Why kids shouldn't have cell phones...
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
August 11, 2011 10:41am CST
Well, kids who have nightmares shouldn't. Er, kids who have been known to sleepwalk and have nightmares. Sheesh.
So my nephew/cousin* Nick was staying with us for a week and a half. He visited with us and his grandmother (R's mom), and then we put him on a plane for Portland, where he was picked up by his other grandmother (my aunt). I knew he arrived safely, and I've been watching the pictures that my aunt posted on Facebook.
Last night I did not listen to myself, and ended up going to bed later than intended. Again. And I was just about to hit the bathroom before turning in, when R comes out with a really serious look and says "Dawn, come here". And I'm thinking, "gosh, the cat's dying or something", when I see that he's on the phone.
Well, R's brother, Klaus, had just gotten a phone call from Nick. He was crying like his heart was breaking, said he was in a park, and why hadn't he come and picked him up. Klaus wanted to know what the heck was going on.
So I called my aunt, thinking that maybe they had gone camping and Nick had wandered out of the tent or something. No answer. So I called his mom and let her know what was going on. She calls her mom, Nick, her step-father, her brother who is up there visiting. Nobody is picking up.
How can a person sleep at this point, right? So she calls the police - it's a small town anyway - and asks them to check things out. Well sure enough, they drop by, and Nick and everybody else is present and accounted for and sound asleep.
Kids shouldn't have cell phones. 
* So yeah, he's my nephew because he's R's brother's son, and he's my cousin because he's my cousin's son. We introduced them, but it didn't work out. This makes him my kids' first and second cousin btw. Confused yet? 
* So yeah, he's my nephew because he's R's brother's son, and he's my cousin because he's my cousin's son. We introduced them, but it didn't work out. This makes him my kids' first and second cousin btw. Confused yet? 6 people like this
23 responses
@celticeagle (168856)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Aug 11
Yes, I'm confused. Those cousins and nephews things get me all befuddled. So I may have read that other discussion early. Is this the first one? This is rather weird. I wonder if some kid was playing a prank or something. Coincidence is right! I think I will be scratching my head on this one for a while.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (168856)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Aug 11
I wonder if the kid was having a dream that he was back visiting you guys and actually made the phone call and it just didn't show on the phone. Hmmmm
2 people like this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Wow, you almost got me confused on the first and second cousin thing, but I got it...That is scary, and I am glad to hear it was a happy ending. So has anyone asked your nephew/cousin why he called?
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (161165)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Grr. That would make me so mad. Now you get to start a discussion about prank phone calls, right? Oh, and is your refrigerator running? Better go catch it. Glad Nick was A ok. So sorry for Klaus and all others who had to be disturbed. I hope they catch the prankster.I sure hope it was not a wrong number leaving some kid out in the dark in a park.
2 people like this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Or how about the old, "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" Yep,I remember those days. I also hope it was a prank and not a wrong number, I hate to think another child was calling for help..:(
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (161165)
• United States
11 Aug 11
A new hazard of the modern age. You have explained the relations before, but it still is confusing.Kids at least should not take their cell phones to bed with them. I bet Klaus is thrilled to know that he is missed. You, bad dawnald, need to go to bed earlier, and so do I.
2 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
11 Aug 11
From birth til my teenage years I didn't even know my home phone number! I hate phones to this day. I have a cellphone Only for emergencies . It remains turned off. So I agree no kid under 14 should have a cell phone.
2 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
11 Aug 11
This is why i am so glad my mom had me when she did. She didn't have to worry about me Not using it.
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Oh that's nothing.. my foster mom's sons were brothers and cousins.
She married her first husband.. had a couple kids, then got divorced. Then she turned around and married the guy's brother and had another kid with him.
Now the kicker is, the kids by the first husband both had CF. One child lived to 2 years old, the other lived to 30.
Years later, the younger brother, by the second dad, got a girl pregnant. He knew CF ran in his family, so went to get genetic testing.
It was fun for him to explain to the doctors why he felt he needed genetic testing.
Turns out the girl he got pregnant was a CF carrier also.. so the child had a 1 in 4 chance of having CF.. but thankfully the child is relatively healthy.. but is a carrier also.
2 people like this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
11 Aug 11
I have mixed feelings on this. I'd like mine to have something on them to at least contact the police if something should happen, but I could just see a certain one of them calling the police up to have a chat because she got "bored" during science class. I've been thinking about that though since they had a report on the news about someone being abducted and their life was saved because they had a cell phone with them.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Aug 11
He wasn't joking though, he had a nightmare. I don't think he even knew he did it.
@ElicBxn (63664)
• United States
22 Aug 11
I saw the update on this, so I'm not going to respond to that part...
I'm going to respond to the cousins stuff...
I took a cultural anthropology course in college and I got "ed-u-cated" on familial relationships.
I do understand what you are saying - and I was trying to explain to Maggiepie about cousins, 2nd, 3rds and once or twice removes...
I grew up seeing a first cousin, once removed, and it was only later I learned that she was actually my mother's first cousin, so the once removed was because she was, despite being closer to my age than my mothers, was related from that "generation". My mother's mother's younger sister not only was younger, but started her family later, so this cousin was only about 10 years older than I was and 15 yrs younger than my mother.
And then there's the roomie's folk's neighbor (the one who found Kismet and Oliver) who actually had custody of her sister/cousin for a while. You see, her father divorced her mother and married her aunt (mother's sister) so this gal was her half-sister and 1st cousin.
Why, yes, they ARE rednecks...
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
15 Aug 11
ahh okay, well I don't think you told me he did it in his sleep.. Idk lol I guess my mind was preoccupied... good thing he's safe and sound though.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Aug 11
He didn't do it at all, so now we're really perplexed as to whether it was a prank call, a wrong number, or what.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Aug 11
Totally confused.
So is R your cousin? Just can't work it out. I will have to draw your family tree or something. But then I am having a miserable confusing day waiting for a government agency to turn up from 9 am this morning
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So is R your cousin? Just can't work it out. I will have to draw your family tree or something. But then I am having a miserable confusing day waiting for a government agency to turn up from 9 am this morning. 1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Aug 11
No no, R's brother was married to my cousin...
What's the government want with you?
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Aug 11
It is an environmental agency and I want them to test the sea water in our cove. Just a safety measure.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (224035)
• Chile
12 Aug 11
All of my grandchildren are cellphone freaks. But I think it´s parent´s fault. Your story, Dawn, sounds like an adult´s nightmare. Just imagine the worry, the calling, the unnecessary calling the police... And, after all, dn´t we start by checking our children in the places where they should be? I mean, if it´s in the middle of the night, shouldn´t I check first the beds? I count noses, specially if the child has frecuent nightmares. But, by all means, the cell phone is out. I hope they have taken it away, at least for the night.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Aug 11
unfortunately we couldn't get the nose counter on the phone, yikes..
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Aug 11
I don't use all that stuff that comes with phones. Some of it, but mostly it's just a phone.
@marguicha (224035)
• Chile
12 Aug 11
. I´m glad I still use the d*** cell phone as a normal phone. It must be age.1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
16 Aug 11
My son, who is 11, has also been asking for a cellphone.
And he too sleepwalks at night. Sometimes, I bump into him in the hallway in the middle of the night, and he would be saying something jibberish.
So, I guess this example of yours is one more reason I could say NO to his constant-cellphone-asking!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Aug 11
Either that or you need to lock up the cell phone when he's sleeping.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Aug 11
Oh hey, he didn't even know he had done it...
@catof1 (683)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Sounds like my family lol. I agree with you if there should be a cut off time at least where you have the phone and they do not. I see my sister in law just letting them have it all day and when I look over their shoulders they are speaking in the most disgusting manner and crude. The mother know but does not care. WHy are there so many people like that out there?
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Aug 11
Usually he doesn't even pay attention to his phone. I think it's mostly just so his mom can get hold of him. I know when he was with us, she would call him, and end up calling me because he had left it somewhere and didn't pick up.
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
11 Aug 11
Children don't need cell phones... regardless of whether they are the sort to have vivid nightmares or not. There simply isn't any reason a child needs a cell phone; many, however, want cell phones and cannot differentiate between things that they simply want and things that they truly need.
Beyond that, if the boy continues having episodes like that, he may need to see a medical doctor and/or counselor.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Aug 11
Turns out he didn't make the call, at least there was no call logged under "sent". Not sure if it was a prank, a wrong number or what. But yeah my oldest didn't have one at that age, and my two who are that age don't have one.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
14 Aug 11
I'm not confused at all because of the fact that my best friend is from a small town where almost everyone is related in some way. For example, her ex-husband's girlfriend is his little sister's sister. In other words, his little sister is only his half sister and only his girl friend's half sister. Yes, it can get confusing. I also agree that children shouldn't have cell phones but it isn't for the reason that you've given.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Aug 11
Oh well I am joking, that isn't really a reason.
@pogi253 (1596)
• Philippines
12 Aug 11
One very good purpose to get your children a cell phone is that it lets you stay in touch with them at practically all times. And in the case of a real disaster, like a school bombing or terrorist violence, a cell phone can be your only lifeline to your children
1 person likes this
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
12 Aug 11
Well, that is an interesting circle of love. It's amazing what people will do while they are sleeping. Thank goodness everything was ok. Best Wishes!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Aug 11
Turns out the call wasn't from him, so we have a mystery on our hands.
@minomarimat (372)
• Philippines
12 Aug 11
Yes, because one, they don't really need those, and two, these gadgets would only affect their learning at school.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Aug 11
Oh the teachers don't let them use them at school...
@carldavies1234 (2)
•
12 Aug 11
your absolutly right. They need to be younger in my opinion.
1 person likes this
