Choosing right mobile phone for my children

peachyprice

Mupette wrote: »

ok let me rephrase it.

Children don't need phones in school when they should be learning

Children don't spend the whole of the time they are out of the house in school learning, they have independent journeys to make, they have after school clubs, they spend time with friends on the way home.

There have been several attempts at abduction near my daughters school in the last year, my daughter goes to after school clubs several times a week and leaves school after the buses have stopped with a half hour walk home. No way would she be leaving school after everyone else without a phone. I don't leave the house without being contactable, why would it be acceptable for my daughter to?

But hey, I guess I could cut off her independence and drive her to and from school every day just so she doesn't need a phone.

seven-day-weekend

As already mentioned on here, many schools won't allow phones in the school anyway.

Having said that, I do understand why parents may want their child to have one, in case they need to contact in an emergency.

So, if it is only ever to be used for that purpose, why not just have a basic phone that they can stick in their pocket and their 'friends' don't even need to see it? They probably will hardly ever need to use it.

I'm not a great believer in just going along with the crowd, our children need to learn to be themselves, not just a clone of the herd.

Mupette

peachyprice wrote: »

Children don't spend the whole of the time they are out of the house in school learning, they have independent journeys to make, they have after school clubs, they spend time with friends on the way home.

There have been several attempts at abduction near my daughters school in the last year, my daughter goes to after school clubs several times a week and leaves school after the buses have stopped with a half hour walk home. No way would she be leaving school after everyone else without a phone. I don't leave the house without being contactable, why would it be acceptable for my daughter to?

But hey, I guess I could cut off her independence and drive her to and from school every day just so she doesn't need a phone.

or you can stop being a drama llama, if her safety is a concern then arrange to be there to transport if it makes you feel better.

Having a mobile will not stop an abduction

peachyprice

Mupette wrote: »

or you can stop being a drama llama, if her safety is a concern then arrange to be there to transport if it makes you feel better.

Having a mobile will not stop an abduction

Drama llama, hardly, just living in the 21st century, you should try it.

Anyway, not going to happen. I'm not going to take away her independence by ferrying her to and from school when I can let her have a phone to keep in touch if she feels worried.

Oh, as for the latest girl that was pursued by men in a car, they sped off when they saw her get her phone out to phone her mum, worked pretty well for her. If she hadn't had a phone what would you suggest she should have done?

Mupette

peachyprice wrote: »

Drama llama, hardly, just living in the 21st century, you should try it. I am so no need to tell me

Anyway, not going to happen. I'm not going to take away her independence by ferrying her to and from school when I can let her have a phone to keep in touch if she feels worried.

Oh, as for the latest girl that was pursued by men in a car, they sped off when they saw her get her phone out to phone her mum, worked pretty well for her. If she hadn't had a phone what would you suggest she should have done?

Why should i suggest anything, whatever i come up with you'll do the usual and rip it to shreds.

No one can predict what will happen, not even you, so no need to go for my jugular

onlyroz

I'm sorry but my smart phone is my single most useful possession and I think that in the modern world you would be doing your secondary-school aged kids a disservice by not allowing them to have one. My son now has my old phone (iPhone 4S) and I'm wondering if it's good enough for him - the screen is too dim to use outside and it's only 3G. I think I'll probably get him a better one for Christmas. I'd like him to have an iPhone SE but I'm baulking slightly at the cost.

pickledonionspaceraider

I think some people need to stop getting completely hysterical and embarrassing themselves

I think a few people on here need to stop passing this fear of the world on to their kids, because that is what you are doing you know.....if you are so argumentative and hysterical on HERE to a problem that hasn't even happened , I can only imagine how some react to real life issues.

pickledonionspaceraider

peachyprice wrote: »

Drama llama, hardly, just living in the 21st century, you should try it.

Anyway, not going to happen. I'm not going to take away her independence by ferrying her to and from school when I can let her have a phone to keep in touch if she feels worried.

Oh, as for the latest girl that was pursued by men in a car, they sped off when they saw her get her phone out to phone her mum, worked pretty well for her. If she hadn't had a phone what would you suggest she should have done?

What would we have done , as the older generation, ran..Ran into the nearest shop,,,or knocked the nearest door and asked to use the phone to ring the POLICE not our mum.. actively looked for assistance and been forced to think for ourselves..

If these guys were serious, as potential PEADOS, I doubt they would be afraid of someones mum on the end of the phone, seriously. These are people you think are peados, but you also think the power of thinking someones mum is on the phone is going to scare them?

Is this a joke, that the information given to kids, if to be stalked by a peado, is to ring their MUM??

In a real life situation, this is terrible advice.

FBaby

I just understand why people make such a big deal about owning something that is now part of everyone's life. If my mother in law at 86 can think that it is a great invention which she uses every day, I can't see how I would consider it inappropriate for my 13yo son.

Using it appropriately is another matter. DS knows that he is not to use it at school and has never done so, but that's no different to all the other rules he adheres to. He has become independent at a younger age than average and was using public transport to get to school at 9/10 yo, so it was common sense that he would have a phone to give him that extra comfort.

missbiggles1

peachyprice wrote: »

Children don't spend the whole of the time they are out of the house in school learning, they have independent journeys to make, they have after school clubs, they spend time with friends on the way home.

There have been several attempts at abduction near my daughters school in the last year, my daughter goes to after school clubs several times a week and leaves school after the buses have stopped with a half hour walk home. No way would she be leaving school after everyone else without a phone. I don't leave the house without being contactable, why would it be acceptable for my daughter to?

But hey, I guess I could cut off her independence and drive her to and from school every day just so she doesn't need a phone.

How on earth did you live your life before we had mobile phones?