Debate DH and I are having - and we may get cell phones for the kids.

redplaydoh wrote: We're considering getting cell phones for the kids. Which started this whole blasted debate between me and DH again. Before you have heart failure the phones are made for small kids, hang around the neck (safety break-away cord) and only has a maximum of 4 numbers that can be dialed by one-touch dialing. No message service or mailbox.

The best feature though is a GPS tracking system that I can track them online to see where they are, for instance if they get lost. This feature even works while the phone is off. There is an emergency button that if pressed dials all 4 numbers until someone answers. It also calls our number if they venture out of a 5 km area that we program.

The phone is free with our plan and will only cost 20 Francs (each phone) a month and those 4 numbers are free when called from that phone so there isn't a risk that they could run our bill up.

Here's a link so you can see the phone.
www.nexttrack.ch/shop/index.php

We're considering this because here (it is a big thing) that the kids are expected to walk to Kindergarten by themselves. The schools strongly encourage this. Kindergarten here starts at 4 so you see my concerns. Even if the school is across the street from us. I can just see Lucas deciding he wants to go to the playground or shopping instead and getting majorly sidetracked. We're fortunate the kindergarten IS across the street but for many kids they have to walk quite a distance. I'm having lots of anxiety in letting Lucas do this, just crossing ONE street. But it's been done this way for years and the school really feels it teaches the children self-confidence, resposibility, and independence, which I agree but they're still FOUR !!!

I remember walking to school at 5 which was about 6 blocks away. But I've told DH 1,000 times unsuccessfully that this day and age we live in is a different world than when we were small. I strongly believe that there are more pedophiles, child predators, child murderers, abductors and sociopathic people than when we were small. He strongly disagrees and says we just hear about it more through the news (global village thanks to the internet) than when we were young. He thinks there were just as many then, but you didn't hear about it daily.
My opinion is that there may have been just as many with those thoughts/desires but thanks in part to the internet they are now able to sit anonymously behind their computer and live out these fantasies, talk with others that think the same and therefore at some point it becomes ok in their minds to cross that line. So I believe there are more "acting" on it now.
I feel that even a small risk is too much when it comes to my boys.

His favorite comeback when I worry about these things. He says, "Do YOU know anyone personally that this has happened to" and I say no, because I don't... and he says that of all the people I know, not one has had this happen so the chances of it happening to us is so very small it isn't worth calculating" He makes me nuts sometimes!

lisar replied: I recommend the watch instead. You have to have alittle key to take it off and anytime the watch is taken off it alerts 911 of thier location. You can also track them on GPS with it. Its like $120.00 for the watch. But I think its well worth it. Better than a cell phone someone can steal from them.

stella6979 replied: I think the phones that only allow for a few certain numbers to be called are great for kids to have. It's the regular cellphones that I have a problem with.

Calimama replied:
I agree! Bella will probably have one.

redplaydoh replied:
That would be a great solution, other than in Switzerland we haven't seen the watches and we don't have 911.

There is one company here that does do something similar to the watch, it's an arm band that can't be removed. The problem is that it is around $1600 to set up and $80/per month for the monitoring and the kids don't have a way to call us if they needed to.

If someone steals the cell phone we can track the phone and try to recover it. I don't think this would be a "hot" item others would want to steal anyway.

luvbug00 replied: To be honest and this is no attack on you. but IMHO cell phones for anyone under 16 is utterly rediculas. I realize you have a differant culture from myself and i respect that i was wondering why they reccomend kids that young to walk alone?? Mya is 6 and if she wants to walk to school she can FORGET IT. i can't immagine an educator encurraging her to do that at 4.

gr33n3y3z replied: since you dont have much of a choice I think thats a great idea
But walking to school alone it would never happen at the age of 4 regurdless of who says what.

Cece00 replied: Well, I personally would never let my 4 yr old walk to school unless the school was next door or something. And I dont think cell phones for kids are a good idea, either. Although the one you are speaking about, I dont consider too bad...as far as real cell phones for preteens, I find that kind of absurd.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: My 4 year old goes to school - he gets picked up by the school bus. It is required that an adult (someone over 16 really) be there with him, or the driver will report that the child was out alone. Same goes for drop off - the bus drivers will not allow the young kids to stand off the bus on their own. That is, until they are in 1st grade. But that's still 6 yrs old. And I don't care, but I will be at my child's bus stop until they are like 12.

No seriously - I think that yes, it can encourage responsibility, boost self-confidence etc.... but NOBODY is going to force me to make my 4 year old walk to school alone. Nobody.

And when my child is embarassed to have their mom wait for them at the bus... I will still wait.... but out of immediate sight.

cameragirl21 replied: i don't see a problem with the cell phones and they sound like they'd give you peace of mind BUT i don't think the school can or should force you to allow your child to walk if you're not comfortable with that. no 4 year old of mine would ever walk anywhere by him/herself and i wouldn't care what the school or anyone else expected. IMO 4 is way too young to go anywhere outside the house by him/herself. a 4 year is still just a toddler, really.
JMO of course.

redplaydoh replied:
I agree, but I'm the ONLY one here that seems to think so...

cameragirl21 replied:
it doesn't matter, DeAnn, they're YOUR children and the decision is yours and yours alone. it's easy for the school to make decisions like this when it's not their kids' lives and well being on the line.
no way would i ever consider letting a 4 year old walk anywhere unsupervised, the very idea strikes me as ludicrous.

Crystalina replied: Both of my kids have cell phones similiar to the one you describe (OP). Only four numbers can be dialed, safety cord, 911, I can track them from my phone or while I'm online. It also shows at what speed the phone is traveling. It's great. It's the Migo phone from Verizon. My kids are only 3 and 5 and they take very good care of their phones and it's actually teaching them responsibility. They have had their phones for about 6 mos. now and I love them. Thank God we have never needed them in an emergency situation but it's good to know that if it is ever needed they can use them and know how. When we go anywhere I put their phones on their pants.

For me it's all about safety. They can't call anyone but the numbers I programmed in and I can change them whenever I want (without having the phone with me.) I need to know that if for some reason I lose my kids in a store (God Forbid!) I can call them and communicate with them to better find them. I don't see how anyone would not want that for their child. I did not read all of the posts so if anyone was against phones I'm not directing my last sentance at you. It's just the way that I feel and I think it's a great thing to have child friendly cell phones.

**ETA**
That whole kindergarteners have to walk to school by themselves thing?!!! WTH? That is one rule I'd be breaking right away. My 4 or 5 yr old would not be walking to school by themselves. That is ludacris.

kimberley replied: under those circumstances, i think i would be getting that phone. but as other's said, i'd be breaking the "walk to school alone" rule all the time. that is nuts for a 4yo!