Goodbye 4 cell phone contracts!!

**Nana2two** · 12-30-2011, 11:40 PM

2 weeks all 4 of our cell contracts are up $240 a month been a 2 year contract. Oldest is on her own plan starting in 2 weeks pay has you go. Hubby and i and the 16 year will share a straight talk unlimited $45 a month plan he will use it during the day on house calls im at home. Daughter will use it after school. I will use when i need to run and get things done. We have a home phone because of business but we have to have a cell because of house calls to let customers know hubby is on his way or if cant find the addressee. So yay us!!!Plus Hubby is cutting his house calls days in 3 days only in stead of 5 so 2 extra days on gas savings a week is a extra $80 a month so total is around $260 saved.

**bunnys** · 12-31-2011, 09:09 AM

Sounds good to me!

**oct2667us** · 12-31-2011, 10:43 AM

I was thinking about straight talk but dh and i would have to get phones and pay 45 for each phone. I a going to make my 19 year old get her own cell plan . It is time to grow up ...

**Nana2two** · 12-31-2011, 12:05 PM

See i stay home all day. So hubby and i can share a phone. We have one car so when is on house calls im home or sometimes i go with him and get my doctor visits in or grocery shopping done. We are always home by 3 or 3:30 daughter is also home by then so she can us it then if she go to someones house for the weekend she leaves the phone with us.. For the month of Oct she made 15,000 text some was during school so thats why she has no school privilages any more.I thin the worse thing they gave these kids were the gift to use there cells inbetween classes and lunches and breaks. Kids are missing the bells. forgetting there books, missing the bus.

**bunnys** · 12-31-2011, 01:33 PM

Ok, FYI--they aren't restricting their texting between classes!

Oh, I love the parents, they don't want to believe that their kids would do something like neglect their classwork by texting while teacher is lecturing!

I teach high school and I watch them like a hawk.

"What? I'm just twiddling my thumbs in the pocket of my hoddie instead of on my desk because the room is so cold! Geez!"

"I was just getting a pencil, Ms. Smith. That's why I was rummaging through my bookbag for the last 3 minutes."

I bet if you actually compared the times of her texts with the school class bell schedule you would find that indeed she has texted a time or two during class. She'd never be able to get to 15000 texts in on month otherwise. Someone who texts that much has memorized the keyboard and the menu and doesn't even have to look at her phone to do it.

Kids are constantly texting throughout the day. There is no way to stop it unless they put some kind of scrambling device in the schools.

I don't get mad at the texting. I just stop them and take their phones. I mean if someone gives them the coolest toy ever, why wouldn't they use it every chance the got?

But I digress. My opinion is that you do have a good plan for restricting your family to one phone but you will never be able to manage it if your daughter is such a cell phone devotee. She will monopolize the phone and you will really, really rack up the charges if she's texting that much and you're paying per text. Actually, I think you're going to have a bunch of arguments over it with her.

I do agree that you should make her pay for her own phone. Then I'd probably suggest you and hubby get your own StraightTalk phones for the $30. deal that I've got 1000/1000. To me it would be worth the extra 15 bucks a month to not have to be giving it back and forth and not having the inconvenience of having people who call you being restricted to certain hours of the day. Not to mention the fact that you and hubby will be constantly picking up the phone and it's not for the one who answered.

$60. per month with you and hubby having your own phone and making daughter pay for her own still saves you $180. per month. That's a big savings.

But you can always start with your plan and see how that works. It might be fine.

**hmcart** · 12-31-2011, 01:47 PM

My kids leave for school before we leave. They leave phones in the kitchen where we can see them so I know they dont take them to school!

**alotofgooddeals** · 12-31-2011, 01:56 PM

if they suspect that you are using your cell phone they have the right to ask you to hand it over....

the reason i know this is because in their handbook it clearly states that cell phones are not allowed at school and if they come to school they will confiscate them.

the reason i know this is because last year my son supposedly said he was looking at his phone to see what time it was and the teacher automatically came over and asked him to hand it over....he of course gaveme the speal of how he was only using it to check the time...I told him i believe there was a clock on the wall but he of course said he couldnt see the clock....I asked him if the handbook said no phones are school and he said yes it did...i told him i was all done with the conversation and that maybe next time he would listen....

Originally Posted by bunnys

Ok, FYI--they aren't restricting their texting between classes!

Oh, I love the parents, they don't want to believe that their kids would do something like neglect their classwork by texting while teacher is lecturing!

I teach high school and I watch them like a hawk.

"What? I'm just twiddling my thumbs in the pocket of my hoddie instead of on my desk because the room is so cold! Geez!"

"I was just getting a pencil, Ms. Smith. That's why I was rummaging through my bookbag for the last 3 minutes."

I bet if you actually compared the times of her texts with the school class bell schedule you would find that indeed she has texted a time or two during class. She'd never be able to get to 15000 texts in on month otherwise. Someone who texts that much has memorized the keyboard and the menu and doesn't even have to look at her phone to do it.

Kids are constantly texting throughout the day. There is no way to stop it unless they put some kind of scrambling device in the schools.

I don't get mad at the texting. I just stop them and take their phones. I mean if someone gives them the coolest toy ever, why wouldn't they use it every chance the got?

But I digress. My opinion is that you do have a good plan for restricting your family to one phone but you will never be able to manage it if your daughter is such a cell phone devotee. She will monopolize the phone and you will really, really rack up the charges if she's texting that much and you're paying per text. Actually, I think you're going to have a bunch of arguments over it with her.

I do agree that you should make her pay for her own phone. Then I'd probably suggest you and hubby get your own StraightTalk phones for the $30. deal that I've got 1000/1000. To me it would be worth the extra 15 bucks a month to not have to be giving it back and forth and not having the inconvenience of having people who call you being restricted to certain hours of the day. Not to mention the fact that you and hubby will be constantly picking up the phone and it's not for the one who answered.

$60. per month with you and hubby having your own phone and making daughter pay for her own still saves you $180. per month. That's a big savings.

But you can always start with your plan and see how that works. It might be fine.

**Nana2two** · 12-31-2011, 02:21 PM

Well it was a new thing this year. The kids were never even allowed to bring cells on campus this year they could. Before class. Between class at lunch on the bus ect.. Well My husband and I were like NO you leave yours at home PERIOD. .But her grades were up and she was doing good so ok she is 16 we cut her slack.But she started waking up late for school, missing the bus, not turning work in time, not participating in class time. She had texts at at midnight 4am 6am ect. we put a block on there to where her is off from 10pm to 3:30pm so even so no use taking it to school can't use it. Not missing the bus, sleeping better now. She is still pissed at us. but ohwell. If parents don't think there kids are not using there phones during school. there crazy. Looking through the records we see it. The new thing is writing things on paper snapping a pic and sending it instead of texting So looks like there working.

**Nana2two** · 12-31-2011, 02:41 PM

Last Friday night to Sunday night she sent 6000 text so majority of text are over the weekends and looking at the records and talking to the verizon guy he broke text down is said out of the 15000 text only 200 was during school hours .
We are thinking of doing the unlimited $45 for her and $30 for hubby and I. Hubby sends 0 text a month and 40 calls a month I text maybe send and recieve a total of 600 text a month and 400 calls a month. Still less then $80 bucks. We have No bills other then (basic living )ALot of her friends share phone with there parents. Then you have the kids that have the newest phone and skies the limit. Those are the kids that have had the phones taken away at school and mommy and dad went out and got a new one the same day.

**bunnys** · 12-31-2011, 04:41 PM

I know. It's a real problem.

Believe me, they use the "I was just checking the time" line on me and I'm standing right in front of them.

I know these kids sleep with the phone under their pillow and are texting all night! It's amazing.

But I've asked kids over and over again "so tell me, is this the best toy you ever had?" And they all say "you bet it is."

I'm surprised (and impressed) that you make your child leave their cell phone at home when they go to school. Most parents justify giving their kids a phone with the "I want to be able to contact them in an emergency even if it happens while they're at school" rationale.

I really don't think most parents are aware of how having a cell phone profoundly impacts their children's lives. But Nana, you do know if your daughter wasn't even sleeping because of it.

If I were 16 or 14 or even 12 as some children are when they get a cell phone I'd find it almost impossible to discipline myself to not let the phone take over my life.

If your daughter does get mad at you, don't worry about it. I can tell you, you aren't only mean, heartless parent who took their kid's cell phone away. I hear it all the time--every time I have a parent/teacher conference, in fact.

**Nana2two** · 12-31-2011, 05:03 PM

We told her if getting a cell starting Impacting her grades, health ect something would be done.Kids now have this entitlement thing going on.No where does it say I owe these things to my children. My daughter is respectful. She knows she broke the rules and knows she has stricter rules now.She did what all kids do except has a parent i always stayed on top of things and noticed a pattern and started seeing a change in things that were not like her. Since a block was put on her phone her grades went back up she doesn't look half dead. She is back to eating breakfast. Just gotta keep ontop of these kids.

**bunnys** · 12-31-2011, 05:06 PM

I'm sure she's a good girl. Most kids are!

Way to stay on top of her. They look like adults, they assure you they are adults and you should treat them like adults and not ride them all the time.

The thing is, they ain't adults!

**PlainCash4** · 01-02-2012, 08:02 PM

I just bought my first cell phone ever ( no lie ). I got an android phone. NO contract. I just get a card $35 for 300 mintues and unlimited internet. I kept my home phone.

And yes i got it on sale $79 (originally $129) ;-)

**bunnys** · 01-02-2012, 08:39 PM

UPDATE!

Just had a kid today tell me he was "checking the time" when I caught him red-handed with his cell phone! I crushed him.

Guess it's a universal problem.