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/0,39...9282815,00.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".

[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".

<<<<< 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"?

[Howzit]

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

[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.