Cell Phones

[ajasfolks2]

Our family has stayed with very limited cellphone for our 15 year-old (now a freshman) and our 12 1/2 year old (6th grade).

We want son to have phone that has decent text capability for communication with parents AND ease of use for emergency.

What we don't want is an electric Internet surfing device . . . or at least limited there.

This is (so far) a very responsible teen.

Right now he has a simple "flip phone" and would only text us in dire emergency  (we pay per text -- it is bare bones cell phone).

He is now doing some traveling with school for sports, and other stuff.

Time to have a better phone, but something that is not an electronic HOG of his life.

Suggestions?

We will be limited as to carrier -- likely will have to use Verizon due to coverage issues in our area.

~ ~ ~

As to almost-13 daughter.  Forget it.  She can live with her uncool flip phone and zero Internet until her level of maturity significantly increases.     I'm such a mean mom.

Thanks

[Mookie86]

I have LG Octane.  I got it a few years ago, so I don't know how hard it would be to find it now.  It is a basic phone, not a smartphone, so you don't need a data plan.  It's got a nice keyboard for texting.  I had Verizon shut off the internet on it when I accidentally turned it on a couple of times and accrued some charges. 

[CMdeux]

Yeah-- go into your local phone place, take a look at a few, have HIM place hands on a few-- you want a feature phone with a keyboard.  DD had one of those until quite recently.

Well, I mean-- she still DOES have it, but has upgraded to a smartphone for college.

I'd do unlimited text-- it's not that expensive to do that now, and that way he won't be thinking about LIMITING his texting to you-- believe me, this comes in handy as they go out alone in the world. 

DD's previous phone was an LG that had a slide-out keyboard.  Touchscreen, yes-- but it wasn't a data-enabled critter, really...

It was an Extravert:

http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-VN271-extravert

It's been a great phone.   

[Macabre]

I'm no model. DS has had a smart phone for a years. We're an electronic family. No land line. We use very few phone minutes.

However, I'll make the case for any high schooler with FAs to have a smart phone. The ability to look up information about restaurants and food just like his mom does when he doesn't have his mom around has been invaluable.

The ability to have apps like Find My Friends let's us see where each other is.

There's so much more I could add but don't have time now. But if he has shown responsibility, there are few reasons to not give some trust in kind. You can still park the phone at night (but we all use our phones for alarm clocks--better for my migraine prone head).

[PurpleCat]

Our choice for DD was a Samsung phone with a slide out keyboard.  It is not a smart phone.  I think the cost was $45.00 but free with the plan and it came in fun colors.  She has unlimited texting.

It's worked out great.  The reason she has unlimited texting is to cover all the incoming texts from her friends.  She can control what goes out but not what comes in.

She'd like a smart phone but does not need it and I don't need the bill.   

All electronics in our house are downstairs at bedtime. 

[rebekahc]

Sorry, but I agree with Mac.  I use my smart phone all the time to look up restaurants before heading there with friends or to search out safe restaurants in the area when everyone says let's go eat, etc.  I've seen DS (17) and DD (15) do the same with theirs.  DS pretty much uses his as a phone with benefits, but for DD it's an important social tool.  She takes lots of pictures with her friends, etc.  For us, we haven't had any problems with the kids burying their noses in their phones when it's inappropriate. 

Plus, I have unlimited data but they don't.  They each have a limited amount of data and we get alerts when they reach 60% of their monthly allotment.  Neither wants to pay for extra data, so they are responsible.  If they need to go over their data limit, they can (and have) called and gotten parental approval.  There's nothing quite like a call that starts out... "Mom, I'm pretty sure I'll be going over my data limit.  I'll pay you back.  I'm about to send my phone into space." 

[momma2boys]

I'm with Mac and Rebekah, if you're upgrading just get a good phone with data. My kids have had it for years and do not abuse it.

[maeve]

We're a smartphone family. We all have iPhones, and it's been very helpful.

[YouKnowWho]

We aren't there yet but DS1 will likely have a phone with data because of his food allergies.  He knows I use it while shopping and prior to eating out.  I am not worried about him in respects to going crazy - he is a good kid.

DS2 is another story