Dumb-phone for screen addicted teen - any advice where to buy?

[Anonymous]

My 18 yr old DD lied to me about some grades and we took away her iPhone and told her she would not get back until grades come up. I told her she will have to buy a dumb phone, any advice on where to get? Should I go to T-mobile or Giant or where to get a pay-by the minute phone? Since she is over 18, I find I cannot use the child restrictions that Apple has.

[Anonymous]

Since she is an adult, she can go get her own phone. Also limiting screen time for an adult is only going to ruin your relationship and do nothing to bring her grades up. Are you always this controlling?

[Anonymous]

It’s more than that. She is being outright punished. She lied to us, and falsified her grades. And she lost car privileges too. Yeah I pay for her iPhone and we are about to spend $$$ on college. She will have to deal for a month with a dumb phone, as she is under my roof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since she is an adult, she can go get her own phone. Also limiting screen time for an adult is only going to ruin your relationship and do nothing to bring her grades up. Are you always this controlling?

She isn trying to be a parent...

If DD is 18 and still in high school, no job, relies on mom and dad for all, then no she is not an "adult" in the logical sense.

But since she legally is, I would just tell her the only phone you will provide to her is a flip phone. If she wants a smart phone, she will need to buy it herself

[Anonymous]

Their relationship is already ruined…. And her behavior doesn’t bode well for college. Punish away!

[Anonymous]

NP. Also looking for answer to the original question, best place to buy a flip phone. This would be for a 10 year old to use for emergencies, such as when her bus was delayed by an hour last week due to a mechanical issues and had to wait for a different bus. I would’ve just gone to pick her up if she’d had a way to reach me. Not looking for advice on whether to get the child a flip phone, just where to buy one, if anyone as done so recently. I got mine from the Apple store but don’t plan on purchasing child an iPhone or Apple Watch. Thanks, all.

[Anonymous]

Try Walmart or some of those independent storefronts in sketchy neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try Walmart or some of those independent storefronts in sketchy neighborhoods.

Thanks for the Walmart idea, as I was hoping to avoid driving around to different storefronts not knowing if they would have flip phones.

[Anonymous]

Go to someplace that sells Consumer Cellular phones. I think they stopped selling them at Target, but they’re pretty cheap plans and always have at least one flip phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try Walmart or some of those independent storefronts in sketchy neighborhoods.

Thanks for the Walmart idea, as I was hoping to avoid driving around to different storefronts not knowing if they would have flip phones.

You can call ahead and see if they carry it. Not all Walmarts have them

[Anonymous]

My 13 yo has a Gabb phone, talk and text only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 18 yr old DD lied to me about some grades and we took away her iPhone and told her she would not get back until grades come up. I told her she will have to buy a dumb phone, any advice on where to get? Should I go to T-mobile or Giant or where to get a pay-by the minute phone? Since she is over 18, I find I cannot use the child restrictions that Apple has.

OP, I've gotta say, I think the real punishment here is that you're not going to pay for school right away if the grades don't come up. The phone is beside the point. We haven't sugarcoated for DS15 that we're not tossing money away on pricey college if his priorities are a mess.
Yes, by all means, take away the iPhone- you're paying for it, and it's enabled some bad behavior--but since your DD is an adult, I would simply state that if the grades don't come up, she can start looking at community college and a job next year. That's not going to be fun at all when she watches her friends go off to university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 yo has a Gabb phone, talk and text only.

+1 it is easy to order/set up

[Anonymous]

My mom has a flip Tracphone that she got at Walmart.

[Anonymous]

This seems bizarre for an 18 yo but is it’s really a punishment, why are you getting her a different phone? Why not take it away completely? It seems like a huge hassle for a month. I’m assuming she has access to some tech somewhere on a laptop to do everything a smartphone can do.

If it’s for “emergencies” then the real punishment should be not going out for a month to parties or whatever she does where she would need an emergency phone. All of us were driving without cell phones at 18.