Cell Phones

[Rockinmama24]

12 here but my girls are never really on them. My 12 year old hasn't used all but 5 min. to let me know about an emergency dismissal and my 13 yo uses about 500 texts a month but about 400 of those are to me and I read ALL texts that go in & out of her phone.

[Ellasundies]

I just got done student teaching. I taught freshmen through seniors. ALL the major discipline problems revolved around cell phones. The next big problem students had was video game related. I'm not even sure I would let my high schooler have a cell, maybe a track phone but that's it.

[GracieGooseSC]

Man this is a tough one! I got my own phone line in middle school, so I suppose I will probably also allow them around that age (13-14ish.) Not that I really want to but..haha! I can also imagine there will be strict limits. Oh me oh my! I'm going to focus on Preschool today

[z2akids]

Originally Posted by Janine Not sure. It is such a weird concept for me. When I was 17 or so I had one. It had a cord, and a giant antenna separate from the phone. The phone itself was as big as my head. Just google "brick cell phone" and you'll see a newer version of what I had. LOL. Anyhow, this was the olden days of cell phones and it was seriously like a buck a minute or some insanity. I had it for emergencies only and I only used it once. I'm fine with a younger child having a cell phone for emergencies only, but with the cell phones how they are now, I'm not sure how that would work. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to the day my kid turns 9 and starts telling me how "all the kids have one". The world has changed so much since I was that age!

Boy oh boy has it changed. lol

I am happy to report that, at least at our school, none of the 3rd graders had cell phones. So, hopefully when your LO is 9 or 10 it still won't be the norm.

I will have to admit though to being the instigator of the itouch craze in the 3rd grade. We got DS#1 one for his birthday (he's very responsible and very into his music) and I think last count more than 25% of his class has one. Believe me, I have apologized to several parents for starting that craze.

[leilalily]

I voted for 16 -- when they can pay for it themselves. This has actually been the topic of discussion in our house lately with our 7 year olds. Yes, SEVEN year olds! This is what they are saying "Alexis has one! She calls her dad while she is sitting in parent pick-up." "Tommy has one, he sends text messages!" "Shouldn't we have our own? Everyone at school has them so they can call their parents from the pick up area."

WHY are parents buying them for second graders?!? I told my girls -- maybe those parents are buying them for their kids because they ride the bus or because they get dropped off at home maybe alone or with a sibling or their parents work late or they walk home, etc, etc. I told them they will never ride a bus, I will be there before the last bell rings to pick them up from school every single day and I don't work outside of the home. All of that = no reason for a cell phone.

Beepers were THE thing when I was in high school (14/15 years old) so I had one of those when I was 14. My BFF actually paid the monthly bill for it. I have no idea why...I think her parents gave her $$ for whatever. I got my first cell phone at 16 when I got a car, which I had to pay for both on my own.

[MamaNae]

When they're in sports/activities that require me to pick them up they'll get a phone...probably 11? BUT it will be one of those 'kids phones' where they can call Me, DH, my mom and 9-1-1 and it'll only be for them to say "Hey, baseball/whatever is over, come get me."

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

we gave my 11 year old my old phone. it only costs $10 to add a line and since we already had family text that wasn't any extra. I really need to be able to get a hold of him when he's out in the neighborhood and we don't have a landline.

[JennTheMomma]

16, but just the basics, anything else they need to pay for themselves. I got my first at 15, I had a job and paid for it.

[Mom2BabiesA&I]

I voted 14. It was about that age that I was out with friends after school or at friends houses a lot or whatever so when my kids get to be about that age doing those sorts of things they will have a cell. They will also know that if it causes *any* disruption at school it will be taken away. 1 week for the first offense, a month for the second, and possibly until they pay for it themselves for the 3rd offense.

I never had a cell until I was like 20 but I also grew up in a town with no cell service..only just in the last year did it get cell service and only though AT&T so its not like anyone else had cells either.

[z2akids]

Originally Posted by Mom2BabiesA&I I voted 14. It was about that age that I was out with friends after school or at friends houses a lot or whatever so when my kids get to be about that age doing those sorts of things they will have a cell. They will also know that if it causes *any* disruption at school it will be taken away. 1 week for the first offense, a month for the second, and possibly until they pay for it themselves for the 3rd offense. I never had a cell until I was like 20 but I also grew up in a town with no cell service..only just in the last year did it get cell service and only though AT&T so its not like anyone else had cells either.

A lot of schools nowadays have 0 tolerance policies for cell phones because unfortunately, children use them to cheat and disrupting class.

Our school's policy is that the first time your phone rings or you are otherwise caught using it during school hours, it is confiscated until the end of the quarter. And, the principal reserves the right to inspect your texts, email and/or pictures for evidence of cheating or criminal activity (like sexting). The 2nd time it is confiscated for 2 quarters (and if you happen to get caught on the last day of school that means you lose it until fall)! 8th graders cannot graduate with their class if they're caught with the phone and record goes on their transcript for high school.

It's a really tough policy, but honestly the principal said at our School Board meeting that the biggest offender was parents calling or texting their children in the middle of the school day. The policy has virtually stopped all cell phone use during school hours/school functions. They have found though that the parents of the worst offenders simply buy their kids a new cell phone when the original one is locked in the school office.