Kids with mobile phones in schools?
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Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
[broken link removed]
SHOCKING!
And some are doing it younger and younger!
[broken link removed]
SHOCKING!
Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
I think in many cases, the parent wants to be able to phone the child (and vice versa) outside of school hours. Many households these days have both parents out at work so kids are going to childminders, friends houses, relations etc., as opposed to going home to the traditional idea of Mum ready with a hot lunch. That said, there are certainly plenty of helicopter parents who want to be able to contact their kids at a moment's notice for any reason at all at any time of the day.
truthseeker
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Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
some friends of mine gave their 3.5 year old a mobile phone for xmas - it has two buttons, one calls mammy, one calls daddy.
it is supposedly 'in case of an emergency' - since when is a 3.5 year old qualified to make a judgement call on whats an emergency?
In my humble opinion a 3.5 year old shouldnt be out of sight anyway, they should be under watchful eye of parents, creche supervisor, babysitter etc... so i cannot see the need for a phone for the child!!!
some friends of mine gave their 3.5 year old a mobile phone for xmas - it has two buttons, one calls mammy, one calls daddy.
it is supposedly 'in case of an emergency' - since when is a 3.5 year old qualified to make a judgement call on whats an emergency?
In my humble opinion a 3.5 year old shouldnt be out of sight anyway, they should be under watchful eye of parents, creche supervisor, babysitter etc... so i cannot see the need for a phone for the child!!!
Z
z104
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How sad has our world become.
Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
This is the Firefly, my 9 year old has one. 3.5 is probably a bit extreme. I got it because when I was away overnight for work he became ill requiring hospitalisation soon after my return. I'd prefer if he was able to call me himself if he felt he wanted to. It also allows me to keep tabs when he's outside playing, although this is only really an issue in the summer months.
This is the Firefly, my 9 year old has one. 3.5 is probably a bit extreme. I got it because when I was away overnight for work he became ill requiring hospitalisation soon after my return. I'd prefer if he was able to call me himself if he felt he wanted to. It also allows me to keep tabs when he's outside playing, although this is only really an issue in the summer months.
Sylvester3
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I don't really think this is that much of an issue - as communication technologies becomes cheaper to buy and run it will be used in more common and mundane ways. I had an emergency 10p piece when I was a kid in case I missed the bus and had to make a phone call. The one time I remember it happening there was no phone box that I knew of where I was and I had to walk for an hour through unfamiliar streets to get to my aunts house. As you can imagine, it is these sorts of situations that these devices are made for.
Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
My kids (9,5 & 4) don't have phones. I don't see the need but I don't think it's a big deal either way.
What the hell is a "helicopter parent"?
My kids (9,5 & 4) don't have phones. I don't see the need but I don't think it's a big deal either way.
Sylvester3
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Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
I'm guessing it means those parents that hover over their kids at all times - i.e. overprotective. Thats just from reading the context though, so I looked it up on wiki.
And I'm right!
I'm guessing it means those parents that hover over their kids at all times - i.e. overprotective. Thats just from reading the context though, so I looked it up on wiki.
And I'm right!
truthseeker
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Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
Couple of questions on this: could he not call you from the house phone or the mobile of whatever adult was watching over him if he had to?
Do you not know where he is when he is outside - I used to have to call home to say where Id be every so often as a kid - so I couldnt go into someones home for example without telling mammy, and I wasnt allowed out of sight of the house til I was older.
Just wondering - Im not trying to imply you dont know where your child is - but I just wonder if a phone is actually necessary or just a handy option rather than physically go outside to see. I suppose Im also wondering how much more kids get away with if parental supervision is a voice on a phone rather than a physical presence.
Couple of questions on this: could he not call you from the house phone or the mobile of whatever adult was watching over him if he had to?
Do you not know where he is when he is outside - I used to have to call home to say where Id be every so often as a kid - so I couldnt go into someones home for example without telling mammy, and I wasnt allowed out of sight of the house til I was older.
Just wondering - Im not trying to imply you dont know where your child is - but I just wonder if a phone is actually necessary or just a handy option rather than physically go outside to see. I suppose Im also wondering how much more kids get away with if parental supervision is a voice on a phone rather than a physical presence.
Sylvester3
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Seriously? You can't imagine??
The expression does not mean that you have to agree with my illustration, or the point, just that it would be a situation that one can at least 'imagine' - as in understand.I guess you don't have children, I don't either, but I can 'imagine' that as a parent I would want them to have the option to contact me quickly in an emergency. I don't mind taking risks on my own behalf, but children are, lets face it, daft! Giving them a hotline to parental advice when they most need it isn't, IMHO, a bad idea.
Life is about risk taking to a point, sure, but using modern technology to keep in touch is also a part of life. We are in an interconnected world, and this is just another facet of our modern life that our children will likely understand better than ourselves.
Happy Girl
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My 13yr old got his first mobile phone for Christmas amid huge excitement and joy that the day at long last had come for him to get his own phone. It is extremely difficult for parents to pull against the flow sometimes and not to succumb to the pressure. When my son saw 7/8yr olds with mobiles he felt very hard done by. If we, as parents, had a little more confidence in our own parenting capabilities and confidence that going with our own instincts can be correct most of the time maybe we could say no without feeling huge guilt that our child is going to be the odd one out because we are saying no. I don't feel that I have scarred my son for life by not letting him have a phone up to this point and I also now feel that as it did not come too easily to him (meaning he has had to wait until now) that there is less likelihood of finding it down the back of the couch and that he will have a bit more respect for it.
truthseeker
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There is always going to be pressure on parents to keep up with the jones's one way or another, if its not mobile phones its going to be the next best thing.
Back to the original title of this thread, Happy Girl, will your 13 yr old be allowed to take the phone to school?
Back to the original title of this thread, Happy Girl, will your 13 yr old be allowed to take the phone to school?
Both my children got phones when they started secondary. By then anyway between birthday & christmas money they could have bought their own (and have done since).
As a lone parent working full-time, I found it very handy for the days when matches ran late, buses were missed, or they wanted to go to a friends house after school etc., etc.,
I wouldn't see much point before secondary school.
Yes life has changed for us and our children - not all of the changes are bad!
Oh just to add another answer to the previous question - yes they are allowed to have their phones in school; but must be turned off during class - if they are caught with the phone during lessons it's confiscated (which is fair enough).
When the mosquito ring-tone was popular they were using that and of course the teacher (being older) wouldn't be able to hear it; but to teens who can hear it, the noise is dreadful. Didn't take teachers long to spot all the turning heads and grimacing faces to locate the culprit!
As a lone parent working full-time, I found it very handy for the days when matches ran late, buses were missed, or they wanted to go to a friends house after school etc., etc.,
I wouldn't see much point before secondary school.
Yes life has changed for us and our children - not all of the changes are bad!
Oh just to add another answer to the previous question - yes they are allowed to have their phones in school; but must be turned off during class - if they are caught with the phone during lessons it's confiscated (which is fair enough).
When the mosquito ring-tone was popular they were using that and of course the teacher (being older) wouldn't be able to hear it; but to teens who can hear it, the noise is dreadful. Didn't take teachers long to spot all the turning heads and grimacing faces to locate the culprit!
Happy Girl
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School rules say that mobile phones are not allowed in the school whether turned on or off which I think is the correct thing to do and no my son will not have his phone at school. If a phone is found it is confiscated. This rule has worked to my advantage for the past number of year (and indeed will continue to do so for other parents now) insofar as he didn't feel the odd one out for not having a phone up to now.
truthseeker
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yes. i can understand the pressure of not wanting him to be the odd man out alright.
i agree that its great to be able to contact your kids whenever you want, but its also important to respect school rules etc too.
Re: Kids with mobile phones in schools????
It's just reassuring that he is able to call me when and if he needs to without needing permission from his minder. To be honest we don't even use it that much, it's just something that makes me happier. I posted here before I got it to find out what options there might be to keep tabs, and this was suggested.
Of course I know pretty much where he is when he's outside - he is allowed to play on teh green but it is quite a large area. And he of course checks into the house regularly when he's outside playing in the summertime, and isn't allowed into anyone's house. In the winter it's not even an issue, they are either at home or at an organised activity like sport.
At the same time, I'm a single parent, working fulltime and studying part time, and also trying to decorate a house on my own - we're not together as much as I'd like, there is only so much one person can do, and this is a little link for us.
edited to add: I don't think the school has a rule on phones, if they do I'm not aware of it. He does make sure it's switched off during the schoolday, and of course the beauty of the firefly is you control the calls in and out, so only family and his minder for example are allowed to call it and they know he is in school...
It's just reassuring that he is able to call me when and if he needs to without needing permission from his minder. To be honest we don't even use it that much, it's just something that makes me happier. I posted here before I got it to find out what options there might be to keep tabs, and this was suggested.
Of course I know pretty much where he is when he's outside - he is allowed to play on teh green but it is quite a large area. And he of course checks into the house regularly when he's outside playing in the summertime, and isn't allowed into anyone's house. In the winter it's not even an issue, they are either at home or at an organised activity like sport.
At the same time, I'm a single parent, working fulltime and studying part time, and also trying to decorate a house on my own - we're not together as much as I'd like, there is only so much one person can do, and this is a little link for us.
edited to add: I don't think the school has a rule on phones, if they do I'm not aware of it. He does make sure it's switched off during the schoolday, and of course the beauty of the firefly is you control the calls in and out, so only family and his minder for example are allowed to call it and they know he is in school...
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