Do your kids have cell phones or mp3 players?

miki

New member
If yes, how old are they? My son had a firefly cell phone a couple years ago but, I think those are nothing but, junk! The service was horrible and we have a horror story to back that up. Anyhoo, we have been considering a prepaid for my son in the near future for emergencies or calling family in CA only. We told him that he had to show more responsibility first before we bought him one. My son will be 11 this year, any suggestions on a good phone/plan? I have cingular/AT&T prepaid go phones for dh and I. The phone plans are perfect for us but, I think would be a waste for my son.

Another thing I was thinking about is, both of my kids are begging for MP3 players. I personally think a child is too young for one but, I have been considering a cheap $20-$30 unit for this upcoming christmas or birthdays. When did your child receive they're first mp3 player? DD will be 7 and DS will be 11. Again, I stressed more responsibility to them before I consider it further.
 
my daughter is 12 and she has had an ipod and a cell phone for year or so. My oldest boy is 11 and he has an mp3 player no phone. She has the ipod only becuase I won it. he just has the mp3 player because it isnt the most responsible child. I would give my 5 yr old a phone before I would my 11 yr old son. :laughing: I guess it all depends on the child. If your 7 yr old is responsible get her a not to expensive mp3 and see how she does with it. My daugher has a boost phone. Its perfect for her.
 
I have an 11 and 15 year old and they both have an ipod and a cell phone. They were given the warning up front and know that it is THEIR responsibility. The ipods are like gold to them. They got them because I won them. I certainly would not have been able to afford them otherwise. They get alot of use out of them. Trips to the dentist are much more pleasant when daughter number one has her ipod on! My youngest left her phone in her pocket and it got washed. Luckily it does finally work but the sound is still messed up on it and you know what- to bad. It's your, you didn't take care of it and momma isn't getting you a new one!!!!!!!!!!! It was free so no great loss but it sure does teach a great lesson.
 
My daughter is 10, she has an mp3 player cause I don't think she really needs an Ipod yet. No cell until she's in junior high
 
I won't allow my children to use cell phones. There's no reason for them to have one, and they can get one when they're adults and can pay for it themselves. I use the Fly Phones when it's needed. I really like them since they can only call us or 911. I don't want my kids with a cell phone stuck to their head 24/7 talking to friends. I've even seen kids use them in diners to call their friend at the other end of the table!! :scratch:

I will let them use MP3's and iPods on a limited basis, but only when they were teenagers.
 
My daughter is 12 (13 next month) and she has had an Ipod for a year...she doesnt have a cell phone but my mom was letting her use hers until this last month when she racked up an $1100 cell phone bill for my parents...also she was calling and getting text messages from guys that she had met on the internet...she has very limited internet access at home so I am assuming she met them while being on the internet at her friends house...so now she will probably never get a cell phone until she earns the money to pay my parents back for the huge bill!!!
 
Okay ~ I am the bad parent here ~ all three of mine have cellphones and all three have MP3 / Ipod players. Travis is 17 now and is gone so much that he really did need one. His real Dad bought his Ipod and he loads it with his own money that he gets from working.

Caitlyn and Ashelyn both got their cellphones for Christmas in 2006. It was really the only thing that either of them asked for. Caitlyn is now 14 and Ashelyn is 10 and I have to say that I am so pleased with the way that they have kept up with theirs! Neither one have ever left it anywhere or lost it ~ or washed it! We added them to our plan, so we pay monthly. Caitlyn went over her minutes one month and had to pay the difference and after that she has kept it in check! Thank goodness it was only $10.00!!

Both girls also have MP3 players that they have loaded from their cd's or from downloads that I have won. Unlike the iPod, you can load regular MP3 players from other sites than apple! (but I wouldn't trade my Ipod for ANYTHING!!) I bought mine out of the Trade/Sale thread on here and only paid $25.00 for them apiece ~ just in case anything happens to them, but they make a long trip wonderful!!
 
Thanks for the replies, it's good to see that there are some parents here who have given these items to younger kids and that I am not crazy for thinking about it.


ndgal3369- OMG that is one heck of a bill! I don't think I would ever let my child have another one either, that is just insane and scary about the texting/calls to the man. What is sad is, where is the friends parents? My kids rarely get to use the PC and when they do, I monitor everything they do.

I won that expensive mp3 player but, I don't want to give one that cost so much to a child yet. I might sell that one or give it to dh for a gift (he has my old one that only holds 45 songs and it was expensive when it came out! *shakes head* )and buy a couple cheaper mp3 players for them and use the other $$ for something else. I have a nano and LOVE it. Can you believe that someone tried to give me $100 for it the other day just because, I have a bunch of music on it? I have around 200 songs and 125 photo's on it, I also purchased chargers, a case and all that. Not only this, it's in my fav color too. (green). If he would have offered a little more I would have considered it but, then I would have whinned like a baby, LOL.
 
Oh and by the way-Ping- you are in no way "the bad parent" for allowing your children to have things that require responsibility. You are letting them get their feet wet and learning for themselves. How can they gain experience if we don't allow them to spread out a little every once in a while! I know cell phones and ipods aren't that big of a deal but your kids did gain a little "grown upedness" (you probably can't pronounce that unless you are from the south) from having these items! Good for you my friend!!! Your the good mom in my book.
 
I can pronounce it fine ~ my redneck is showing through ~ lol!!! Kentucky Island born and raised here!!!
 
Well my daughter is 4 so she has no cell or mp3 player. I don't even have an ipod. (Those things are too confusing, I gave it to my bro).

When I was 16, I was allowed to have a cell phone. I think truly, kids should get cellphones on there 16 bday when they start driving. Really thats only when you need cellphones. For emergencys. Unless your really rich, or have a really good cell phone plan.
 
My oldest has had her cell phone since she was 12. Think what you may and I'm sure some think that is to young but it works for us and that is really all that matters. She has been involved with the community theater for the past three years and it was as much for me as for her! We would always get schedule for cast practices but you know thoses artsy types! 9:00 pm doesn't always mean 9:00 pm. So with her having the phone - I have spent ALOT less time sitting in the parking lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To each his own! What works for you may not work for me! I'm pretty old school about some things but I'll give everything a try to make sure it works. If it doesn't we just back up and do it a different way! So far the phone is in good hands and you would think that the ipods were manna from heaven the way they treat them!
 
My oldest has had her cell phone since she was 12. Think what you may and I'm sure some think that is to young but it works for us and that is really all that matters. She has been involved with the community theater for the past three years and it was as much for me as for her! We would always get schedule for cast practices but you know thoses artsy types! 9:00 pm doesn't always mean 9:00 pm. So with her having the phone - I have spent ALOT less time sitting in the parking lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To each his own! What works for you may not work for me! I'm pretty old school about some things but I'll give everything a try to make sure it works. If it doesn't we just back up and do it a different way! So far the phone is in good hands and you would think that the ipods were manna from heaven the way they treat them!
Yea you do make a good point. Its been a long time. But in middle school I was in a lot of plays, and the practices were often really late. I could have used a cellphone then. But always used the pay phones. BTw they didn't have cellphones when I was that age, so I guess thats not a problem. They had beepers. lol anyone remeber those.
 
my kids didnt get their cellphones til they could pay for them themselves!Cheap WM pay as you go virgin mobile type. the youngest was 15 girls were 16 and driving they need one then for emergencies like flats and break downs etc
 
Yea you do make a good point. Its been a long time. But in middle school I was in a lot of plays, and the practices were often really late. I could have used a cellphone then. But always used the pay phones. BTw they didn't have cellphones when I was that age, so I guess thats not a problem. They had beepers. lol anyone remeber those.

Beepers, I remember those annoying little things :laughing: I didn't get my first cell phone until around 22 or so when they became more affordable (I think), before that I had the pagers. I seen a guy with a pager on his belt the other day and a cell phone on the other side, I was thinking "They still make those?! And why would he have both when you could just text or page on a cell phone now?". Maybe privacy or some other reason but, I found it odd and a waste of money to have both.
 
I know that most doctors still have beepers ~ at least around here!
 
I gave my 5 year old my older Sony MP3 player. She's had it for a few months.. I gave it to her when she was 4. She's done really well taking care of it. The only thing that has happened is my 3 year old son tore apart the ear buds because he wanted to listen too. I bought her a pair of regular earphones and she likes them better than the earbuds. She wants an ipod and I told her if she could take care of the Sony one for a year, then I'd get her one.

I think 11 is a good age for your son to have a cellphone as long as you think he is responsible. In a few years, I'm sure I'll buy my kids cell phones but I figure it won't be until they're 10 or 11.
 
Hello to all members i am new to the community

Hello to every body i am new to this online community, just wanted to say hello to all.

I am new to all this online world, so i will need some time to get used to how things are in this community, please give me some time to work out how things work.

I would like to wish you all the best.
Timothy
 
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