Ah youth...

[sara1998]

Originally Posted by Sarah

There's just a thing about this board that is like.. okay.. post a story. Now everybody jump in and talk about how rotten the world is! I don't get that. The girl won 25k from a cell phone manufacturer. She's like, what, 12, and people are insisting that what she's done is meaningless and that she should donate the money to charity? Kill. Joy.

Personally, I hope homegirl keeps every cent for herself uses it to get her future started right, but I'm not gonna say what SHOULD happen to that 25k until I take my ass up there and win it myself.

Yeah. She's a kid. Take 15 or 20 grand and invest it in a college fund. Take the rest and play with it. She's a young kid, and won $25000 for a "skill" she has. That's exciting!!! If you walked into a pizza parlor and won $25000 for being their millionth customer, would that be meaningless to you? Would you donate it all to charity, or would you pay your bills off and buy something nice for yourself? Charity is nice, but being a poor white girl, I believe charity starts at home. I have myself, kids, and family who could use a little charity.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by sara1998

Yeah. She's a kid. Take 15 or 20 grand and invest it in a college fund. Take the rest and play with it. She's a young kid, and won $25000 for a "skill" she has. That's exciting!!! If you walked into a pizza parlor and won $25000 for being their millionth customer, would that be meaningless to you? Would you donate it all to charity, or would you pay your bills off and buy something nice for yourself? Charity is nice, but being a poor white girl, I believe charity starts at home. I have myself, kids, and family who could use a little charity.

People around here just HATE it when someone get a wad o cash. People around here also love to tell people what to do with their money --- yet, if that same judgment was put on them, they'd balk. In the end, I do not want anyone telling me what to spend my money on, so you likely are not going to hear me chastise someone else's spending habits with their mad money.

As for this girl, I am happy she won. I think her parents should put 90% of it aside for college, but that is just me

As for kids with cell phones, most adults I know are FAR more annoying with them. Moreover, if my kid was in trouble and could not call me because of some ban on kids with cell phones, I'd go a huntin' for the person that banned them.

[sasja]

I am a mom... my sons are still babies though, at 19 months and nine weeks.

Still. I don't even have a cellphone, nor does my husband. So if the boys at this time were teenagers I wouldn't see them having any either.

I like peace. And quiet. So does my husband.
We have one phone, and people can leave a message, as we answer the darn thing maybe 80% of the time. I don't want to be pressured into having to communicate all the time. Silence is golden.

As for "being able to get in touch in case of an emergency" I just hope such emergencies are few and far between and to raise two sons who can cope with them. I know. But I am an optimist and trust my parenting skills

Of course who knows what the world'll look like 14 years from now. Sigh.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by Kelly

My older two kids have cell phones. One is 16 and pays for it himself. My 12 year old has a prepaid and buys the minutes himself with his paper money. (he works, delivers newspapers.....so kids can have phones and be responsible and have manners as well....SHOCKER)
My 12 year old is also addicted to the computer and has to be monitered like a hawk. (he has a time limit, etc) However, he also knows how to play outside and get dirty. He plays baseball, skateboards and rides his bike pretty much every day after school. So a kid can still play outside and have fun, but also use a computer. Maybe when some of you actually have kids, you will understand that things are not all black and white.
Why in the world should a kid not have an MP3 player?? My Mom took me to my first Stevie concert when I was in grade school! She bought me BellaDonna on cassette when it first came out.
I loved music and so do my kids. I put the music on their MP3's so I see no harm in them having one. Did you guys have walkman's or boom boxes when you were a kid?


Kids who have cell phones, tv, mp3's can also have manners. These things do not make them spoiled brats, bad parenting does.


I would rather my kid be able to call me if he was hurt or in trouble ....and that does not mean I do not know where my kids are either. Again, things are not that black or white. I know where my kids are most of the time and they could still get into trouble and I feel better knowing they can get in touch with me or vice versus. An example of this happened about a month ago. My oldest son left for school at 6:45 in the morning. I was in the shower, getting ready for work. I heard my cell ringing, it was my son, Matt. He tells me he is in an ambulance, that he passed out at the bus stop. He did not eat breakfast that morning and he got light headed from low blood sugar. (of course I offered to make him breakfast, he said he wanted to eat at school that morning) He passed out and hit his face on the curb. He had to get five stiches in his eyebrow and four caps on his teeth. I knew where my kid was...on his way to school but he still needed to get in touch with me. I am sure I could have waited for a call on my house phone from the police or a phone call from the hospital, like the old days but it was comforting to him to be able to talk to me. He was alone and scared and talking to me made him feel better. Without his cell, he could not have done that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but most parents do not use a cell phone or computer as their new "babysitter".

This is my point. Looks like you are raising responsible kids. Not everyone does. I wouldn't venture to say that "most parents" do not use technology as their new babysitter either. No, I don't have kids & there's a reason for that - I don't want to deal with them. But I'd say it's 50/50 with the parents I know as far as good vs. lazy parenting, to be honest. Social skills & physical fitness are seriously lacking for many of the kids I know. It's sad.

As far as the mp3 issue, that's my opinion, it's what I would do if I had kids. I'm not saying everyone who buys their kids this stuff is a bad parent, not at all. But I don't like the fact that it's become an assumption that every kid has to have a tv, dvd, mp3, cell phone, video game system, etc. Yes, I had a boombox - the same one from the age of 8 until I was 15. It was special to me, a prized possession. I didn't assume I should have one just because. I was proud & excited that my parents gave me one. Oh, and it cost about $25 (as opposed to my mp3 which cost $125.) I mean, really, it's all relative, and of course I sound like "back in my day....when I was your age.....etc." but it's how I feel. Sorry you disagree.

As far as constant texting, I think it's rude when you're at dinner, or at a movie, or having a conversation with someone & they're texting at the same time. It's obvious that they're not giving you their full attention & it's rude. It's an interruption - same as if they had started suddenly speaking to someone else while you were in the middle of a convo with them, or people who yak on the cell whenever & wherever they may be. Over 400 texts per day? How is there time for much else?

[skcin]

I had to.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/04/26/i...eut/index.html

Report: Text messaging harms written language

April 26, 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland (Reuters) -- The rising popularity of text messaging on mobile phones poses a threat to writing standards among Irish schoolchildren, an education commission says.

The frequency of errors in grammar and punctuation has become a serious concern, the State Examination Commission said in a report after reviewing last year's exam performance by 15-year-olds.

"The emergence of the mobile phone and the rise of text messaging as a popular means of communication would appear to have impacted on standards of writing as evidenced in the responses of candidates," the report said, according to Wednesday's Irish Times. "Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

The report laments that, in many cases, candidates seemed "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses and a limited vocabulary".

In 2003, Irish 15-year-olds were among the top 10 performers in an international league table of literacy standards compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.