Who Buys Their Kid A Smart Phone?

[TisMyDroid]

And darn, my kids still aren't perfect. You'd think they would be after all I did raising them.

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[FoxKat]

It's the peer-pressure. I know a dad who gave his 6-year old his old iPhone, and she plays Angry Birds on it. Many other 1st graders there pressure their parents for something similar now. These small kids know why an old iPhone is much better than a new flip phone. Lol.

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Not saying you are wrong, quite the contrary...but anyone that let's peer group pressure from a class of kindergartners decide for them whether their own 6 year old gets a phone that retailed for $699 just a year ago, so they can play angry birds imho needs to re-evaluate their own parenting skills.

Teaching a child at that age (or any age for that matter), that peer group pressure should be caved into and allowed to dictate their fate is setting them up for a life of inferiority complexes, depression and misery trying to "fit in", rather than promoting individuality, self-confidence and self-worth.

This is flirting with disaster IMHO.

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[FoxKat]

I gave my old OG D to my little guy as something to play games on. It doesn't have service on it, but he can connect to our wifi. He does a good job asking before getting online. He usually only wants online to play a few of his games.

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My son of 9 is in the same boat. He's got my D2, but only while at home or while out on family excursions. It has no phone service, but I do allow wifi, again, just to try new games or update existing games.

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[TisMyDroid]

I gave my old OG D to my little guy as something to play games on. It doesn't have service on it, but he can connect to our wifi. He does a good job asking before getting online. He usually only wants online to play a few of his games.

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Exactly, imo that is a perfect way to start teaching your child internet safety and limits...where it can be discussed and supervised.

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[ukyfan]

He knows that he can't play with it without asking & without one of us. I did set up a Gmail account so he could download his own games (free & ones that I approved). Plus he likes to email us from his own account.

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[FoxKat]

He knows that he can't play with it without asking & without one of us. I did set up a Gmail account so he could download his own games (free & ones that I approved). Plus he likes to email us from his own account.

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Interesting...I set up my own gmail account (same one as on my MAXX) on my son's so I can see what he's downloading right on my own apps list, I can test them myself, and could if need be, make immediate "adjustments".

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[ukyfan]

I have his account on my phone as well. I made sure he knows that I can check his account anytime I want.

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[LoudRam]

i agree...teenagers are still learning and it is our job to protect them. They may be very trustworthy but the rest of the world is not. the information that kids make public on fb is candy for the pedophile looking for his next victim. You don't only have to know what your kids are sending out but know what they are receiving. My kids were trustworthy also but over the internet, the only privacy they got was. ..none! No laptops, pc in kitchen to be used only during certain hours. This was not because i did not trust them but to protect them and teach them. My job of teaching them did not magically stop when they reached 13 or 18 but was a process in accordance to what they did and were exposed to. How can i know what guidance to give them if i have no idea what they are doing. Fortunately, my kids trusted me with that job and understood that some privileges they would not get until they were on their own. Believe me, they were not perfect and they gave me plenty of opportunities for teachable moments but i would've never had those if i just let them do whatever and have whatever they wanted without any supervision.

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Absolutely!!!

 

[FoxKat]

I have his account on my phone as well. I made sure he knows that I can check his account anytime I want.

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Ahh...so that's how you did it. I hadn't thought about that. There's more than one way to solve most problems.

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[TisMyDroid]

I have his account on my phone as well. I made sure he knows that I can check his account anytime I want.

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Ahh...so that's how you did it. I hadn't thought about that. There's more than one way to solve most problems.

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Wow, not sure if I would have thought of either of those excellent ideas...had it been a time where my kids were wanting a smartphone. They are all older 20 now, so hopefully what I've taught them and the choices they make will carry them through. But if they were younger, there is so much that parents can learn from this thread. How to protect your kids from the www and how to teach them what is safe and what is not and being able to supervise them and step in when necessary.

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[TisMyDroid]

Oops

 

[JRParsons]

Would an ipod touch 4th generation be considered a smartphone (obviously without the phone), if so, my 9 year old has had one for two years. I don't feel like a bad parent. She texts from it with her friends and cousins and occasionally me. She wants an iphone, I told her maybe next year. Of course she doesn't "need" a smart phone, but she has gone two years without incident with a very expensive ipod. (not lost, wet, or broken) she has a laptop she uses for school, so if she wanted to look at prohibited stuff she could easily enough.
That being said, she is a much better and mature kid than I was at her age. If I had all of this stuff I would have abused it. You all know your kids. They are all different. You can give some kids a wiffle ball bat and they are going get a good game going, others are going to loose the ball and beat the neighbor's cat with the bat. I was the latter, but luckily my daughter's the former.

 

[FoxKat]

Would an ipod touch 4th generation be considered a smartphone (obviously without the phone), if so, my 9 year old has had one for two years. I don't feel like a bad parent. She texts from it with her friends and cousins and occasionally me. She wants an iphone, I told her maybe next year. Of course she doesn't "need" a smart phone, but she has gone two years without incident with a very expensive ipod. (not lost, wet, or broken) she has a laptop she uses for school, so if she wanted to look at prohibited stuff she could easily enough.
That being said, she is a much better and mature kid than I was at her age. If I had all of this stuff I would have abused it. You all know your kids. They are all different. You can give some kids a wiffle ball bat and they are going get a good game going, others are going to loose the ball and beat the neighbor's cat with the bat. I was the latter, but luckily my daughter's the former.

No, its a music player, not a phone...although it can do many things the phone can do. Still, I said if the parents let the child's peer group pressure make the decisions for them...those might need to re-think things. I don't place what you describe in the same category.

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[Caesars]

Could debate each side of this point for the rest of eternity lol

 

[FoxKat]

Word...

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