What phones do your teens have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

Sounds like your family are just a bunch of losers. Losers raising a loser daughter. Must suck to be her. You are sheltering her instead of teaching her how to navigate the world. Good luck when she finally gets her freedom…..

Haha, I guess if you say so. I mean she has a pretty good life. She has a horse. Skis once a week with friends all winter. Has friends over to the house when she wants. Gets good grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

Sounds like your family are just a bunch of losers. Losers raising a loser daughter. Must suck to be her. You are sheltering her instead of teaching her how to navigate the world. Good luck when she finally gets her freedom…..

OK, calm down you two. I don't think you're going to convince the other poster, PP. If that's the worse of their regressive parenting, their kids won't be too impacted and they'll go into the world without too much mishap. There's much worse out there, sadly.

Also, you reap what you sow. A parent who doesn't listen to and understand their child will likely not benefit from much eldercare support, or much genuine connection before that. I've known parents act all surprised when their adult kids don't contact them or come home once they're financially independent - and generally, there are either huge reasons... or an accumulation of little reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No smartphones until my kids are 18 and they buy them with their own money.

This. I don't need my kid texting and driving either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

So she's not on social media, I can't imagine, my 13yo DD is addicted and I'm trying to get her to stop.

Correct. We aren't either, finally gave up on Instagram a couple years ago; off Facebook for 10 years or so.

I sympathize with you. It's hard enough for us adults to put the damn things down. I wish you the best in helping your daughter navigate this.

You are here, that's no different..

[Anonymous]

When my kids need a new phone I get a new phone and trickle down my old one. One kid is about to upgrade to an 11. Needing a new phone is for reasons like the phone will no longer hold a charge, not because other kids have newer models.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13yo DS wants the iPhone 16 even though he has the 13. I told him no, but he said most kids at school have the newer models. I don't believe that to be true though, what phone models do your kids have?

Why does it matter what the other kids have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My turning 16 DD still does not have one and we do not plan to get her one soon either.

Finally, a voice of reason. 16 DD here, still no phone. We have a household cell phone, or her friends can call me or my wife.

No, sorry creep. My daughter isn’t calling your cell.

[Anonymous]

Geez...interesting stuff.

My DS who is a college freshman now has a iPhone 16. He last had an 12 and he was eligible for an update. He does pay for it and has for a couple of years...

My DD who is a HS Soph has I think a iPhone 15 that was also updated from an older iPhone SE. She is still benefiting from our largesse and not paying.

As far as not having phones as teens, yeah, I can think back to when I was their age and we didn't have them, but they didn't exist! Yes, we survived, but I'm sure there were times that my folks would have liked to be able to reach me when I was out gallivanting around.

The convenience of being able to to reach them is a huge benefit, especially since my DD is now driving. Oh well, different strokes for different folks...

[Anonymous]

iPhone SE 3 that is locked down via parental control apps (more than just Apple's) to have basically no Internet. Text, weather, email, Kindle, that sort of thing. No browser, no socials.

We grabbed basically the last one available on a sale. I still have a 12 mini and DH still has a 13.

[Anonymous]

Mine have Google Pixel phones, same as me and DH. I forget which models. If they want something different they can pay for it themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13yo DS wants the iPhone 16 even though he has the 13. I told him no, but he said most kids at school have the newer models. I don't believe that to be true though, what phone models do your kids have?

My 18 year old has an iphone 14 Pro Max. I will probably get him a new phone for Christmas. I get him newer stuff if there is a deal, which is what happened last time. Otherwise, it just falls within our affordability range. Or now that he has a job, he can offer to pay a good portion of a new phone to meet his "wants" and my budget.

Yes, kids do compare phones. It's part of life, unfortunately. But better to teach them now about not keeping up with the Jones.

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI, I was at Verizon yesterday bc my husband was upgrading his old iPhone 11. Out youngest is getting her phone in a few months so I was checking on options for her too, and they said there is extremely limited stock in anything below a 16 currently (for new), and they do have the the deal for a free 16 if you are adding a new line right now, but it might be reduced soon depending on stock/tariffs. Obviously you can buy used but just in case anyone is looking for the free w/ new line from Verizon.

[Anonymous]

My kids have iPhone 10s and apple watch SEs that are gps-only

[Anonymous]

No phone now. Dumb stick phone when they start to drive.

[Anonymous]

14 yo - iPhone 13. I think she got it 2.5 years ago so it was pretty new then. My husband took her and he’s a tech guy and not very frugal so she definitely asked the right parent. But to be fair she takes very good care of her things and has never lost a phone.

17 yo - iPhone 15 - she bought this herself last year with summer job money. She had my old XR which is apparently “embarrassing” 😏 She has a long history of losing things like phones and computers (but this has gotten better…and she has paid herself in some cases)