Sunday, July 11, 2010

What is a good age for a Cell Phone?

We've run into a dilemma.  We haven't had a house phone for over a year.  We shut it off when we got cell phones.  That seemed the cheapest solution.  My oldest pays for her phone.  My next oldest is beginning to pay for her phone. 

The dilemma is my step-daughter.  Most of the year she isn't here every day.  This summer we've run into the issue of, now that she is a teenager and nearly fourteen, she's been left at home here and there.  A couple of times while I ran local errands, she's been here watching her baby sister.  When my husband is home, even if he's asleep due to working third shift, there's someone here if there is an emergency.  If Dad has to leave, then what?  There isn't even a phone should she need to call for help.

We knew the day would come when she would need to have a cell phone.  We could get by, I suppose, without providing her one.  She's usually not in need of one.  Most of the time she can just borrow a phone.  She has a land line at her mom's house.  Yet, after discussing it with my husband, we decided to just pay the extra few dollars a month on our plan and add a line.  That way, we know that when she is here, she has a phone she can use.

Adding a landline would be more expensive.  This seemed like the best choice.  Now the debate is whether to let her have the phone or to keep it here for use when it might be needed.  Laura, at ten, is still too young to be left alone.  Her day will come, I'm sure, when she will reach the age where she will be left home alone.  It just won't be for a few years.  Hopefully by then, my older daughters can get their own phone plans. 

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