Average age of a child when they get their first cell phone

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

8 years old.

Expected to drop to 5 years old some time in 2006 or 2007.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49282815,00.htm

We had neighbors in Houston whose little girls (pre-teens) talk on their cellphones all night long. I had to make our house a cell-phone free zone for them or they would talk on it constantly.

I don't have a problem with a kid of any age having one as long as they show discipline with them. When our niece comes over, I block her websites at the router because she's not disciplined enough to stay off of them. We'd come down in the morning and she'd have chatted all night if she could.

Anyhoo... I really look forward to the debates I'll have with the young'uns when they get just a few years older.

[colleyvillesooner]

Just throw out the "Cause I said so" trump card. It's an ender.

That or ask Dean. I'm sure he's got some insight on how to handle those "debates". :D

[Howzit]

What kind of router do you use, Beano? I have been messing with the url blocking on my Linksys and can't get it to work.

[Howzit]

Just throw out the "Cause I said so" trump card. It's an ender.

That or ask Dean. I'm sure he's got some insight on how to handle those "debates". :D

<<<<< Or just flip 'em off. It's really all the explanation they need.

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

If they go over on their minutes, they're going be working it off at minimum wage chopping wood over at Dean's farm, I can tell you that right now.

[achiro]

What kind of router do you use, Beano? I have been messing with the url blocking on my Linksys and can't get it to work.
It's ok Howzit, I've decided to stop using the webcam so she won't be visiting me anymore anyway.

[Howzit]

It's ok Howzit, I've decided to stop using the webcam so she won't be visiting me anymore anyway.

No worries, I told her to hold out for a real doctor.

That just never gets old.

[tbl]

You block their phone to where it can only call home and the parents cell phones. Nothing wrong with a kid having one if that is the case (although I don't see many instances when a 5 year old is out on their own away from any adults).

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

What kind of router do you use, Beano? I have been messing with the url blocking on my Linksys and can't get it to work.

Mine's linksys. WRT54G.

It was amazing how much more time my niece had to play with the kids after I did that.

It was even pretty funny. I didn't tell her I did it just to see if she'd say something. She never did.

The only ones I blocked were Myspace, facebook (Jr. High kids can get accounts now apparently) and AIM.

That seemed to do the trick.

By the time my kids are that age, I'm sure I'll have to be much more diligent in keeping up with the social networking sites.

I'll have to pay Norm to come set something up.

[Boomer.....]

I think that the age should be 16. When they are under 16, you should know where they are anyway and should have some idea about when they will be home.

[Howzit]

Mine's linksys. WRT54G.

It was amazing how much more time my niece had to play with the kids after I did that.

It was even pretty funny. I didn't tell her I did it just to see if she'd say something. She never did.

The only ones I blocked were Myspace, facebook (Jr. High kids can get accounts now apparently) and AIM.

That seemed to do the trick.

By the time my kids are that age, I'm sure I'll have to be much more diligent in keeping up with the social networking sites.

I'll have to pay Norm to come set something up.

I have the same router. Did you have to set up two rules for allowing vs blocking? I don't know what in the heck I'm doing wrong, but I haven't been able to get it right.

[NormanPride]

I'd bet Howzit Jr. is sabotaging the operation. Did you set your router password to: "password"? :D

[Howzit]

Nope. It's the same as my SF.com passwor - NPisahumper.

:D

[IB4OU2]

If they go over on their minutes, they're going be working it off at minimum wage chopping wood over at Dean's farm, I can tell you that right now.

Dean> Can they drive a frontend loader? <Dean

[walkoffsooner]

When they get far enough away I cant see them. 16 years old

[BeetDigger]

You block their phone to where it can only call home and the parents cell phones. Nothing wrong with a kid having one if that is the case (although I don't see many instances when a 5 year old is out on their own away from any adults).

I don't anticipate a time when our kid will be without adult supervision until she is 11 or 12, perhaps even older than that. Therefore, no cell phone until then, unless there is a good reason for it that I haven't thought of.

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

I have the same router. Did you have to set up two rules for allowing vs blocking? I don't know what in the heck I'm doing wrong, but I haven't been able to get it right.
OK, pay attention.

go here: http://192.168.1.1

Login

click status>Local Network then the DHCP Clients Table

Find the Mac Address of the machine(s) you want to restrict

then go to:
Access Restrictions
Click Enable
Enter a Policy Name (I have the name of my niece since I only enable it when she's over)
Click the Edit List of PCs button.

Type the Mac addresses of the machines into these blanks and click save

Then go down to website blocking and enter the addresses of the sites you want to block.

Then save settings. If you need more sites blocked, setup another policy

you can also restrict certain times for the enternet as a whole, etc. but I never had to go that far.

[Howzit]

I'm in Cincinnati. Is it ok if I do this later?

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

ok

[Sooner_Bob]

Heh . . . my niece has a freakin' cell phone and she'll be 9 or 10 in November.

It's one of those prepaid jobbies, but still . . . 9 or 10 is almost too young.

[GottaHavePride]

I didn't get a cell phone until near the end of high school - and even then it was only because I was taking classes at WSU way across town and driving myself.

[LilSooner]

Got my first cell as a graduation present from my grandma. I'm so lame I still have the same cell phone number.

[ChickSoonerFan]

I am thinking of getting one for my daughter who is almost 12 so she can call me when she is at her Dad's so she doesn't have to ask to use his cell to call me.

My friend let her 10 year old get a prepaid minutes deal and she pays for it with her own allowance. I like that idea. A lot.

[ChickSoonerFan]

Oh...and I think I was about 28 or so when I got my first cell phone....with no help from my parents at all. :D

[Beano's Fourth Chin]

I didn't get my first cell phone until I realized it was going to be 75 bucks a month to get a business line put in the house. That was about 5 years ago.

[sanantoniosooner]

You tards act like cell phones were around when you were kids.

We totally gave up on a land line, so we got my son a cell when he was 11.

He's responsible. His friend has one and has had it taken away several times for misusing it.

[GottaHavePride]

You tards act like cell phones were around when you were kids.

We totally gave up on a land line, so we got my son a cell when he was 11.

He's responsible. His friend has one and has had it taken away several times for misusing it.

They were. I'm only 26. ;) We used to have one of those giant bag phones the size of a small duffel bag.

[sanantoniosooner]

Cell phones, when anyone around here was a kid, was akin to B/W TVs in the early days. Only a few had them and only one usually. Now they are all over.

[TheLurker]

The Firefly (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7140055/) cell phone for kids.
http://daddytypes.com/archive/firefly_kids_cell_phone.jpg

[12]

We no longer have a land line, but there is no way my 9-year old daughter is getting a cell phone. She is welcome to use one of ours (during the weekend, of course) to call a friend or grandma. But why on earth would a kid need one full-time?

Oh, and we let her use it when we leave her to watch our 4-year old boy while on our long gambling weekends in Louisiana.

[Norm In Norman]

I didn't get a cell phone until near the end of high school - and even then it was only because I was taking classes at WSU way across town and driving myself.
When I was in high school my mom had a cell phone. it was in this big case about the size of a Beagle and had a corded receiver on it. I think for only $70 a month she got 30 minutes of talk time.

Needless to say, I didn't have a cell phone in high school.

[Norm In Norman]

The Firefly (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7140055/) cell phone for kids.
http://daddytypes.com/archive/firefly_kids_cell_phone.jpg
Now see, that is a good idea. You can call home or the police (or a couple of other numbers). It's sort of like the "Wee-Mote" we got for the boy a while back. he could only change channels to kid channels.

[tbl]

When I got separated from my grandmother at Disneyworld when I was 9, I would have KILLED for a cell phone. That was not a cool feeling at all....

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Now see, that is a good idea. You can call home or the police (or a couple of other numbers). It's sort of like the "Wee-Mote" we got for the boy a while back. he could only change channels to kid channels.

They sell these at Target with a whole slew of cute little accessories for them. Faceplates, keypads in cool colors - the whole deal.

It's a good idea in a way but in others I think it's bad.

But don't listen to me.

[Soonrboy]

We got the boy one for his 12th birthday. He's having to be in carpools, and I just want access to him to make sure he got picked up and stuff.