little girls who have gotten kidnapped, raped, and killed in the past would have had a cell phone...
Imagine many more things...
Everyone needs a cell phone! We're living in year 2006, not 1942 (for example)!
2006-08-09 21:20:50 · answer #4 · answered by Stella 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think its dumb to provide your child with a cell phone. I actually two cell phones one for work and one for personal and when my five-year old goes on field trips or over to a friends house I allow him to take one of the cell phones in case of an emergency. With the way the world is today you need to stay in constant contact with your children.
2006-08-09 20:00:13 · answer #5 · answered by KIKI 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we have nine kids and all of them except the ones in grades k-4 have a cell phone..one of those prepaid cell phones from Verizon....anyways i see why parents would think giving kids that young a cell phone would be nuts..but my wife and i like to know where our kids are at all time..and if after school a friend invites one over well they have a cell phone to call us ...just in certain situation that could happen either often or every once in a while...that's what it think about and I'm glad to know that my kids have a phone on them....its nothing big if the parents are in control of the situation...a lot of parents buy thire child a cell phone and that's it they dont teach them about the responsibilities of having one...once my kids disobey the rules of the cell phone (which doesn't happen) they get it taken away....you just have to be in charge that its....too many parents let the kids run everything...that does not happen here...
2006-08-09 21:29:22 · answer #6 · answered by sgtrlopez 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the child and how old they are. I got my first cell phone in the 7th grade. it was prepaid and my dad would only put a minimum amount of minutes on it. I used it mainly to call family if I missed the bus or needed something.
2006-08-09 19:57:31 · answer #7 · answered by Simmy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. cell phones come in handy when ur child is in an emergency and there is no landline nearby. there are cell phones out there for young children that have 3 numbers, mom dad 911. these prevent them from abusing the phones.
2006-08-09 19:58:36 · answer #8 · answered by swiftassailant77 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they're like my son they will loose it. My 12 year old son wants one but I refuse. He has lost his house key more times than I can keep up with, so I would not trust him with a cell phone. They cost too much to take the chance on loosing it like all the keys he has lost in the past.
2006-08-09 20:51:26 · answer #9 · answered by Jules 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it isn't, as long as you teach the child to be responsible with it. Cell phones can save your child's life (or the life of another).
2006-08-09 19:57:48 · answer #10 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋