Sunday, March 04, 2007
What could be SO important that ...
I cringed when I heard that Disney is putting out a cell phone product that is geared toward little kids. My initial reaction: SERIOUSLY?!?!?! You have GOT to be kidding me.
My second reaction: SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!!? You have GOT to be kidding me ... what do they need a cell phone for?
I envision my kids carrying around a phone for whatever purpose it is that we have deemed it so important to put that phone in their hands. Here's how the phone conversations would go:
Queen Bee: (as a man answers the phone of a friend she is calling) Billy doesn't have a dad ... and shoves the phone in my direction.
The Door Man: Huh? What? Yeah. Ok. Bye.
The Monkey: I like lip gloss... you know what? I have lip gloss on. It's pink. It's pretty. Do you have lip gloss?
Because really ... my kids don't have the social skills to talk on a NORMAL phone, let alone a cell phone.
Ok...here's where I go all grandma on ya ... when I was growing up, we certainly didn't have cell phones. Our mode of communication was playing in an area where you could still hear your mother beckoning you home for dinner.
Do I think that kids should have cell phones? Absolutely not. Cell phones are rites of passage. They should receive them when THEY can pay for the bill.
All right ... I am editing to add this commentary: if there are DIRE circumstances that a child needs a phone, then so be it. And of course, it is every parent's choice to place that phone in their child's possession. But just to have a phone ... to have a phone ... well, that is different.
Ooops... gotta go. My cell phone is ringing.
Labels: cell phones and kids, the Mom Blogs
posted by Knitting Maniac at 6:38 AM
I'm a mom of three peeps ... Queen Bee, The Door Man, and the Chandelier Monkey, and wife to Ace, the Helpful Hardware Man. I created this space to get away from the people known as my inlaws, and because life with three kids and a hubby is all Unexplored Territory.
The nine-year-old who seems to be growing older every minute, has an opinion and a comment for everything, and has a true servant's heart.
The seven-year-old who loves the organization of things, will someday be someone's therapist because of his kind soul, and will more than likely be living with us until he is 40 years old.
The five-year-old with the 13-year-old attitude, who has a dictator's personality, asks you to watch her all the time and say "hold on" to keep your attention, and will someday come home on the back of some dude's motorcycle with 10 tatts and a body piercing or two.
The man of the house, the fixer of things, the winner of prizes, and the only person in his family to escape the South.
Just in case you miss those Saturday morning cartoons
Friday's Feast # 4
Now don't get me wrong
I lied
Nothing too witty today
Wordless Wednesday
Speaking of mind games
Giving my kid a hard time
Good morning, Onemanbandwidth!
AppetizerWhere on your body do you have a scar, an...
7 Comments:
As you know, DT is 16 going on 21, and his *ahem* need for a cell phone is urgent...in his eyes anyway.
However, I am holding steadfast and refuse to allow him to have one, even a prepaid one. I'm of the belief that when he is supposed to be at someone's house and calls me to ask to go someplace else, that caller ID darn well better say he is where he's supposed to be.
But, I'm also a practical mom in the respect that I know that since cell phones are so easily attainable, public pay phones are quickly becoming a thing of the past. There aren't any in our little burg anymore. No longer can I hand him 50 cents and say, "Find a pay phone and call me if you need a ride".
So he does have use of a cell phone, my old one, that I give him when I feel there is a need for him to have it, just in case. It's big and bulky compared to my new phone and he hates carrying it, but oh well.
Oh, and I always tell him, "I know how many minutes are left on that," whenever he walks out the door with it in hand.
Besides, what could be a better congratulations-on-your-graduation-welcome-to-adulthood-gift than a brand-spanking-new cell phone and the bill to go with it.
*insert evil laugh here*
Love the new look!
My 15 year-old has one...I got it after hubby and I discussed it a LOT. She is involved in theatre at school and stays for rehearsals almost every day. I feel better knowing she can always call me. Granted, she and her friends "text" a lot...and one friend has the same carrier so they can talk for free...but it would be a problem for ME if she was always tying up the house phone.
Which brings me to middle monster...she is 11 and feels that since she is also involved in theatre, she should have one too. NOT!!! Talk about a blabber-mouth. I have finally trained her to answer the beeps for incoming calls. And besides, her theatre group is very carefully monitored by teachers. I have to sign her out, unlike the oldest.
We did have an issue with the oldest diva...I caught her on her phone at 1 am. I just stood there with my mouth open because she really is such a good kid and she knows better. She totally understood when I took the phone. Made life a little less convenient for a week.
Have to say, though, I really do like knowing I can always contact her...except when she puts the thing on vibrate in her purse! When my need for the instant gratification of hearing her voice is thus thwarted, I get a little cranky!
It would have to be the right circumstances especially since pay phones are harder and harder to find. I like the ides of cell phones that can only dial a select few numbers that way I can control who they can call. I plan on making them turn the phones into me when they get home (if we do get them cell phones) so I know they will not be up at all hours chatting with friends.
First of all, how in the world did you register your url at The Mom Blogs? I followed the link but I keep getting an error message. Maybe they just don't want me. :-(
Secondly, my daughter is not getting a cell phone until she's old enough to drive. Then I can see the importance of it. Until then . . . no way!
Oh yeah, don't even get me started on this topic. I informed Carly that I will be the mean mom. Some of her friends already have phones..NO WAY! I said the same thing..conversation would be as follows:
"Hey what you watching?, me too...
(long quiet stretch)
"What is your favorite color..."
(another long quiet stretch..)
NO no no!
My child will have one when she drives..not that it is safe then either, but I do feel necessary at that time.
I know how addicted I am, how totally distracting that can be..she doesn't need it!
We recently added a phone for the 13 year old onto our plan. She's busy and never home and it's comforting to know I can call her at all times and reach her.
It also gives her an easy way to reach us if she needs to. Recently, she was with some friends on a weekend and one of the moms didn't come on time to pick the girls up. She was able to easily call me so that I could come get her.
I think for little kids--nope. They're the best invention for teenagers, though.
Good thoughts, ladies! My three kids are still itty, and I'm wondering how we'll handle situations such as these in another 10 years. Plenty of food for thought here!
Post a Comment
<< Home