So I bought my son a mobile phone for Christmas. last year.

He’s 10. At the time, I had slightly mixed feelings about it and now, a few months down the track, I can’t say I’ve completely resolved them.

And now that he and I are texting, a bunch of new issues have cropped up which have left me even more confused about the whole thing.

It all started about a year ago, maybe more, when he started asking for his own phone. It had been on my mind for a while since he’s always been very interested in phones.

At three, I programmed his grandparents and uncle’s phone numbers into our home phone and he’d often call them on speed dial of his own accord. At four or five, he taught himself to text on my phone. Kids and technology these days, huh?

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Comments

[Dataceptionist]

Wow love today's crazy header!!
(Don't love the Christmas coloured Ad sidebars)

I had my first mobile at 14, paid for by myself with money I earned, and I think it taught me to be responsible with phones and phone bills.

[Kim]

Ha! the whole concept freaks me out, but apparently our kids are "digital natives" as opposed to us old fogies being "digital immigrants". As a working mum, I completely get the excellent organisational concept, but I am the mother of girls (so completely not like the brief phone conversationalist Luca appears to be). I was in a mobile shop recently buying a hands-free set-up, and the salesperson gave P (5) & A (3) a demonstrator [read: non-working] handset each, and I couldn't bloody shut them up for the next hour!

[gigdiary]

cheers Mia, on the Google ads....seriously!
way to go for your burgeoning blog....

at 14, I'd use public phones, the black box type, with Button A and Button B.

You pressed Button A, inserted a coin and dialled, on answer you pressed Button B, the coin would drop in the box and you were connected.

Thus the phrase 'and the penny dropped', meaning to understand something...(get connected)

then I'd ride home by horse and buggy....

[Rosie]

My son got his mobile when he was 14 (now 19). It was prepaid, and he got it because he started an after school job.

My youngest (13) got one a couple of years ago, after we had a scare when we couldn't find him. He was to wait at X, ring us from the payphone there, and we would get him. Except the phone was broken, and the next nearest one was almost to home (didn't work either) so he walked home with his friends. Not knowing this, and not having heard from him, we went looking. Next business day, he got a phone.

He has a prepaid mobile, and every week, he buys himself credit. He is not allowed to let the balance drop below a dollar. He is to text me if there are changes in plans, or when he arrives at/leaves from wherever he is.

[Cerry]

Love the funky header...
I got my phone just after my 13th birthday. I paid for it with my own money, and have to pay for my own credit, although a lot of credit swapping goes on in our house if someone is about to have theirs expire. I once managed to go 6 months without buying credit, and never had the balance fall below $5. Mum and dad weren't exactly over the moon about the idea at first, but then realised they could call/text me at anytime to say "where are you, and why aren't you at home", and fell in love with it. Mum can even use text talk, not only in English, but German.
I seriously doubt it's going to hurt Luca to have a phone...until he realises how out dated his current model is, and can't afford a new one.

[Eve]

Is Mia's son's mobile prepaid?
Hope so... otherwise it's a bit dangerous.

[kerri]

What ever gets you through is a mantra well worth having. Another 2 or 3 years & he will have all the girls texting him.His msg alert tone will sound at midnight & it will be some young girl who dosn't sleep.Be ready to sound like our parents with " Who in gods name is that at this hour" Its a whole new world. Not all bad. Enjoy