Katana Owners Club U.K.

Was just having a bit of a debate with someone about mobile phones and kids having them.
Short version of the story is - her 10 year old want a Blackberry. She is getting her one on contract (£13 per month).

I dont think kids need a phone. I dont even think most adults NEED a phone tbh. And even less, a flashy one.

Most of the txts and conversations i have and other people i know have, are usually pretty boring and banal.

They are handy of course, but do we need to spend so much or have the latest ones all the time ?

Got a feeling i am going to sound like some grumpy old git. But really.....think about it.

Pete

10 year old with a contract phone? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. my mate made that mistake, linked the phone to their joint account for paying it every month. one month the mortgage bounced due to lack of cash. he had been downloading games and music to his phone cos he hadnt the maturity to realise that the ads for stuff on telly arent free. took him a month to spend 750 quid on games and ringtones!
got my kids phones when they were 11 or so, but simple cheap phones on pay as you go, and they were told that when the money ran out that they had to ask me to top them up.

I did the same with my kids. Got a phone or 2 at a bootfair for a couple of quid each and if they wanted credit they had to pay for it themselves. They played with em for a couple of days and since then have sat in the cupboard for the last few months !!! Some people have more money than sense.

Pete

Dunno about kids having the latest phones I know I don't. I did try mobile internet but what's the point in squinting at a tiny screen when I've got a huge monitor at home?
I know the convienence of internet while out, but....

But for those of you who do, have you tried http://giffgaff.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; they do some amazing deals & for £10pm you get unlimited internet! + 250 mins & unlimited texts....

& NO I don't work for them

Chloe has my old phone and its on pay as you go. She's 12 and I don't think ready yet for anything state of the art. She actually spends more time using it to make tunes up and stuff than as a phone. Tesco have just introduced capped contracts in a big way so I may go that way with her when what she has isn't enough anymore and she starts going out on her own with friends more.

Rekon I must be a........

callyboy wrote: grumpy old git.

...as well then!

Kryten jnr has my old Motorola V3 on PAYG

He is nearly 11 so it is very handy when he is out and about with Kryten K9, or at footie training etc.

But Blackberry or the like.....can't see the point where we live as we are only just on 2G

Our girls(15 n 14) have had cheap phones since they were about 10yrs old,it supposedly gives us peace of mind for when they don't turn up on time, we can ring them to find out whats the problem!
Err NO! When they don't turn up on time,they don't generally answer the bloody phone either!!!Leaving said parents now crawling the walls with blind panic and cold sweats.Then the little darlings wander in saying "Oh it was on silent,chill old timers,we're home now,we just forgot the time"

They now have £10 tesco sim only contract which gives them unlimited internet,unlimited txt and 500 minutes talk time.They never actually TALK on the phone but they do bash the txt, internet and camera.We have had some issues with a txt no which we assume latched itself onto Robyn's sim through the internet sites she visits( ),so it definately pays to keep tabs on the online usage facility. That seems to have been sorted now.Fingers crossed.
They pay part of the monthly fee themselves out of the money they earn from doing chores around the house.Yep,we have a job list,they either do jobs or they don't it's entirely up to them.Each job has a price next to it,so they get to choose what job they want to do,depending on how much they want to earn!
They're not expensive phones and when broke we replace by going to CEX n pay up to about £30(my present one cost £15) for a similar replacement.Or they buy their own with their EARNINGS!
We pay the remainder of the monthly fee because WE want them to be contactable at all times for our peace of mind.However it has taken us 5 yrs to drum into them,ANSWER the bloody phone!!
Although txt are good cos I can txt them now to put tea on as I'm too busy out gallavanting with a mate round the shops.
So to sum up;
Yes we like our kids having a phone
A cheap one is good enough
If they want all dancing n all singing then they better get saving!

couldnt have put it better myself!!

Two days ago my son was in protest and drowned my mobile phone in the toilet:) And he is only 2 years old:) Can't even imagine what he'll do when he is 5 or even 10