Children, mobile phones and parental differences.

Spendless

aaarrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

aliasojo I am holding YOU responsible for jinxing the air with this thread
;)
because today my own 9yo has asked for a mobile phone.:rolleyes:

The reason he wants one he has been told by my neighbours 7yo that she and her 9yo sister had one from age 5. Since they are new to this street since May and I live far nearer the village amenities (school, park, shops) than where they previously lived, I can see no reason why they'd need to be using one from 5. The only place they'd have been allowed was in front of their house.

So I said if he could give me some resonable answers to why he NEEDED one rather than WANTED one I would consider his request.;)
That sparked a debate about why we have a conservatory and a grassed lawn.:rolleyes:
So I named all the places he goes without an adult in charge
to school (2 min walk accompanied by friends)
from school (I am collecting his sister from from her class at same time, so he may not walk with me but he's close by)
park (stones throw away and I check up on him intermittantly, he is also only allowed with other children or if there are plenty of people already there)
shops (running errands for me so I have a good idea of how long he will be)
my parents (by prior arrangement and we ring each other to say he's set off and arrived).

Then my 6 yo joined in- she's only allowed to the park with a group of older children (she's not usually allowed just with her brother as he has 'forgotten' her before) so even less reason for her to have one.

They hadn't realised you need to pay to top up a phone. Then they decided they just wanted one to play games and hear music, so it was pointed out that they have between them a PS2, 2xDS a wii and an MP3 player.

They then shut up (for now anyway!)

aliasojo

Lol....you've only delayed the inevitable. Good luck.

(I'm hoping to delay for 2 years or so........:rotfl:)

Savvy_Sue

I am really impressed, however, at the way you've been able to have a discussion about 'needs' rather than 'wants'. Keep it up, it is FAR easier when they are 9 than it is when they are 13. And don't even try once they hit 17, just say "yes when you pay for it yourself."

And it is never too young to start them on logical justification.

leylie

Our tack was ...we'll buy you one when WE think it's necessary OR you can buy it yourself from your birthday savings/pocket money, and we would help them find a good deal, and yes, they would be responsible for all of the top ups too.
We've always had the attitude 'your pocket money, you choose how to spend it' (with the occasional influence of course!;)), so if they felt they wanted to spend their pocket money on phone top ups instead of sweets, that was up to them.

Not surprisingly, they waited, and eventually got phones as a birthday present. The only time I've paid for a top up was when they went abroad on a school trip for a week.

jamespir

children dont need phones i was 15 when i got mine it really annoys me to see young girls with mega expensive phones

they dont need it yes i think when they turn 14 and theryre out a lot more on school activities and doing there paper round then they need to let you know where they are


but what does a 5-7 yr old need with a mobile !!!!!! :mad:
my childs 5 and he doesent leave my sight come on parents grow up and show some responsibility

tsstss7

miserly_mum wrote: »

I'd let her have it but not put any credit in it.

My boys are 12 and 9 and they each have an old phone of mine and OH's that I ring them on if they have to come in for dinner etc. This has worked well for us for the last couple of years as it saves a lot of stress having to ring round the neighbours houses or going to look for them when they are out playing. We also know where they are at all times and they get to flash a mobile from time to time.

Occasionally they put a fiver in them if they get any money but they'd prefer to waste my money on daft texts and prank calls to their mates than waste their own so it doesn't happen often. Also as they are old phones it's not the end of the world if they drop or lose them

This is pretty much what I did with my son on his last birthday we got him a cheapish "practice" phone and put a tenner credit on it and that was it - needless to say he didn't spend too much of his own money on top ups and he never uses it now....