Author Topic: My kid is going crazy with texting.. am I the only parent dealing with this.  (Read 1508 times)

Offline Gunthr

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open for suggestions...
« Last Edit: March 28, 2008, 06:43:38 AM by Skuzzy »
"When I speak I put on a mask. When I act, I am forced to take it off."  - Helvetius 18th Century

Offline whiteman

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cell
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2008, 06:43:45 PM »
my brother works for a cell phone company and found that some parents like to take a step outside and throw the phone into the highway, problem solved.

Offline mietla

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take his/hers phone away?

I never had one when I was a kid. I really does not deprive you of anything. The kid needs home to stay in and the  parents to talk to. Your home will shape him/her not the "friends'

Offline Gowan

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Re: My kid is going crazy with texting...
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2008, 06:50:55 PM »
when my mom was a teacher for kids who got expelled from public schools, when she caught a kid texting in class (even HAVING a phone could mean time in juvie due to the fact they could call in fellow gangmembers) she would sometimes take the kid's phone hold it in front of him/her and snap it in half and hand it back

Offline EskimoJoe

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Throw their phone into the highway when they're watching. That should tell them.

*Edit*
my brother works for a cell phone company and found that some parents like to take a step outside and throw the phone into the highway, problem solved.
Beat me to it!  :lol
Put a +1 on your geekness atribute  :aok

Offline Donzo

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I still do not fully understand the concept of using a phone to text message someone.

Offline mietla

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kids are kids. You make them you raise them. They'll do what you teach them.


Your fault.

Offline mg1942

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I still do not fully understand the concept of using a phone to text message someone.

discreet communication. 

text is used when you try to contact someone who is in a meeting or attending church.  You don't want phones ringing in these occasions.

Offline mietla

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and don't try to tell me "but their friends have cell phones". Talk to their friends' parents and will tell you the same.

Grow a pair. Kids are what you make them. They are watching you every second and trust me they do remember.





Offline eagl

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Re: My kid is going crazy with texting.
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2008, 07:15:52 PM »
Make them pay for the phone service out of their own bank account.  Teach them the value of money, make them earn what they want to spend.

Worked like a champ for me.  My parents didn't have any money to spend on luxuries like cars and video games for us kids as we grew up, so if we wanted them we had to earn the money ourselves.  It taught us an awful lot about life and how to not grow up to be professional victims like most of the US today.

If they want their phones, get them a bank account and have them open up their own cellphone accounts.  Then add back incentives - for each "A" they get, drop $10/month into their account for the semester, A "B" gets $5, a "C" gets $2, a "D" or "F" gets nothing.  Add in an overall GPA bonus.  Or make the amounts whatever you think their schoolwork is worth.  The point is that they get rewarded for WORK, not for whining about what every other kid has.

If they don't bother to put in work towards grades, they'll need to do work in other ways.  The whole point of cash rewards for school grades is so they don't have to balance a job against schoolwork.  They can get money by either blowing off school and getting a job, or by not getting a job and focusing on school.  Either way, they get their $$$.

If they're just not very smart, then maybe enrolling in a vocational school would be best and skills acquisition like completing a certification course would earn them their reward.

The point is that they can get all the toys all the other kids have, but it sure as hell won't be free because nothing in life is free.
Everyone I know, goes away, in the end.

Offline Lumpy

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If I was driving down the highway and somebody threw a cellphone at my car I'd be mighty pissed. Perhaps pissed off enough to get off the highway and pay that person a visit.
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Offline vorticon

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hand them the bill, take the phone, let them have a pay as you go phone when they can afford to buy it themselves.

Offline RAIDER14

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take his/hers phone away?

I never had one when I was a kid. I really does not deprive you of anything. The kid needs home to stay in and the  parents to talk to. Your home will shape him/her not the "friends'

That would not be a good idea as there might be a emergency or something happen at the school where the kid needs the parent to bring them something or kid needs to inform the parent that they are staying after school for a school function

Best option would be taking text messages off their cell plans


Offline Donzo

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That would not be a good idea as there might be a emergency or something happen at the school where the kid needs the parent to bring them something or kid needs to inform the parent that they are staying after school for a school function


Not a "good" idea?
What do you think kids did in the same situation, oh lets say 10 years ago?

Offline Donzo

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discreet communication. 

text is used when you try to contact someone who is in a meeting or attending church.  You don't want phones ringing in these occasions.

Oh!  That's good, that someone shouldn't be paying attention to that meeting or church anyway!