Cell Phone Part 2 Kinda Sad

[familyschoolcare]

Update:

Today I have not seen the cell phone, I have not asked if he has it.

[wdmmom]

No way in the world my child would be out in the world without a way to contact me at a moments notice. Its 9.95/month and worth every penny...especially once they start driving.

I don't know where it's $9.95 a month but I've had my daughter on my plan through my carrier and she's had a Pay-As-You-Go phone and both are far from $10 bucks a month!

And, yes...maybe when she gets to driving, she will have a phone but I there again, it's against the law here for teens to use phones while driving. If they do, they lose their license until they are 18 years old.

When I see kids as young as 7 running around with a cell phone, it's sick! My 13 year old couldn't be trusted with a phone, what the heck makes me think ANY 7 year old can be trusted with a phone?! It's the new "IN" thing and that's all kids want. My 11 year old has been asking for a cell phone for Christmas. Nope. She can get a phone when she can be trusted and when she can pay for it.

I got my first phone at 18 and I had to pay for every penny it cost me every single month. My kids will do the same. It's a luxury...not a NEED!

[Cat Herder]

All 3 of my own kids have them. I get texts like "Mom, The bus just hit a car, we are going to be stuck here for a while and I have alot of homework. Can *** come get me?" "Mom, *** fell off the bus and her ankle looks broken, the driver doesn't believe her. Can you help???" (yes, it WAS fractured when I met the bus in my driveway ) or "Mom, I left my glasses on the counter, can someone drop them off, I have a math test in one hour." (all from the bus) They have been very useful.

But when I kept school agers I limited them to one phone call per day..." Mom/Dad, I am here. Love you." Then I collected them until pick-up (I did not want to be responsible for crazy charges the kids ran up. YES, someone tried to say I should be.)

[wdmmom]

All my children have access to a phone at school and the teachers prefer to communicate via email unless it's important, then they call home. My kids are also age 7-15. None of them have a phone and none of them will until they have the capability of paying for it. A simple phone isn't enough now-a-days. All of my kids want touch screens with internet capability and that's NOT gonna happen....

[Auntie]

My thought is why is a 7th grader in daycare?

[mac60]

A Trac Phone can be purchased with a $10 per month plan. You can "buy" a $20 card, get 60 minutes, and it will last 90 days.

Verizon has a pay as you go plan. I pay .75 per day/$23 per month for unlimited texts, free nights and weekends, .10 per minute for calls between 6 am and 9pm. Can't beat it for the price.

Or Walmart has the Straight Talk plans at $45 per month unlimited texts/talk and some internet useage. Also have a $30 plan with limited talk plan.

I agree that being said, I see no reason for young children to have a cell. They need supervision not a cell. My own kids who are now 20 and 22, my son got his when he was a junior in high school and he paid for it...the Verizon pay as you go plan. My daughter got one her senior year, also Verizon pay as you go plan which she also paid for. Cell phones are not a necessity, they are a want.

[Country Kids]

My thought is why is a 7th grader in daycare?

My 7th grader would qualify for childcare because of her age. Not "old" enough to stay home by herself if I wasn't home.

[Auntie]

How old is 7th grade? isn't that like 12 and 13? In our state you can leave a child home alone by that age. HOWEVER, maturity does play a roll in that. It also depends on the amt of time. But after school for 2 hours should be ok to be left alone at that age. IN this state. Then again location of the home, and the type of influences that are around him after school is another thing to consider. Lots to consider I guess.
Times have changed. Kids have changed and started getting into things (such as making bad choices) at an earlier age too.

Maybe he sits there with his phone because he feels so out of place being the older one. There should be some sort of activity center or something set up for that age group so they have something to do after school with their peers. Daycare sounds like too young of a place for that age group that still needs supervision. I would sit with my phone too at that age if I had to go to daycare after school. Poor kid. (Nothing against your daycare meant by that comment just thinking about how this guy feels).

[cheerfuldom]

i wouldn't leave a 12 or 13 year old child home alone, don't care how responsible i think they are.

[familyschoolcare]

Alright rather than quote several people just thought I would respond.

My 7th grade DCB is 12 and yes legal he could be left home alone. However, apparently he is not ready for that. Just found out last night at pick up that he is not dong/turning in his homework. Which means that during homework time his is drawing and/or reading instead of doing his homework.

While my license only covers children until age 12 I can have anyone in my house on a constant bases I just have to count them in my numbers. Meaning that I do not have to follow all the regs. in regards to this child. I do because he not mature enough to handle more "freedom" than the other children other wise he would be going home to be alone.

Just to add to the opinions on wither or not a child should have constant contact with me as a parent. My children do not have a cell phone an very rarely are they somewhere that does not have one, I do have pay as you go phone I can give them when need usually summer time, when going to park ect. That is why my teen aged children do not have phone.

FYI - the DCB in question got his phone taken away for not doing/turning in his homework.