Broke down and gave DC a phone

[CinderElsa]

Debt collector? Darn cat? District of Columbia? Dairy cow?

I'm sure OP is udderly disappointed at the lack of pats on the back for what they clearly consider to be the right moove when parenting a teenage DC.

 

[jrmasm]

What does late model have to do with anything? As far as reliable, it is more the network than the phone anyway. I have an iPhone 3S and the call quality on DC's phone is far easier to understand. As far as we are concerned DC does not need DATA while working, the phone is just that a communication device. I guess I don't understand this part. We made a two year compromise as a bit of a hand-up/jump start. DC will have to eventually paying the cell phone bill. We are trying to do our part to break the entitlement generation. My housekeeper has twin HS Sophomores who just turned 16. She was telling me about their friend's new cars. One of them is getting a 2015 Lexus and another a 2014 Lincoln Navigator. To me this is overkill in the name of "Safety: and reliability".

I think it's just as silly to NOT do something because everyone else is doing it as it is to do something because everyone else it doing it.

 

[HappyTogether]

Really - you pay a housekeeper but you're nickel/diming over getting your responsible child a cell phone??

Yes because we have EARNED enough to be able to afford one through hard work and sacrifice.

And why do you care what kind of car she gets her children. Because you choose to spend your money differently than she does dies not make you right and her wrong!

Never said SHE got her children those cars, I said her kid's friends. And I do think it is wrong to get a child such an extravagant type of first vehicle.

 

[NewRVLady]

Many of my kids friends had fab cars
Their parents were wealthy


My middle class neighbor has a new once a week housekeeper who drives a Hummer
I think it's hysterical

 

[Poohforyou]

What does late model have to do with anything? As far as reliable, it is more the network than the phone anyway. I have an iPhone 3S and the call quality on DC's phone is far easier to understand. As far as we are concerned DC does not need DATA while working, the phone is just that a communication device.
I guess I don't understand this part. We made a two year compromise as a bit of a hand-up/jump start. DC will have to eventually paying the cell phone bill.

We are trying to do our part to break the entitlement generation. My housekeeper has twin HS Sophomores who just turned 16. She was telling me about their friend's new cars. One of them is getting a 2015 Lexus and another a 2014 Lincoln Navigator. To me this is overkill in the name of "Safety: and reliability".

Wait, you have a housekeeper but are balking at paying for a phone for your kid?

 

[K and K's Mommy]

If a child is responsible enough to babysit, they should be deemed responsible enough for a cell phone, imho. It says a lot if a parent doesn't think they can handle a cell phone. And, I wouldn't send my child out without his cell. He's used it to get rescued a few times.

My DD 12 started babysitting this summer. She is as responsible as they come (and I have a 15 year old who is not, so I know the difference), but we don't do phones until 13. It is more about, in our opinion, phones are for teenagers. When she babysits a family without a landline, I send my phone with her. Our middle school is really good about letting kids use phones if after school plans change, and coaches and club sponsors are not allowed to leave until all kids have been picked up. She doesn't need one, but yes, she wants one!!

 

[Laura66]

Yes because we have EARNED enough to be able to afford one through hard work and sacrifice.


Never said SHE got her children those cars, I said her kid's friends. And I do think it is wrong to get a child such an extravagant type of first vehicle.

Hey-we have had a housekeeper too. So it's okay for you to have a housekeeper because of hard work and sacrifice?
Okay - my bad for misreading your post. But you're still being pretty judgemental on how other people spend their money! Some of my kids friends drive cars more expensive than mine. Never crossed my mind to judge or care. If their parents "work hard and sacrifice" what makes it wrong for them to buy the kind of car they like for their kids????

 

[Pixiedustaway]

Yes because we have EARNED enough to be able to afford one through hard work and sacrifice.


Never said SHE got her children those cars, I said her kid's friends. And I do think it is wrong to get a child such an extravagant type of first vehicle.

Maybe they EARNED it thru hard word and sacrifice. Either way, it's none of your business who buys what for who.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I'm stuck on DC passed a soccer referee course/class How old is DC ? I'm thinking an older teen ?

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I'm stuck on DC passed a soccer referee course/class How old is DC ? I'm thinking an older teen ?

The 2 year agreement she mentioned makes me think probably about 16.

 

[Hrhpd]

My DD 12 started babysitting this summer. She is as responsible as they come (and I have a 15 year old who is not, so I know the difference), but we don't do phones until 13. It is more about, in our opinion, phones are for teenagers. When she babysits a family without a landline, I send my phone with her. Our middle school is really good about letting kids use phones if after school plans change, and coaches and club sponsors are not allowed to leave until all kids have been picked up. She doesn't need one, but yes, she wants one!!

Just curious - if there is a problem at one of her practices or clubs and you need to be called to come pick up early, how does your daughter get in touch with you?

Do you tell her to use the coach's phone or the club sponsor's phone? Or even a teammate's phone?

Because that is not cool.

If you are expecting others to provide phone service to your child when things happen unexpectedly, then your child needs their own phone.

We had a kid on one of our teams with parents that have the same kind of rules, but I think theirs was when they drive.

Yet, every time practice was canceled early due to weather (there are no pay phones at the field) or something similar, the child was running around asking to borrow somebody's phone to call their parents.

I know parents that told their children that this particular child was NOT allowed to borrow their phone because they were extremely annoyed that the child needed one, but the parents were ok with mooching until their "values" kicked in.

Even the coaches warned the parents that their cell phones might not always be available for use and that the parent either needed to stay at practice the whole time, or if they chose to drop off, the child needed their OWN way to contact their parent if something happened.

Parents made a choice to not equip their child with a telephone, but there were consequences to those choices. The parent needed to stay at the practice, could not just drop off to be readily available if something changed.

So, I hope that you have something worked out so that you don't have to eat up minutes that somebody else may be paying for.

For instance, we have very limited cell to landline minutes (unlimited everything else including data.) Thus, we reserve the cell to landline minutes on off chance our children can't reach us on our cells ad have to call one of our work places which is a landline. We cannot allow other children to call landlines, whether a home one or a work one, no matter how much we feel for the child. But I am not going to pay for extra minutes just because some other parent has some value drawn in the sand.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Oh please! I chaperone many things with kids of ages where they may have a phone or not. When I agree to be in charge if them, I'm responsible for them. Unless we make a cell phone a criteria for participating, it is perfectly cool for the adult in charge to either wait for the parent when they are early OR to figure out a way to contact the parent. That is the burden of the chaperone for not sticking to the original schedule. In fact, for some events--we prohibit electronics including phones. Adults have them for emergencies. No need for any of the children to have them all the time.


ETA: and no my children don't specifically have a phone. We have not had a need. I am simply commenting from the POV of the chaperone who may be in the situation you describe.

Just curious - if there is a problem at one of her practices or clubs and you need to be called to come pick up early, how does your daughter get in touch with you?

Do you tell her to use the coach's phone or the club sponsor's phone? Or even a teammate's phone?

Because that is not cool.

If you are expecting others to provide phone service to your child when things happen unexpectedly, then your child needs their own phone.

We had a kid on one of our teams with parents that have the same kind of rules, but I think theirs was when they drive.

Yet, every time practice was canceled early due to weather (there are no pay phones at the field) or something similar, the child was running around asking to borrow somebody's phone to call their parents.

I know parents that told their children that this particular child was NOT allowed to borrow their phone because they were extremely annoyed that the child needed one, but the parents were ok with mooching until their "values" kicked in.

Even the coaches warned the parents that their cell phones might not always be available for use and that the parent either needed to stay at practice the whole time, or if they chose to drop off, the child needed their OWN way to contact their parent if something happened.

Parents made a choice to not equip their child with a telephone, but there were consequences to those choices. The parent needed to stay at the practice, could not just drop off to be readily available if something changed.

So, I hope that you have something worked out so that you don't have to eat up minutes that somebody else may be paying for.

For instance, we have very limited cell to landline minutes (unlimited everything else including data.) Thus, we reserve the cell to landline minutes on off chance our children can't reach us on our cells ad have to call one of our work places which is a landline. We cannot allow other children to call landlines, whether a home one or a work one, no matter how much we feel for the child. But I am not going to pay for extra minutes just because some other parent has some value drawn in the sand.

 

[Laura66]

Just curious - if there is a problem at one of her practices or clubs and you need to be called to come pick up early, how does your daughter get in touch with you?

Do you tell her to use the coach's phone or the club sponsor's phone? Or even a teammate's phone?

Because that is not cool.

If you are expecting others to provide phone service to your child when things happen unexpectedly, then your child needs their own phone.

We had a kid on one of our teams with parents that have the same kind of rules, but I think theirs was when they drive.

Yet, every time practice was canceled early due to weather (there are no pay phones at the field) or something similar, the child was running around asking to borrow somebody's phone to call their parents.

I know parents that told their children that this particular child was NOT allowed to borrow their phone because they were extremely annoyed that the child needed one, but the parents were ok with mooching until their "values" kicked in.

Even the coaches warned the parents that their cell phones might not always be available for use and that the parent either needed to stay at practice the whole time, or if they chose to drop off, the child needed their OWN way to contact their parent if something happened.

Parents made a choice to not equip their child with a telephone, but there were consequences to those choices. The parent needed to stay at the practice, could not just drop off to be readily available if something changed.

So, I hope that you have something worked out so that you don't have to eat up minutes that somebody else may be paying for.

For instance, we have very limited cell to landline minutes (unlimited everything else including data.) Thus, we reserve the cell to landline minutes on off chance our children can't reach us on our cells ad have to call one of our work places which is a landline. We cannot allow other children to call landlines, whether a home one or a work one, no matter how much we feel for the child. But I am not going to pay for extra minutes just because some other parent has some value drawn in the sand.

Oh so well said! Youngest has a few friends who's parents values haven't kicked in either. All my friends have instructed their kids not to allow those kids to use their kids phones and won't let them use theirs. Mean? Maybe. But you draw a line in the sand and pass judgement - that's what they get.
Heck! Ive been to disney where stranger kids have asked to use our family's cell phones. When I ask why - it's I'm not allowed to have a phone or it's too expensive. Ummmm . . . . No thanks!

 

[Hrhpd]

me, too...

Otherwise I wouldn't open this up because the OP likes to

The OP lost me when they used an old urban legend about IBM hiring practices as something they do regularly in their job searches.

I very, very seriously doubt his housekeeper's friends' kids are driving 2015 Lexus's and Navigators. Sounds more like a fast food burger from BK than something really happening.

As for what the original post intended to convey,

 

[Luvchefmic]

The OP lost me when they used an old urban legend about IBM hiring practices as something they do regularly in their job searches.

I very, very seriously doubt his housekeeper's friends' kids are driving 2015 Lexus's and Navigators. Sounds more like a fast food burger from BK than something really happening.

As for what the original post intended to convey,

Oh hell that's where the OP sounded familiar to me from. I'm out of here I have better things to do on a Sat evening then play this game any further.

 

[Hrhpd]

Oh please! I chaperone many things with kids of ages where they may have a phone or not. When I agree to be in charge if them, I'm responsible for them. Unless we make a cell phone a criteria for participating, it is perfectly cool for the adult in charge to either wait for the parent when they are early OR to figure out a way to contact the parent. That is the burden of the chaperone for not sticking to the original schedule. In fact, for some events--we prohibit electronics including phones. Adults have them for emergencies. No need for any of the children to have them all the time.

Maybe it is "regional." But most of our sports do require a way to contact parents by the child. Most of the sports we have participated in have actually had the clause that if you choose to drop off and not stay at practice, your child needs a way to contact you. It could be a phone, an iPod to text, but some way to contact the parent. Almost every parent agreement I have signed has a point that states there are no pay phones available and if you drop off, your child needs a way to contact you.

For instance, our swim team practices are often called early due to lightning. There is no cell phone at the pool nor are the children ever allowed to use the pool office phone, (town rule, not team rule.) There are 8 coaches and 190 kids. They cannot possibly allow all those kids to use their phones. And with limited shelter to protect all those children, just two small locker rooms, it would not be safe to wait out the storm until parents show up when practice normally ends.

Our schools close the office doors at 4pm and NO child is allowed to use the phones after hours, even for school sanctioned sports.

I still think it completely rude for a parent to draw a line in the sand and say "my child can't have a phone until x" but then expect others to provide communication methods for that same child.

IF the parents have their own plan, it is pennies to add another line to the majority of plans. There is no excuse for children to be left stuck without the means to communicate with their parents in today's world.

Emergencies happen and that is usually taken care of as it is completely understandable. But it is usually the same kids that are always begging to constantly use a phone because their parents won't let them have one that starts to get annoying. If your child needs to use somebody else's phone more than a couple of times, you need to buy one for your child.

In the dinosaur days, our parents put a quarter into our pockets because there were pay phones on every corner. Now cell phones are those quarters.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm stuck on DC passed a soccer referee course/class How old is DC ? I'm thinking an older teen ?

Around here you can take the class at 13 I think. Maybe 12.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using DISBoards

 

[HappyTogether]

I'm stuck on DC passed a soccer referee course/class How old is DC ? I'm thinking an older teen ?

There is no minimum age for an R9 soccer ref badge, but our state requires kids to be at least 11 before taking the class. We have fronted the money for the class as well as the ref kit, timer watch and shoes, but DC will have to pay us back for all of it.

 

[HappyTogether]

Maybe they EARNED it thru hard word and sacrifice. Either way, it's none of your business who buys what for who.

The kids EARNED A Lexus? Ok. And there are people judging that a kid HAD to have data so it is perfectly acceptable for me to have an opinion on what kind of car another parent buys their child.

 

[Laura66]

There is no minimum age for an R9 soccer ref badge, but our state requires kids to be at least 11 before taking the class. We have fronted the money for the class as well as the ref kit, timer watch and shoes, but DC will have to pay us back for all of it.

I'm honestly baffled by this. You say it like you're the only one who ever "worked hard and sacrificed" to justify the luxuries you enjoy - like a housekeeper. Yet you judge how other people spend their money.

And as a parent I really don't understand why on earth your child would have to pay you back for all of those things????? I really don't.