teens and cell phones

[anniemae]

Do you let your teens have cell phones in their rooms overnight? If so, at what age did you let them have the phone all night? If you don't allow it, what time do they have to surrender the phone?

 

[CdnCarrie]

They have had free reign since they got them around age 12ish. Both got older iPhones.

 

[Southernmiss]

Our teens gave us no trouble. We never took their cell phones.

Their pediatrician did recommend all phones stay on the kitchen counter from 9 pm until morning.

But, we never took them- they used them as alarm clocks or listened to music to fall asleep.

 

[martikus]

No phones in bedroom. I have relented and let him have it until bedtime. He plugs it in downstairs before he heads to bed. I used to make him give it up a hour before bed.

he has an old fashioned alarm for clock. He’s 15 and a freshman. I plan to let him have it senior year in room to prepare for college.

nothing good happens after midnight. I attended a talk by a cyber crimes FBI agent when he was in 6th grade and he planned to let his kid have in room no earlier than 16.

according to my son I’m the only parent this strict

 

[Kae]

No phones in their rooms until 15ish. but they weren't smart phones. The charging station was in the kitchen & it was just easier in the mornings back them My DH & I didn't even have our phones in our room.

 

[Turn the Page]

DD 15 has hers in her room at night but that is about to change. We frequently hear her talking to friends at all hours and she often complains of having trouble sleeping, etc.

 

[disney castle days]

I'm 19 and have had my phone in my bedroom since I got it at maybe 11 or 12.

I have always used it as an alarm, so it was just easier. I would say I am fairly responsible, so I have never done anything bad. I would say the worst thing would be getting into the habit of watching movies to fall asleep.

I don't think it is anywhere near needed until they have a license for one reason. My friend who is a year older was drunk at a party when I was 17, she was 18. Being her only friend who she knew was sober (her parents wouldn't answer) she called me to come get her because something had happened. I know it seems like a rare thing, but it has happened to both me and my brother, as well as news of our friends being in accidents in the middle of the night. It sounds stupid until your kid has potentially saved another person's life. So just take that into consideration.

 

[WorldWacky]

My daughters had their phones in their rooms from the time they got them-5th grade. They plugged them in, set them on the dressers and went to bed. My son had to give his up by 9:00pm when he was younger because he didn’t have the self-control to set it aside and go to sleep. He’d be on it all night if I’d let him! He’s had it all night since HS. As a Junior, his sleep schedule is up to him. I’ll be sending him off to college soon, so he needs to figure it out. He uses an old fashioned alarm clock and his phone as his back-up.

 

[brockash]

Do you let your teens have cell phones in their rooms overnight? If so, at what age did you let them have the phone all night? If you don't allow it, what time do they have to surrender the phone?

Nope... I feel STRONGLY that they need to have a time un which they are not able to be connected to the internet. Having said that, they do keep it overnight if they spend the night somewhere etc.,but otherwise they have to give it to me by a certain time on school nights and weekends.

Once my oldest graduated high school we stopped the rule for him...he's going college, but still lives at home, yet keeps his phone.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

They didn’t until they were 16 and then yes, at that point they could keep them in their room if they were responsible about it.

 

[Kimkimba]

Yes, since 11/12. My youngest is 14 and knows she’ll be tired if she stays up on her phone so she doesn’t. It hasn’t been an issue.

 

[Lilsia]

Our girls really did not use their phones much as younger teens. When they were 16 or so, they started using them more but it was all benign stuff. Texting or calling friends, etc. If it would have become a problem, we would have had no issues taking it from them.

 

[kdonnel]

It never occurred to me that my kids should not have access to their phones at night.

 

[fly girl]

My daughter uses her phone to sleep with sleep sounds so we don’t take it away.

There’s no doubt she’s used it later than we’d like. But her grades are good and she gets up on time so we feel she’s responsible enough.

 

[Skippy918]

My son’s phone stays on the charger in the kitchen overnight. The battery is old so it has to stay plugged in. We cutoff all electronics at 8pm.

 

[Boopuff]

My DD learned the hard way when she left her phone on at night and the texts just kept coming. Next day she was exhausted. I told her to turn it off at bedtime. Kids need sleep and the constant vibrating, beeping, ringing just doesn't help.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My DD learned the hard way when she left her phone on at night and the texts just kept coming. Next day she was exhausted. I told her to turn it off at bedtime. Kids need sleep and the constant vibrating, beeping, ringing just doesn't help.

Exactly! This happened to my daughter. She likes her sleep. She shut it off.

 

[slo]

With both of my girls I had them charge their phones next to mine on the kitchen table until they were 16. At 16 both had a boyfriend and they would talk on the phone around 10:00pm while laying in bed, so I stopped enforcing the phone going on the kitchen table policy. Plus, I felt if they are old enough to drive then they are old enough to have their phone in their room at night.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Neither one of my daughters have had restrictions on their phones... Not saying it is good or bad, I didn't really have a vote in the matter.

 

[mrodgers]

Neither one of my daughters have had restrictions on their phones... Not saying it is good or bad, I didn't really have a vote in the matter.

Pretty much the same here. The youngest is about to graduate battling for the top in her class and has obtained nearly all of her $200k she needs for the school of her choosing on her own. The oldest works at my employment in a manufacturing plant while finishing her schooling. She works far away from me, I hardly ever see her or the people/department she works with. Any time I see someone running the production end, I am told she's the best $%^#% worker we have in the whole place. She's getting ready to finish school and be out on her own.

Them having their phones with them all the time didn't seem to hurt them in any way.