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The Great Cell Phone Debate!
By Lara | July 22, 2008
OK, so as you all know I am the proud Mother of a super fabulous teenage girl…what you may not know is that she desperately wants a cell phone! Many parents give their kids cell phones younger. I mean my girl is 14…and will be 15 this year.
What am I waiting for??
Well, I think they can be extremely dangerous and I wanted to be sure she was mature and honest enough in our relationship. AND…that she understands the whole you only get so many minutes or they charge you and Daddy kills Mommy factor! ROFL!
The mistake I made was telling her I was going to get her one. LOL….now, she is asking me EVERY day. It is to the point that I am delaying. I mean she wants it WAY to much! Am I still getting her one…Yes…but don’t tell her! I am shopping around. DH gets free phones through his job, but I want to get the right one and right plan. KWIM?
One thing I do NOT like about this cell phone craze is the texting. I mean these kids are texting everywhere. My daughter told me one time when she was sitting in church next to a friend he was texting the WHOLE time and another time a friend texted something and then handed her the phone to read. LOL…she was like, couldn’t you have just said this to me?
These kids do not even talk anymore! I am GLAD that I waited and that my daughter appreciates the fine art of real CONVERSATION! LOL!!! I am also not sure if I will even add texting to our current plan…
Hmmm…more to think about! AHHHHH!
I totally understand that this is very important to her teenage life. I want her to feel like she isn’t weird and fit in…but I want her to stand out too. Ya know?
I have come up with some things that I think ALL Moms…er…parents should consider before and during the great cell phone debate negotiations with their teenagers!
- Before entering into the great cell phone debate with your teenager…..you and DH may want to discuss the topic so you’ll be in unity. Divide and conquer is their strategy! ROFL!
- Money factor – You need to be up front and let them know what you can and can NOT afford.
- Set the rules. Let them know what you will and will not allow and what the consequences will be if the lines are crossed. Some rules to think about…when and where they can use the phone, WHO they can talk to, keeping track of minutes, cell phone care, etc.
- Privacy can only go so far. They need to know that yes you respect their privacy, however, you ARE their parent and you WILL check if you feel they are breaking rules, in danger, or the like. I am NOT one to pry or snoop…HOWEVER, I AM her Mother and if I feel she needs my prying for her safety, I will become Snoop Mommy Mom in a heart beat! ROFL!
- Teaching them responsibility. Perhaps you may want to have them pay for part of the cell phone and or monthly fees to teach them responsibility and to appreciate it. I already informed our daughter that she will pay the monthly fee for the additional line.
These is just some of the factors we need to think about when delving into the teenage cell phone world. Do not ever feel pressured by the culture or the Jone’s that you NEED to get your teenager a cell phone. This is a serious and big decision and should be thought out carefully and discussed at length.
What are your thoughts on cell phones?
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Topics: Cell Phones, Family & Kids, Hot Topics, Mommie Stuff, Parenting, Raising Teenagers, Shooting the Breeze, Thinking Out Loud | 2 Comments »
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
I am not a mother, but I love your blog just the same!
July 24th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Hi! I am the mom of an almost 4 year old (next month), a 2 1/2 yr old and an 8 month old, all girls!! I cringe at the thought of my girls ever being teenagers, mostly because I am very comfortable right now how I control their world to keep them safe. It’s my job! And I don’t want to see beyond that right now. (= But like you, I LOVE my girls terribly and want to keep them safe at all costs. There is more and more information out there on how cell phones aren’t safe for your health. My hubby and I do have them, but we use them VERY minimally. Mine is basically so I feel safe in the car with the girls alone, in case we break down. My hubby’s is in case he breaks down on his way to or from work and to call me for 5 minutes everyday on his lunch break to alleviate our time apart. While at home we don’t use them. We have Net10 (www.net10.com) prepaid phones, the cheapest service around. It’s 10 cents a minute, no matter what, no roaming fees, no access fees, etc. Anyhow, if I were you I would have one that she gets to take when she is out (so you can contact her or she can contact you), but don’t let it be “her’s”. I know it may sound harsh, but I think limiting the use is for her health, but keeping you and she in contact is good relationally. I know I’m not in your shoes yet, having teenagers and all, but that’s how we plan to do things. And since there is so much new technology out there, that wasn’t around when I was growing up, I know I’ll have to raise my girls with the understanding that just because many people overuse technology, doesn’t mean it’s good to do or will be allowed in our house. Reading a good book is better than the Internet, talking to someone in person is better than the phone, cell phones, texting, IMing, etc. Not that the other is bad, but you just have to keep things in balance. So that is my two cents. I hope it didn’t come across too intense.