100 Days of Ghoulie power, Part II (Page 37)

Morning Ghoulies. It is early

Robin!

What'cha doin'?

workin'

Then I'll get on the trainer after a bit. How about you?

I'm just chillin'. I don't have a whole lot to do at work, so I read and study a lot. I'm going to take a test for a network certification sometime in the next month or so.

I have spent a little bit of time this morning online. My son is going to play football for the school in the fall. I'm considering getting him just a basic cell phone to have with him so he can call if he misses the late bus and needs a ride home (the boy only has 1 speed and it isn't fast), or if he's at an away game he can call when they get back. I will most likely be at all of his games, and his dad will try to make most if not all of them, but he will ride back with the team. We can go home and start dinner, or do whatever instead of sitting in a parking lot waiting for him.

What does THE VILLAGE think? Is 12 too young for a cell phone? I'm not worried about him using up minutes or texting on it, he doesn't like to talk on the phone and I doubt he'll have the patience to text with a basic phone.

Cell phones are a great tool for convenience as well as safety. I think it is just fine. It is also good to teach some manners... like not using it when other folks are talking, at meals, etc. The earlier you start that, the better.

That's it. I'm looking at it from the safety standpoint. I remember when I was in school sometimes waiting for hours before my mom would answer the phone to come pick me up. She'd be on the phone and the line would be busy, even though she should have known to be expecting us grrrrr, there was no call waiting back then either. He's a responsible kid, but he's also naive, and could easily be taken advantage of. I DON'T want him to have to wait for hours for a ride. He's also starting to be more indepentent and wanting to hang out with friends, I want him to be able to call if he needs a ride, or to ask permission to do something, or at least let me know where he's going (if I would break down and get him a smart phone I can use the parental features and stalk him ). I'm not a helicopter parent, but I do worry about my kids.

There is also the benefits of teaching him about responsibility from everything from asking permission, keeping you informed, to actually keeping the phone in working order. It is a privilege that can be revoked, along with the freedom granted with the use of the phone. My son "got it", he seems a lot like your son in temperament. He realized that keeping the phone working and using it (to let us know of changes in plans, etc) allowed him freedoms he wouldn't have otherwise. He kept it working and let us know what we needed to know. We could also call him when we needed to. The Girl, she lost lots of freedom because she "forgot" to call us, "forgot" to turn it on, "forgot" to charge it... yada yada yada. I had to explain to her that she could NOT be mad at us for taking away her privileges that she was responsible for losing. Fun times.

Our boys and our girls sound very similiar.

Anne, I agree with Robin.  If it is a matter of safely and convenience for all then do it.  And if he is not going to be at a place that he can easily walk home from, it will save you the time of sitting in the parking lot and waiting.  I would make the expectations clear as to what the phone is for.

My son was a lot like your daughters.  I can't tell you how many times he claimed the phone was not charged and that was why he could not call home.  That excuse did not fly because he would be with other people with phones and I would tell him that he should have just borrowed someones phone.   And we arent' talking a teenager, we are talking about a young adult.  He is much better now.  If you are going to live at home, then you still have to follow basic expectations no matter what your age, and letting people know that you aren't coming home is one of them.

Hey Kendra.

Goals are good! and those are some good goals!

Good morning Ghoulies!

My daughter was up in the middle of the night vomiting again. This 24 hour stomach bug has long overstayed its welcome. I'm working from home today.

Morning Ghoulies.

Dang, Ann. She has been one sick lil' punkinhead lately!

I am off to drive to Asheville so the hubbie can pick up his car. This afternoon I am running up a mountain. Okay, it will be mostly walking, but still.

He's training for a marathon, he can run to pick up his car!

That made me snort coffee! That would be a tad longer than a marathon. It is about 30 miles, over the mountain divide.

No one ever said that marathon training would be easy?

Good morning Ghoulies.

today's morning workout was a walk and talk with friends.  Started out with two other people and we picked up two more on the way.  Nice to catch up with neighbors.

TOPPAGE!!!

I had her there last Tuesday, but I think I'm taking her back. She has vomited 6 of the last 12 nights. Doesn't sound like a 24 hour thing to me.

No, it sounds like something else is going on for sure.

X2!