Phone time for teens
By brendalee
@brendalee (6082)
United States
December 9, 2006 6:00pm CST
I am curious what other parents would do in this situation. My boyfriend's 14 year old son likes to talk on the phone but we limit him to a half hour a day. Mainly because he is failing one subject in school and his other grades are dropping a little. He is blowing a fit about it. Do you give your kids time limits on the phone or do you think we are being mean?
15 responses
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
10 Dec 06
I do not feel that you are being mean at all. He needs to understand the importance of having a good education and doing well in his studies. It is important to have friends too but there needs to be a limit so that he will do his homework and studies. I would set limits too, depending if their phone calls or habits were distracting them from getting their work done.
@brendalee (6082)
• United States
10 Dec 06
Thank you. I really didn't think we were being mean either but according to him we are.
@mansha (6298)
• India
10 Dec 06
Though my son is not a teen yet but he loves to talk on phone and we keep cutting his conversations.He has just picked up this habit for past two months.I think you are not being mean at all.I have a system in my house.I have a board where kids can write whatewver they feel like.The days they hate me they right that they have got a very bad mum and the day they feel surge of love I find he has written world's best mom.One thing I was wondering is he comfortable with you in his life.How much friendship do you share with him,He does not miss his mother.I think you should discuss this with him and tell him you do not want to take his mother's place ever but would like to be there to take care of him as his mother would also have liked him to have a caring person in his life.
@brendalee (6082)
• United States
11 Dec 06
He still sees his mother. She hates me and lets him know it too. His and my relationship is ok. He says sometimes he can talk to me better than his father.
@suren2k6cse (2621)
• India
11 Dec 06
ok i will accept your limit, first studies. dont do this limit daily
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
10 Dec 06
You are the parent and whatever you think is right, then I'm sure that is the best thing.
I have two kids, they are not even close to being in their teens yet, but if they were and I had the same problem as you are, I would probably take the phone and maybe even more away. I wouldn't even allow the half hour phone time.
But if he was actually showing he was trying to pull his grades up, by studying, then I might let him have an hour on the phone a day, but only if he was showing me he cared about his grades and spent more time studying.
Whatever you decide, I'm sure will be good. Remember you are the parent. Stand your grounds.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
10 Dec 06
I think that it is good that you are limiting his phone activity. Since he is failing a subject he should not be able to do whatever he wants when he wants. He needs to focus on his studies. He needs to learn that there are consequences to his actions. I am sure he will thank you once he passes the course and can move on to the next grade level with his friends. Even if he wasn't punished I think his phone time should be a set time limit. I think it is crazy for kids to spend so much time on the phone when they have so many other things that they could be doing.
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
10 Dec 06
My Grandaughter is always on the phone it is pathetic the way she stays on the phone, but she has her own cell phone, she is 15 yrs. old.
@michele609 (1687)
• United States
10 Dec 06
if he don't have time to study then he should not have that mucch time to talk on the phone unless he wants to work in a call center for his whole life. If he keeps flunking I will take from him completely! A childs education is very important once they see that they can slack then its hard to get them back on track. So I think you are doing the right thing!
@soldenski (2503)
• United States
10 Dec 06
I did not think boy's really liked to talk on the phone..well you learn something everyday. My daughter is allowed to talk on her cell phone (she has free incoming) all she want's, as long as her work is done. I would limit his time on the phone because he is failing a subject but once he change's the grade, I would allow him longer time, not much longer if that's the only phone at home.
@chiquita1977 (1706)
• United States
10 Dec 06
my kids are to young to talk on the phone but when i was growing up my mom gave me a time limit of 15 minutes.no i do not think it is mean especiaaly since we all know how much teenagers love to talk on the phone.and if you didnt put a time limit you would never get him off the phone.
@raghwagh (1527)
• India
10 Dec 06
I think so that parents should limit the phone time for kids.I parents do not limit the phone time for kids then there are chances of the kids to go on wrong track.Also parents should also follow the same rule ther teach their children.Telephone is not ment for just chatting for long long time.It should be used only when required.
@magdollars23 (1684)
• United States
10 Dec 06
I dont have kids but I would give them a sort of a time limit on the phone. I wouldnt want them on the phone all times of the night but once they get older then thats on them. But if their grades begin to drop as a result then I would take the phone away altogether.
