Choosing right mobile phone for my children

MERFE

I often don't bother taking my phone with me unless I think I am going to need it which is rare. My daughter starts secondary this year, I have thought about a mobile for her because of the bus journey but I cant actually see any good reason for it tbh so doubt I will bother just yet. I am not so dead against them, just still feels a bit young to need one, maybe closer to 13/14. Phones do make kids targets as well, my cousin was robbed 3 times for his phone on his journey home from school, this is one reason mine would only have basic phones if they did get them.

pickledonionspaceraider

Kids have zero freedom these days, as parent are helicoptering hysterically and instilling the end of the world is nigh should we not be able to contact you on the 20 minute walk home from school

I would have hated that as a teenager and would have pretty quickly ditched the phone and I am sure there would be many others that would resent having the feeling of being monitored and checked up on

Spendless

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

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.

They might have been afraid she'd just texted their registration number to someone, or rang the police. I doubt they were near enough to know she was ringing her mother.

As an adult I was asked to get into a car by someone pretending to be a taxi cab. I knew he wasn't and told him so and that I had memorised their reg and had every intention of reporting them. He pleaded with me not to. I was on the opposite side of a wide street to him, so he couldn't have just grabbed me.

A teen might not think to do/say any of this. In hindsight I can't believe I stood and argued with someone who was potentially trying to abduct me, but ring the emergency services or text the number of who has approached you, so they are traceable and yes you might just frighten someone off.

peachyprice

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

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.

The girl rang her mum, the men in the vehicle didn't know who she was ringing did they. She could have been ringing the police, she could have been taking photos of them, she could have been taking photos of their car reg, but she was a frightened girl and the first thing she thought to do was ring her mum. At least she had that option, BECAUSE SHE HAD A PHONE. That isn't advice, it's what she did.

Back in the day there were phone boxes on every corner and we always had 2p/5p/10p in our pocket for an emergency. Now we have mobile phones, why would anyone think denying a child a phone is a good idea when there a very few phone boxes, many of which don't even take coins?

peachyprice

missbiggles1 wrote: »

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

How on earth did we live our lives without cars, how on earth did we live our lives without computers, how on earth did we live our lives without energy?

Rather a simplistic view don't you think? Times change, technology changes, it's there to use so why wouldn't we use it?

peachyprice

Mupette wrote: »

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

Erm, wasn't it you who started with the name calling? Yes, I believe it was.

peachyprice

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

Kids have zero freedom these days, as parent are helicoptering hysterically and instilling the end of the world is nigh should we not be able to contact you on the 20 minute walk home from school

And yet, above it was suggested that I take my daughter to and from school rather than let her have a phone with the freedom that allows. Can you see the irony?

missbiggles1

peachyprice wrote: »

How on earth did we live our lives without cars, how on earth did we live our lives without computers, how on earth did we live our lives without energy?

Rather a simplistic view don't you think? Times change, technology changes, it's there to use so why wouldn't we use it?

Technology often makes our lives easier but it's always good to remember that it isn't essential, otherwise we become too reliant on it and we forget that it's there to serve us rather than the other way round.

missbiggles1

peachyprice wrote: »

And yet, above it was suggested that I take my daughter to and from school rather than let her have a phone with the freedom that allows. Can you see the irony?

No, because having a phone isn't essential to her going to school on her own, except, perhaps, in your mind.

FBaby

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

My kids have asked me that! I said I had to be much better organised and prepared for situations when things might not go to plan, so even though I survived, life with mobile phones is sooooo much easier.

I am certainly not a helicopter mum, always encouraged my kids to be independent and indeed, they travelled on their own in public transport by the time they were 9/10, but being independent doesn't mean not making the best of very convenient modern means.

Once again, if it's good enough for the older generation who lived their full life without mobile, why should the young generation not do the same?