Good Christmas For My Daughter - iPhone 5!

[RotaryP7]

When I was 13 I was playing Pokemon. No one my age had a cellphone lol. But nowadays it's normal. My little brother is in first grade and he tells me his friends have iPhones. Is this real life?

[cambookpro]

Originally Posted by mrstefani

My 14 year old daughter used my iPhone 3 GS for 3 years and took very good care of it. I originally had our home phone number ported over to a cell phone because everyone in our household had a cell and the landline was never used.

She started out only taking the phone with her when she went to a friend's house or stayed after school for sports or chess club. She was very responsible and did not abuse having the cell phone with her. She is mature for her age. (She attends a small private school and has 4 older siblings) I have raised her to appreciate all she has.

She now has the iPhone 5. She understands it is an expensive piece of technology and that she is very fortunate to own one. She is not spoiled. She earns the usage of the phone by doing chores and keeping her grades up and attitude proper.

I also passed down my first gen iPad when I upgraded. She uses it for drawing, writing short stories, homework (as she is able to print wirelessly) as well as watch vides and play games. Technology is a great thing and I think our youth should learn to use it responsibly.

Only you know your child and if she is responsible enough to own one. I read a lot of negativity here on kids having iPhones or iPads and many of these people either do not have kids or are still living in the past. I did not own a cell until I was 26. My older kids ( ages 27, 25, 23 ) got their first cell phone when they started driving. (Those phones were dinosaurs compared to the phones of today), and were pay as you go.

Times have changed and new technology is available and constantly progressing. We have an iMac, 3 Apple TV's and an Air in our house and I want my daughter to be capable of using this wonderful technology, competently. I am not one of those people who say "When I was that age" because when I was that age, things were different. I want to give my kids advantages I did NOT have at that age.

Well said. I'm 15 and have my own iPhone and MacBook, and I appreciate I'm lucky to be able to use the technology that's out there.

My dad's a big advocate of technology and encourages the use of apps like Motion, FCP and Photoshop so I do get good use out of it.

I try and take good care of the things I own and keep up my school work and work round the house, so I don't feel like it's just given to me free!

Hopefully I'll be able to do the same for my kids one day.

[MattMJB0188]

Wow, kids these days get it all don't they? I'm 24 and got my first iPhone last year. Wow.

[mrstefani]

Originally Posted by dinggus

How else was my mom going to get ahold of me when she was the only parent and I was off adventuring with friends? This was in 2000.

Whenever my daughter and I go places together (mall, store, etc.) and she wants to go look at something different than I am, the cell comes in handy. She will either text me or call me to ask where I am when she is finished. No wandering around the store trying to find mom.

Also the find my phone feature is great for checking up on her. For example, she is meeting her classmates at the local outdoor mall to see a movie at 1 pm and then do a little Christmas shopping. I can allow her to be with her friends without me lingering in the back ground like an overprotective mom. It gives her a chance to show she is mature enough to be at the mall without me present and to feel a sense of independence. I have the comfort of knowing where she is, and that she is where she said she would be, while she is becoming a mature young adult who is able to conduct herself properly in public areas.

[dinggus]

Originally Posted by mrstefani

Whenever my daughter and I go places together (mall, store, etc.) and she wants to go look at something different than I am, the cell comes in handy. She will either text me or call me to ask where I am when she is finished. No wandering around the store trying to find mom.

Also the find my phone feature is great for checking up on her. For example, she is meeting her classmates at the local outdoor mall to see a movie at 1 pm and then do a little Christmas shopping. I can allow her to be with her friends without me lingering in the back ground like an overprotective mom. It gives her a chance to show she is mature enough to be at the mall without me present and to feel a sense of independence. I have the comfort of knowing where she is, and that she is where she said she would be, while she is becoming a mature young adult who is able to conduct herself properly in public areas.

I understand that, in 2000 we didn't have a tracking device for kids.

If anything, I'd get my kid a Firefly or whatever the phone is called.

[mrstefani]

Originally Posted by MattMJB0188

Wow, kids these days get it all don't they? I'm 24 and got my first iPhone last year. Wow.

My 24 year old son bought his first iPhone last year as well. He used a pay as you go phone while he worked on getting his degree. He did not want a different phone because had no use for one. He is not one to talk much or text on the phone. He was not envious of his younger sister getting my hand me down 3 GS as he did not want or need it. Once he got a job which required him to be on call and receive work emails, he bought his own iPhone.

My daughter gets what we can afford and what she has EARNED. I enjoy technology and all it offers. There was no internet, iPhones, iPads, or MacBooks when I was growing up. Luckily I am young enough to know how to use these wonderful devices, unlike my older relatives who haven't a clue because they do not understand it and it seems to complicated to them.

By introducing my daughter to this amazing technology we have available now, she will be able to use what ever technology brings us in the future. She already is able to show her aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends how to efficiently use their phones, laptops, or tablets.

[mrstefani]

Originally Posted by dinggus

I understand that, in 2000 we didn't have a tracking device for kids.

If anything, I'd get my kid a Firefly or whatever the phone is called.

I've seen that advertised, it would be great for my older family members who use their phones for short calls or emergencies only. They would never use any of the capabilities of a phone which does any more than a regular landline did in the "olden" days.

As for very young children, I can't imagine the need for a phone By the time a child is in 8th/9th grade and there are after school activities I think it is a good idea to have some sort of phone. My daughter has friends who do not own a phone and have had to borrow hers to let their parents know volleyball practice ended early.

As I mentioned in a previous post, With 4 older children (minimum age difference of 10 yrs between the youngest and next youngest ) all owning their own cell phones, we dumped our landline( saving us $30 monthly) and had the number ported over to a cell in 2009. The landline number was well established in the 80's, the older relatives were used to calling that number and the number was used for everything prior to owning a cell phone. It made sense to keep that number while my daughter was young and had no need of a phone yet we could still be listed in the school directory to receive calls from classmates or their parents and not have our private cell numbers listed.

With the exception of the older relatives, I can't think of anyone I know who uses a home phone. Times have changed since I was a kid and used the rotary dial !

[JetBlack7]

I have 2 thoughts I would like to share with the OP:

1 - She is very very lucky to have you as a parent! My parents introduced me to Apple products with an iPhone 3GS. My very first smartphone, I was super excited!

2 - You say your daughter is 13 years old. Don't you think she is too young to have such an expensive and (for her age and mind) a very complex phone to use as her 1st one? My first phone was a Sagem "Coca-Cola" edition although I loved it and it was so simple at the time.

Those are just my thoughts OP, don't know what you think

[meistervu]

Originally Posted by JetBlack7

I have 2 thoughts I would like to share with the OP:

2 - You say your daughter is 13 years old. Don't you think she is too young to have such an expensive and (for her age and mind) a very complex phone to use as her 1st one? My first phone was a Sagem "Coca-Cola" edition although I loved it and it was so simple at the time.

>a very complex phone to use as her 1st one?

No, the iPhone is not complex for a 13 year old. My 6 year old daughter, who is allowed to use my iPhone an hour a week, was able to show her grandmother, who had been using a PC for years and own an iPhone for a few months, how to navigate the iPhone.

When the time comes to give my daughter her own phone, financial is the least of my concerns. My biggest concern is how it takes away from her time of interacting with the real world as opposed to the virtual world. I seen too often that kids hangout together yet they each are glued to their screen. It's a very sad scene.

[Damolee]

Never had them when I was a kid.

I will be buying my son one soon as possible. "Find my phone" will be an invaluable tool. LOL

[MattMJB0188]

Originally Posted by mrstefani

My 24 year old son bought his first iPhone last year as well. He used a pay as you go phone while he worked on getting his degree. He did not want a different phone because had no use for one. He is not one to talk much or text on the phone. He was not envious of his younger sister getting my hand me down 3 GS as he did not want or need it. Once he got a job which required him to be on call and receive work emails, he bought his own iPhone.

My daughter gets what we can afford and what she has EARNED. I enjoy technology and all it offers. There was no internet, iPhones, iPads, or MacBooks when I was growing up. Luckily I am young enough to know how to use these wonderful devices, unlike my older relatives who haven't a clue because they do not understand it and it seems to complicated to them.

By introducing my daughter to this amazing technology we have available now, she will be able to use what ever technology brings us in the future. She already is able to show her aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends how to efficiently use their phones, laptops, or tablets.

Thanks for trying to justify it. I don't care what people say, I don't think kids 13 years old should be having iPhones or Androids. When I was in middle school and high school I was an excellent student and "earned" many things, but a cellular phone was not one of them. I always sneered at kids who had to have the latest and greatest, but not because I was jealous, but because they also had a brand new car to go along with it and everything else that was hot during that time.

I am 24 and I just don't understand why these parents of today buy their kids all these expensive gadgets. My neighbor (who is very wealthy) bought her son an iPhone 4S when it came out and he took it to school only to get it stolen. So what do you think they did? The next day he had another one, after she paid the $749 for a new one.

Pathetic. I say 18!!!

[Vell843]

TS, IMO it's fine that you are getting your daughter an iPhone for Christmas. I would just make sure you monitor the websites etc. that she uses. My wife and I got my 9 and 12 year old an iPod this past summer. And I made it to were I restricted Safari and Youtube. Just be careful, there are a lot of freaks out there.

[mommybetts]

Congrats to her!!!! I just purchased my 13yr old an iPhone 4S for his birthday, and before that he had an android device which his 10yr old brother have now

----------

Originally Posted by Vell843

TS, IMO it's fine that you are getting your daughter an iPhone for Christmas. I would just make sure you monitor the websites etc. that she uses. My wife and I got my 9 and 12 year old an iPod this past summer. And I made it to were I restricted Safari and Youtube. Just be careful, there are a lot of freaks out there.

So true!

[86nji]

WTF!

Here is your xmas present my daughter, now, you had better start looking for a job so you can pay for it in monthly bill instalments?

WTF dude you should have just bought it outright!

[mrstefani]

Originally Posted by MattMJB0188

Thanks for trying to justify it. I don't care what people say, I don't think kids 13 years old should be having iPhones or Androids. When I was in middle school and high school I was an excellent student and "earned" many things, but a cellular phone was not one of them. I always sneered at kids who had to have the latest and greatest, but not because I was jealous, but because they also had a brand new car to go along with it and everything else that was hot during that time.

I am 24 and I just don't understand why these parents of today buy their kids all these expensive gadgets. My neighbor (who is very wealthy) bought her son an iPhone 4S when it came out and he took it to school only to get it stolen. So what do you think they did? The next day he had another one, after she paid the $749 for a new one.

Pathetic. I say 18!!!

Thanks for thanking me for trying to justify why a 13/14 yr old would have a cell phone. You are certainly entitled to your opinions as everyone else is.

Maybe you did not have a cellular phone because your parents felt the same way as you feel now. Or maybe you really had no real use for one. What ever the reasons may be, times have changed and will continue to. By the time you are a parent with a 13/14 year old you may see things differently.

Owning a cell phone is becoming increasingly common especially as many people getting away from home phones. Why be restricted to only using a phone at home, missing calls, or waiting at home for a call?

When you and my children were in high school, cell phones were not nearly as commonly used as they are today. I felt that as my kids were learning to drive and going off with their friends who were driving, a cell phone was something they should have with them in case of emergencies. I certainly didn't think it was a God given right or so they could keep up with the Joneses.

Fast forward 10-12 years later, my daughter has a cell phone at the age of 13 and we have no home phone. Should I keep a home phone and pay AT&T $30 a month for her to be the only one to use that phone, or add a line to my already existing account for $10 a month? The data plan is shared, texts and calls are unlimited. She can talk to her friends without having to borrow my phone. Nor do I receive phone calls for her. Not to mention, the iPhone is her iPod, dictionary, calculator, map, calendar, alarm clock, camera, notepad, remote control for Uverse, she is able to watch movies, tv shows from free apps like ABC Player, TBS, NBC, CW. She can read newspaper articles. The list goes on.

When you are a parent of a 13/14 year old things will be "different" than they are now. Be prepared, how you think now might just "different".

[Rocko1]

Posting this thread on this board is like throwing a beautiful 18 year old Swedish women into a maximum security prison and having the inmates argue over who gets to 'date' her first.

[JetBlack7]

Originally Posted by meistervu

>a very complex phone to use as her 1st one?

No, the iPhone is not complex for a 13 year old. My 6 year old daughter, who is allowed to use my iPhone an hour a week, was able to show her grandmother, who had been using a PC for years and own an iPhone for a few months, how to navigate the iPhone.

When the time comes to give my daughter her own phone, financial is the least of my concerns. My biggest concern is how it takes away from her time of interacting with the real world as opposed to the virtual world. I seen too often that kids hangout together yet they each are glued to their screen. It's a very sad scene.

True, I'll give you that young ones nowadays learn about technology faster than our previous generation.

That is a very solid concern, most kids exclude themselves from social interaction due to the use not only of smartphones, but also video games and such.

[testcard]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

HAHAHAHAH. Do you know how much money a school would lose if they gave out free books?

My school charges at least $60 for a basic book. An algebra book is more like $130

Seriously? Are they printed on gold leaf?

[gmanist1000]

Originally Posted by testcard

Seriously? Are they printed on gold leaf?

Pretty much. They're the "school brand" so you can't buy used books because they use special editions that only the school uses.

[iMas70]

Originally Posted by mrstefani

(snip) Not to mention, the iPhone is her iPod, dictionary, calculator, map, calendar, alarm clock, camera, notepad, remote control for Uverse, she is able to watch movies, tv shows from free apps like ABC Player, TBS, NBC, CW. She can read newspaper articles. The list goes on.

When you are a parent of a 13/14 year old things will be "different" than they are now. Be prepared, how you think now might just "different".

The main reason for me getting one for her! It's all this and more! For less money than the iPod we were looking at, she can have a device that does much more than just play music plus we can get in touch with her in seconds. And when I call to say "good night" at night, I don't just have to talk on the phone, we can see each other too!

A lot of people have pointed out that things are different now than when we were 13. That's about 30 years ago for me. An Atari video game console and bicycle were my big "toys". Now, many electronic devices are learning tools too.

[mrstefani]

Originally Posted by iMas70

The main reason for me getting one for her! It's all this and more! For less money than the iPod we were looking at, she can have a device that does much more than just play music plus we can get in touch with her in seconds. And when I call to say "good night" at night, I don't just have to talk on the phone, we can see each other too!

A lot of people have pointed out that things are different now than when we were 13. That's about 30 years ago for me. An Atari video game console and bicycle were my big "toys". Now, many electronic devices are learning tools too.

I think many of these people who are stating their opinions would feel differently if they were 13/14 years old today and being surprised with an iPhone for Christmas or any other occasion! It's like saying " I didn't have it at that age, why should they have it ". The maturity of the person receiving the phone and the actual need of the phone should be considered, Not just the age of the person.

I know adults over the age of 30 who consistently drop or misplace their iPhones. They don't use the phone for anything other than making a call or the occasional text. The iPhone is so much more.

Your daughter will be so excited. iTunes Gifts cards will come in handy for birthdays and special occasions. Merry Christmas to you and your daughter!

[Merkie]

Originally Posted by iMas70

The main reason for me getting one for her! It's all this and more! For less money than the iPod we were looking at, she can have a device that does much more than just play music plus we can get in touch with her in seconds. And when I call to say "good night" at night, I don't just have to talk on the phone, we can see each other too!

A lot of people have pointed out that things are different now than when we were 13. That's about 30 years ago for me. An Atari video game console and bicycle were my big "toys". Now, many electronic devices are learning tools too.

An iPod doesn't require an expensive plan which lasts for a minimum of 2 years. I don't get how you can say that the iPhone is cheaper than the iPod touch. The total cost of ownership is more like $2000 for an iPhone 5.

[andyx3x]

It's absolutely insane for a 13 year old to have an iPhone. It's almost guaranteed to get lost or stolen at some point.

[iMas70]

Actually, with adding a line to the family plan, cost of ownership is about $1570. over the course of two years (including the phone). Being able to get ahold of her, her calling us if there is a problem (like when the school bus broke down and we panicked when hadn't arrived 20 minutes after it was supposed to) and all of the other benefits of modern day smart phone ownership... priceless!!!

Plus, after a few months, she can work in the family business to make money to pay for her cell plan and then some. Teaches the value of a dollar and having to work for things that you want/need.

[Maverick713]

Originally Posted by iMas70

That I am leading my daughter into the wonderful world of Apple products! . She's used my stuff once in awhile. Now I can thoroughly teach her on her own and maybe get her into some other products later. A lot of the local schools use Macs and some will be having the students use iPads instead of books.

Testing my luck with a sealed box. Hoping everything is good in there!

isn't facebook a better venue?