Nope… not just a funny play on words. I actually want to have a discussion about text messaging… More importantly kids/teens and text messaging. There is nothing more fun on a Thursday morning than a little “safe text”… right?
Do your kids have cell phones or have you been thinking about getting them one? If you have turned on Dateline or any “news” show you have probably seen horror stories on kids and sexting or texting while driving or sending naked photos while underwater basket weaving. (sorry… making fun of the “news” shows… not the subject) Thankfully my kids hate baskets so I have never had to worry about that last part. Because I would hate for them to get basket burn.
So up until recently my kids had access to text message the Pope if they wanted to. With rules… lots and lots of rules… of course (like no phones at the table… It’s one of those do I say not do as I do rules). But we all know that once kids hit teenagerdom that their brains turn to some sort of alien goo… or strained peas… or something. So I worried. And I don’t do well with worry. It makes my brain turn to alien goo.
But my worry was always put aside because of convenience. I like to text message my kids to confirm they are where they say they are. Dinner time… Or most importantly to bring me a cold Diet Coke. So I kept the text messaging on their phones. (Yes I am that lazy… And almost proud of it.)
Thankfully I had a moment of brief clarity and remembered the special “family allowances” feature my cell phone carrier has (who is TMobile by the way… and they rock for family plans and parental control features.) I logged into my account on their site. And 5 minutes later I had restricted text messaging on my children’s lines… except to select phone numbers.
GENIUS I tell you… genius. Now I get ice cold Diet Coke with one quick text and peace of mind.
So what are your thoughts on text messaging? Are you the “trusting” kind? The “stop it before it starts” kind? Or the ‘eh, kids will be kids” kind?
Not sponsored…
I had no idea you could do this. Excellent.
I am the trusting kind but I should probably go in and do some parental controlling. We only have one teenager with the phone, and she isn’t too attached to it. And I often pick it up randomly and scroll through her text messages before she can blink!
Cowboy & I are control freaks to a certain extent when it comes to the cell phones. We make it clear to our kids that their phones are for OUR convenience, not theirs. They don’t get a phone until they are 16. No texting at the table. No texting after 9 (they have to plug them in at night in our room). They still text way more than I like and I have no idea who they are texting. Here’s the scary part: We have no control over my step-son’s phone because his mom controls that. She got him his first phone (a nice one) when he was 10. Silly. Then when he was 12 she got him a Droid. TWELVE!!!!!! I. Was. Freaking. Out! What 12 yo needs full access to the internet? (He’s 14 now). Needless to say, he has major attitude problems and I attribute much of it to his phone. Grrrr.
So glad my kids were raised before this was an issue!
Lets talk about TEXT BABY Lets talk about YOU AND ME. Great now you have that in my head.
I hear ya. It’s a touchy subject around here. I’m all for waiting until he is in college, or at least until he has a job and can pay for it himself! We’ve had enough problems over Facebook. Although now that I think about it, I’d give him a cell phone if I could get him to give up that durn Xbox. I hate that thing! It’s such a time suck.