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Two questions today…
1. Who has been your favorite Bachelor of all time? I have watched most of the seasons and I have to say, Ben from this season might be my favorite ever. I feel like he’s super genuine and is really serious about finding “the one”. I also liked Bob Guiney as the Bachelor. For totally different reasons though. He was just fun. Plus he went to Michigan State and his band (Fat Amy) used to play at the bars all the time when I went to school there.
2. What age did your kids get a cell phone (if they have one that is)? My oldest son is 7 so we haven’t come to the point yet were he’s wanting (or needing) a cell phone, but I am curious what “the age” is these days? I am kind of thinking middle school might be it for us when he’ll be needing to call us for rides and that kind of thing, but we’ll see I guess? I know there is no right answer to this one, but I am curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on it! Also, if you have teenagers, is their data usage crazy??
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these!
Over here in northern NJ it seems that 6th grade is about the beginning of cell phone time. My oldest just got one over the holidays, and she goes on alot of class trips that parents dont typically go one, and it has been a huge relief to be able to have that option to communicate if we needed to. Also she will begin middle school next school year so shes getting acquainted with the phone now. I would have loved it to be a grad gift, but she pressured me a little early. haha
Both my daughters got their first cell phone on their 13th birthday. We use Virgin Mobile. With unlimited data (reduced speed after going over cap), talk and text it’s perfect. $30 a month for iphone and $35 for android. You have to buy the phone outright which is a big upfront expense (depending on what phone you get) but the low monthly plan makes up for it.
1. I don’t really watch the Bachelor. I don’t don’t have control over the clicker in the evenings when it’s on.
2. I don’t have kids, but my 4th grade nephew got one for Christmas and that irked me to no end, what does a 4th grader need a phone for? Kids need to be kids! But to each their own, I’m sure when I do have kids people won’t agree with everything I do either!
I dont have kids yet but my niece is 12 and wants on so bad! She has been asking for like 2 years but i dont think her parents will give in for a couple more years. I didnt get my first cell phone till i was 18 and could pay the bill myself. I always stole my boyfriends (now husband) when we were in high school.
What we do is, my mother buys the girls track phones for like $100 every year for Christmas. They come with a certain amount of minutes and data, but you can top them off, if you need to. They use calls and texts if they need a ride or to ask us something to when they are out or if we need to reach them. Wifi is everywhere, though. If we are out and they are home, they use wifi and we message through Instagram. If they are out, they try to find a wifi spot and message us from there. That way their minutes and data last longer and are saved for emergencies. It’s worked out for a couple years now. Maybe since my youngest was 10-11? 🙂
It seems here in my area..kids started the cell phone thing in 6th grade. Which is crazy to me. My son received his at age 15 and my 12 year old used his iPad to text.
Ben is def. the best Bachelor in a long time. I watched the show when Trista became Bachelorette, but then didn’t come back until Andi Dorfman, and have been hooked ever since. I’m a big fan of Kaitlyn Bristowe. I hope Caila is not made the Bachelorette, because I will not be watching. I really don’t know who they will pick. I wish they would pick an outsider who has never been on the show before. It gets old having repeats and then having people show up from other seasons. Like Becca. She’s cool and everything, but didn’t you learn your lesson from Chris’ season? If you can’t open up quickly, or feel anything quick, why meet a guy on TV? Reevaluate your methods of dating!
I heard Caila was seen filming her intro for the Bachelorette 🙁 I don’t think she has what it takes to carry an entire season. I liked Kaitlyn and Andi as well because they both had substance. I feel like all Caila has is sweet innocence and that is not entertaining.
My kids are in a private school and phones aren’t allowed so it does no good for the “need a ride” excuse. My son just got his phone for Xmas right after turning 15 because he will soon be venturing out with friends who are licensed drivers. My daughter (12) is on an IPOD, which you can do most everything on without a contracted plan anyway. However, she just recently got that taken away for inappropriate messages from friends so case in point….(that age is not ready). I also do not allow my children on social media. I don’t know when we’re opening that gate, but I’m in no hurry.
Yay! Jennifer I totally agree! As much as we marvel how grown up they seem to be….there is a reason that 12 year olds don’t live on their own…they still need guidance and will make inappropriate choice at times. We are no social media for the kids also…
My oldest daughter is 12 and in 6th grade and wants a phone really badly. She attends a k-8 school and I take her, pick her up and take her to her activities. I have told her that when I get her a phone it will be for “my convenience” not because I think that children need to text their friends at 11pm at night. She will get it when she graduates from 8th grade and goes to high school because I will then have two kids at two different schools and I can see the advantage. I have a second phone on my plan that we call “the sleepover phone” when a child goes on a sleepover or to an activity where I will not be staying, I leave them with the phone. It is a flip phone that calls and texts…not for entertainment but again for my convenience. Some of my daughter’s friends at school have gotten phones in 5th or 6th grade, most of them being from divorced families where it seems that they want to keep in touch with their child while they are at the other parents house. While I understand it, there have still been problems at school with some of these kids. Once they have the phone they want to download all of the apps. Instagram has been a problem…kids posting pictures to deliberately make other jealous…snap chat is another one….they just don’t have the life experience yet to understand the ramifications of their actions and how things stay out there in webland, or get passed around. I am the wife of a cop…who specialized in special victims (children, elderly) for 6 years…I have read many a case report on things that could have been so easily prevented. She is 12 she doesn’t need to manage her social calendar…or be connected 24/7…she does have an ipod and can text some friends…but we also have a rule that all electronics are on the charging station in the hall by 8pm and are not allowed in their rooms, only in the “public” spaces of our home….no need to put a child in a position to make a decision that they are not ready to make. :o)
I’m convinced that cell phones do something to their brains. My almost 17 year old son is addicted to his phone. He would use all our data if I did not limit it. He and his friends will text until early morning until I found out. I have a lot of controls on his phone. His data and texts are limited. The internet is turned off during certain hours. I take away his phone at 10:00 pm unless he is out. It is a constant battle.
Then there is the whole what are they texting to each other, what pictures are they sending each other, what are they looking at on their phone etc. I use a parent control software that keeps sexual material off the phone. I also block social media. He’s a good kid. He’s also a typical almost 17 year old teen.
The cell phone, texting, and internet allows a lot of freedom because mom can’t see what is going on. It’s easy to go down the wrong path because there is no accountability. Kids can also stumble across things by accident. That’s why I think parental controls on the phone are important. I apologize for sounding preachy.
I’ve never watched The Bachelor so no clue on that one.
My girls each got a Trac Phone when they started middle school. Very basic and for family communication only. Since the school office phone was generally not available it was helpful for them to be able to contact me with any schedule changes or forgotten lunches/homework. As to that, they were allowed one “forget” per semester; after that mom did not rush to the rescue. Once in high school they were put on the regular family phone plan.
I got my first phone at the end of elementary but that was only because we didn’t have a house phone anymore and I got home before my parents did. It was just a regular flip phone though…smart phones didn’t exist then lol. I think it just depends on your kid and the situation.
I don’t watch the Bachelor. I watched For Love or Money a million years ago and for some reason, my brain still wants me to remember how hard I rooted for Paige.
I got a pager when I was like 12, lol. Two of my nieces have cell phones now. One is in high school, but she’s had one for a few years now- mainly because she would be responsible for the other 2 after school and needed a way to get ahold of my dad or someone for rides. Though my dad always picked (and still does) them up anyway so… Her younger sister now is the oldest at the school and she has a cell phone. She’s obsessed with it and YouTube. She’s 10. The other day, I had to pick them up and her one friend kept calling and calling and calling. She’d call, no answer, hang up, repeat. I almost wanted to pick up and tell her to stop being such a stalker. I’m not sure if they use a lot of data, they’re on a family plan that includes my sister, the 2 kiddos, and both of my parents.
LOL! Pagers were the hot thing when I was in high school too. “Beep me”! My OB with William still actually used a pager. I was like – uhhh, okay, what year is this? He loved that thing!!!
Ha! My husband is an OB/GYN and he wears a pager constantly! It’s pretty geeky. But it’s because pagers always work and cell phones sometimes have no signal (for example, in the operating room which are usually in the basement of hospitals.)
LOL! So funny!!! I felt like I was in the 90’s when I’d see him checking it!
I don’t watch the bachelor so no clue there.
For cellphone it will probably be their birthday of their 5th grade year. That seems to be what my neighbors and friends have been doing and that way they have it for when they start middle school. But I have some years to go so we’ll see what it looks like then.