re: 18 point rule with kids iphone

Quoting whack a mole crazy:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Jude the Super Kinkster:</b>" I think it's a big smurf you to ... [snip!] ... anything."</blockquote> Exactly! If she is like this to his phone do you think she is controling in other areas?"

Do you REALLY call this controlling for a 13 year old...

(contract quoted 
Here’s the whole contract that came with Greg’s iPhone, for Christmas:

1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
2. I will always know the password.
3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
8. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.
10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person ? preferably me or your father.
11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.
13. Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.
14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.
15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.
18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.
It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. Most of the lessons listed here do not just apply to the iPhone, but to life. You are growing up in a fast and ever changing world. It is exciting and enticing. Keep it simple every chance you get. Trust your powerful mind and giant heart above any machine. I love you. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas!
xoxoxo
Mom

Quoting whack a mole crazy:" Idk if any of you have seen this artical but this mom gave her 13 year old a phone.. She made 18 rules ... [snip!] ... If you were so concerned and strict about it why give the kid a phone? Its almost like teasing him. What do you ladies think?"

You actually are misrepresenting some of what she said here. She did NOT say he can't call someone unless he talks to the parents - she said don't call if you wouldn't call the land line:

Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

Frankly I think his whole generation would be better off if MORE parents set up better parameters for their 13 yr olds & you are damn right I'd say no porn - it IS illegal for him to be looking at it anyway. 13 yr old boys don't need to feel free to be looking it up on their gadgets day & night, especially the gadgets mom & dad are paying for. ALLLL of humanity survived just fine before the ability to watch porn. I am sure he'll get by.

Seeing as though neither of us even have a cell phone we most likely won't be getting our children any phones. We survived our teen years without one, I'm sure my kids can too. Now if they want to save up for one and buy it themselves that would be ok. I might have some similar rules about using it safely and respectfully but I would put some trust in my kid. I wouldn't demand passwords unless they gave me a reason to. I'd rather get my kids an e-reader or tablet at that age honestly.

Quoting justanothamotha:" Yuck - I had one for ages. I had to for work & they could call me 24/7, although they thankfully ... [snip!] ... help. Everyone knew I had to have it on me all the time for work too - so they also thought I should be reachable all the time."

If it's really needed for work, they should provide one... My SO is in the military and they provide cell phones when they're on call, and only when they're on call.

Quoting Kayla [ ]♥:" If it's really needed for work, they should provide one... My SO is in the military and they provide cell phones when they're on call, and only when they're on call."

Oh they did provide it - that didn't change how I felt about it. LOL I did sales, so I had unlimited minutes, etc & they told me I was free to use for personal use as well as long as that didn't interfere with me doing business. I had one when I started that job & cancelled my contract when it came up for renewal, no sense paying for one when I had use of one for free. Then when I stopped working there, I decided not to get one.