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Mary Chris
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| Posted: April 02 2008 at 10:57pm | IP Logged
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I bought my children a cell phone. I do hope I don't regret it. Over the weekend I really messed up getting my son to his soccer game and my phone was dead so no one could get in touch with me. I do think my kiddos will be better about keeping their phone charged, and with them, than I am. Being the mean mom that I am  , I blocked texting and the internet, and their phone doesn't have a camera.
Do share...anyone else have children with cell phones? How old were they when they got it?
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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KackyK
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My dd uses a cell phone, but it's not like it's hers  . I just have an extra phone that I keep in my purse. And if I drop her off somewhere and I'll need to call her, or there is some concern about the pickup or blah blah blah then I hand her the phone. We use those prepaid phones. So there are no minutes to use or not use and such. When she use to take ballet at a school rather far from home (about a 30min drive and more during traffic), it was good because then she could call if after her class let out and she didn't see me, I could tell her exactly how far away I was and such so she wouldn't worry. I don't think you are crazy! 
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KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 6:41am | IP Logged
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I think I made a mistake of letting the kids know the phone is theirs. I like your approach.
We are going to have rules about its use and where it belongs when we are home.
It cracks me up how excited they are about having a phone. They don't call their friends and talk for hours every afternoon, like I did. Ds10 barely knows how to talk on the phone other than to see if a buddy can play. Maybe this makes them feel one step closer to the rest of society.
I do think it will be a good thing, just because of where we live and our situation this year. They are going to be spending a lot of time with other people getting to their activities this year.
Kacky, I'm glad to know I'm in good company
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 6:55am | IP Logged
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My teens got cell phones once we started leaving them to babysit ... or they started being out at night ... it's SOOOO nice to know I can get them at any time!
When we first came back from Austria (5 years ago), we didn't even put in a land-line (we'd have to wait 4 months or something  ) and just got cell phones -- so I always had the "house phone" with me and my son had a phone and dh had a phone ... pretty much covered every contingent at the time. When we moved to Denver, we put in a land-line but I got dh and I each cellphones and Cate and Joe had "trac" phones where you fill them up as you go ... so we could cancel or fill as we wanted.
The kids have text -- Rick and I don't -- I figure email is good enough for me. Catie (the oldest at home now) spends more time texting than talking on the phone -- but that's definitely a high school thing .
I won't give Thomas (9), Maggie (8), or JP (5) a phone for a few years ... but JP often walks around the house with his hand to his ear (imitating his teen siblings) talking to his "friends"
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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guitarnan
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 7:17am | IP Logged
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We got ds a cell phone when he was 14 or so. With dh gone so often, and me driving both children around to various meetings and lessons, we felt it was a good idea.
Our prepaid plan requires adding $20 to the phone every quarter. I took the phone to California and used it every day, sometimes for half an hour at a time, to use up some of the huge balance we'd accumulated. Ds NEVER talks on the phone except to call home at the end of a Scout trip!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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LisaR
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Mary Chris, ALL of Joe's homeschooled friends have phones. If we had continued to homeschool him, we most likely would have had a prepaid phone card/trac phone type arrangement for him. He would have been scattered to Community College, a Cooperative School, etc etc.
However, he is in Catholic School this year and cell phones (any electronics, I pods, etc) are not allowed on Campus. (if you are a Jr or Senior you can keep it in your car)
so, we dodged it for now, as really school, and sports, and clubs, at school have become the bulk of his social life as well.
I think if technology is available, we should be able to use it as a "tool" to help us if we need to.
My friend just mentioned recently that there are some long term concerns about carrying the phone on your body? , especially with still developing kids? maybe they can keep it in a backpack, etc instead of a pocket if they have the option?
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
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teachingmyown
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Mary Chris,
I got Charlie one when he was 14 and Court was in Germany. I was tired of trying to juggle three kids on three teams and keep track of where my teen was and when he needed to picked up, etc. It was very helpful in that regard.
Of course, it wasn't all rosy. He used too many minutes and too many texts and we ended up taking it from him for a long time. Now he has a Go-Phone for which he is responsible.
With your dh gone, I think it is a wise decision. Just watch those minutes!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Carole N.
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 9:42am | IP Logged
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We gave one to our oldest ds when he was 12. He was playing soccer with an older team, and we knew that he would be going to Washington, D.C. that summer with a friend. One of the other team mothers gave me a hard time since her son did not have a phone.
Well, he never really used it except when he was in Washington. So my dh inherited it.
Over here, everyone has a cell phone (they call them mobiles). They look at me like I am crazy when I tell them that I do not have one. We purchased one just this week. My dh uses it. Once the children become more involved, we may see about getting a second phone.
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 Carole ... in Wales
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lilac hill
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Our older girls got cell phones when they started having activities away from home and when they drive.
I love being able to contact them when they are a little late and when I am a little late picking them up.
BTW, I pay the bills so it is mine and I make the rules if there is have any funny business or misuse. 
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Viv
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folklaur
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 10:19am | IP Logged
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My oldest dd18 got a cell phone just a few months back. It seemed that most of the other girls in the CathHS group had one, and were years younger than her . But since she walks to work, etc, we felt it was a good idea. She never just chats on it though, except during free hours sometimes...
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Paula in MN
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Wow - I'm really glad that my kids are 9 and 6. Looks like I have a few years to make a decision about this.
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Paula
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JodieLyn
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I haven't looked for my kids yet.. at this point if they're not with me they're with an adult in charge and they all have cell phones any more
I did get one for myself once my oldest was old enough to be able to stay home alone for short periods of time. That way I can be reached.
I did hear about a type of phone from a friend that was prepaid but it also only let you program in certain numbers so that you could give a younger child a phone but they could only call say mom and dad and grandma and one other number (I think it was 4 numbers) and there was an emergency button for calling 911.
But you couldn't just punch in any number to call.. you programed the phone then there was the 4 buttons for calling the 4 numbers and that was it.
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Fuzzy
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Mary Chris, did you do a phone with a plan? Or one with the rechargable minutes where you pay as you use? I always think that makes them think more. Just like the phone Jodie is talking about. My MIL had that kind of phone for forever.
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Fuzzy
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CAgirl4God
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we haven't yet...
but this May I am due for an upgrade on my phone.
we plan on getting my another phone, and adding anew number to have an extra cell phone. then we will have three.. maybe four if I can find my old phone lol.
we do NOT have a land line. so we would like to keep on at home for home use... and have an extra one for ds at scouting events and overnight trips...
don't think you are crazy...
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teachingmom
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 4:46pm | IP Logged
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Well, Mary Chris already knows this, but here's what we've done. For about a year now, my kids have had a phone that they share when they need to be away from home for babysitting or activities. It is on our family plan and adding it only costs $10 more per month with shared minutes. The older two girls, who make a lot of money these days, pay the difference in the bill. (That's because they were the ones who really wanted the phone.)
But I have been really pleased with the experience. They don't use it to talk with friends and we don't have texting, so it has really been more for safety and convenience.
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BlessedbyGod
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We have an extra cell phone b/c after we signed the plan for two phones my dh got a free one from work. So, we use it for the older kids if they are going out or (especially) if they are on a bike ride or something. It gives me peace of mind. It's not any one person's phone. They share. There's no texting or anything like that.
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joann10
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I got mine phones when they started to drive. I didn't want them on the road without one. I have one also, but since I hardly ever leave the house, that one is used for my 12,14,15 year olds that are going to be somewhere and will need to be picked up.
My oldest kids still have phones on our family plan because it is cheaper for them to do it this way. They pay me for them and pay the difference for special features that they get on their phones.
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