Home phone or cell phone for kids at home by self?

[ang79]

Due to a change in the school times for the intermediate schools in our district, soon to be 11 yr. old DD1 (going into 5th grade) may have some mornings where she has to get on the bus after DH and I leave for work. This wouldn't be frequent, just on days that I substitute teach in a building that is not hers or next to hers (there are 2 other schools within walking distance from hers that I am at frequently). One of the buildings I am at frequently is not near hers though and I have to leave a half hour before her bus and DH has to leave after he puts DD2 on the bus, which is 25 min. before her bus. She is very responsible and has a house key (had to let herself in a few times after school last year for a very short amount of time before I got home). There will be 2 other girls (siblings) that I know of at our bus stop to catch the same bus, but no parents. And the one other girl gave her some problems at the end of last school year (purposely ignoring her in order to hang out with an older girl, telling her she wasn't cool enough because she doesn't have her own phone, tablet, etc.) We are not friendly with the parents of this family, but there are other older neighbors on our street that if there were a problem, DD's could stop by to use their phone, etc. I'm hesitant to leave her at home to get on the bus by herself without phone access though (we don't have a house phone and she doesn't have her own cell phone). I really do not want to give her her own cell phone, mainly because I think it is ridiculous that kids her age have phones and I see how the kids are obsessed with phones and technology at such a young age (I substitute teach in our school district), and I want to avoid that as long as possible! This is really the only instance that a cell phone would come in handy for her.

So, DH and I are considering setting up my old iphone 4s to keep at the house as an emergency phone. That way if she misses her bus, or her bus is running extremely late due to bad weather, she can walk back to the house to call me and let me know. We can do a $2/day usage plan through AT&T GoPhone (DH and I also use GoPhone) but only get charged when it is not used over wi-fi. I'd have to purchase a monetary card to put those charges on and the exp. date is 90 days, so I'm not sure we would really use up the whole card if they are only using it over wi-fi. Plusses of the cell phone are they could use it to text and call my mom and their cousins instead of stealing my phone to do that. I'd have to figure out how to put parent controls on it to stop accidental app purchases or surfing the internet over wi-fi though. The other option is to add a home phone through our comcast account. I'd need to call Comcast to ask about expense, etc. for that and I hate talking to Comcast customer service. I'm guessing it will cost more than doing the cheap cell phone plan though. Advantage is we would have a house phone number for the girls' friends to call them on and I wouldn't have to figure out parent controls, etc. for a cell phone.

So, home phone or cell phone (left at home)? If we go the cell phone route, any tips on parent controls I can set on the iphone? Other rules I would put in place (not that I envision the girls breaking these rules at this point, but I want them to be used to them before they eventually do get their own phones when they are older) are that it has to charge in the kitchen at night (not in their bedrooms), and that DH and I can and will check their call/text history. They do not have any social media accounts, but if they eventually get those, we would also check up on their accounts and posts. Anything else I should consider?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I haven't really understood how so many have ditched their land line. I hate using my iPhone as a phone. It's not near as comfy as our real phone. I also much prefer having a non-cell number to give out as there are plenty of people I don't need calling me when I'm out and about. So, I clearly vote house phone. :)


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[TwinFoxes]

I'd just get her a cheap burner phone with pre-paid minutes. Not even a smartphone.

[ang79]

I'd just get her a cheap burner phone with pre-paid minutes. Not even a smartphone.

Well the perks of using my old iphone are that we already have it and I think she may be able to face time on it with my mom and her cousins (I think the 4S has that capability over wi-fi). Just don't want them to have open access to data (the plan won't have data but DH said she can still access it when on wi-fi).

[KrisM]

We have kept a landline for this type of a reason. That is what the kids give to their friends to call to set up play times, too. I don't need 10 year olds calling my cell looking for one of the kids.

[ellies mom]

I have a landline through Comcast for just this type of reason. I don't want to have to worry about dead batteries or a phone that has wandered off. If my kids or whoever is watching them needs to get in touch with me, I want them to be able to just pick up the phone and call.


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[AnnieW625]

I haven't really understood how so many have ditched their land line. I hate using my iPhone as a phone. It's not near as comfy as our real phone. I also much prefer having a non-cell number to give out as there are plenty of people I don't need calling me when I'm out and about. So, I clearly vote house phone. :)


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Yes to this, almost exactly except I am slowly getting used to holding the iPhone 7, but at home I still prefer a traditional handset. Dd1 will eventually have a cell phone with a local number (DH and I still have numbers from our old home area), but we will most likely always have a land line as well.


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[khm]

When we were in this boat I got an Ooma phone to keep a home number without being beholden to a phone company. Bought the unit for $80 and $4 per month.

But after the fact I wished I'd have done a dumb phone and just treated it like a home phone. Then the kids could have used it out of the house on occasion when the situation called for it.

I am sure you could use the old iPhone and just block all the stuff you don't want her to access. You could block wifi from the router if you can't do it from the phone etc.

[TwinFoxes]

Well the perks of using my old iphone are that we already have it and I think she may be able to face time on it with my mom and her cousins (I think the 4S has that capability over wi-fi). Just don't want them to have open access to data (the plan won't have data but DH said she can still access it when on wi-fi).

Well, yes if you want her to be able to Facetime in addition to just having a phone for emergencies then the iPhone is the way to go.

As for how to set up parental controls, the restrictions in "settings" of the iphone can make it so you can block off a lot of apps, including access to Safari.

[lurksalot]

Will your old iPhone dial 911 even without any minutes loaded? I think all cell phones have to be able to dial 911. If this is the case, why not just set up a facetime account on your old iPhone for her to use to facetime you or your husband, this way, she can use the house wi-fi to facetime you. Also, there are apps (kik) that allow you to "text" using wi-fi. Oh yeah, one of me students uses her icloud account to text me, I am pretty sure she is on wi-fi only.

[bisous]

I'm not a fan of home lines. I don't like the marketing calls that inevitably come. I don't like having another line to check voicemail. I like having my calls come to ME. I don't like paying for them with their myriads of taxes that I didn't know about when I budgeted for it. I do like talking on the larger size of "home" phones. I just don't think the extra stuff makes it worth it. I think if it were me I'd use your old phone and just turn off Safari. We've done that with DS1's phone and it has worked well.

[MommyAllison]

We are going with a landline for our similarly aged kids, for many of the reasons others said.

However, we did give DD1 our old iphone4 to use as an itouch (wifi only), and I was pretty impressed by the parental controls! We deleted Safari off the phone completely and set up her iTunes account as a child account, which is under my account's control so I have to put in my password when she wants to get something from the app store or iTunes. She is able to text people with Apple devices, which is almost everyone in our lives ;) for those with android phones, she emails instead.

[sariana]

We have an landline, and DC (13 & 9) don't have cell phones. But one drawback to the landline is that DC can't call many of our neighbors (if they need help) because neighbors have only cells with outside area codes. We have no long distance service on our landline, so no calls can go to those phones with "foreign" area codes. DC can't even call their dad! His phone number was a work number and is outside our area code.

But they can call me, which is what they use it for right now.

DS should have got a cell phone for his 13th birthday, but he is SO irresponsible that it didn't happen.

[jacksmomtobe]

You might want her to have some form of cell phone so that she could text you once on the bud to indicate that she made the bus to give yourself or husband some reassurance. I think you can go into it that the phone is only for limited purposes and set up controls. Around here middle school is the norm for a cell phone. We live in a small city and at around 5th grade both my kids started gaining independence and going places with friends. It's nice to be able to track them down and also know that they arrived somewhere safely especially now that ds is biking places.

[mommy111]

Really, the only reason to get a home phone would be if you didn't want her to have a cell. A cell phone is so much more functional in pretty much every single other way.

[MSWR0319]

We have a landline for this type of thing. We have free long distance on it because it was actually cheaper to bundle it with our TV so I don't have to worry about the kids calling their friends with non-local numbers. I don't want DS's friends calling me either. Plus, one of mine has severe food allergies and should anyone need to call 911, I need to make sure there's a phone that everyone knows how to use and it's always charged, etc. My mom doesn't work her cell very well and it's just easier for my 5 year old to call on a home phone should the need ever arise.

[JElaineB]

We do have a landline but I wouldn't get one just for this situation. Give your daughter the old iPhone, lock down the features you don't want her to use, and let her have it at home or on the go. She sounds responsible and is doing many things fairly independently and it seems like she would be safer if she has a way to communicate with you anywhere she happens to be, not just at home.

[lalasmama]

I'd do the cell phone, personally. A few reasons: if bus is late due to bad weather and you want her to walk home to call to let you know, she could easily miss the bus; if she's interested in starting sports sometime soon, it's helpful for her to have it to call you if practice is over with early/late; if she's coming home to an empty house, but is running late, she can call you from anywhere to let you know what is going on. The side benefit of keeping in touch with cousins, grandparents, friends, etc.

When DD got a cell phone, she was in 6th grade. It stayed as a house phone other than on sports' days, when she needed it to tell us she was ready to be picked up after meets and such.

[Pear]

We have a tracfone for this purpose.

[ang79]

Really, the only reason to get a home phone would be if you didn't want her to have a cell. A cell phone is so much more functional in pretty much every single other way.

I think this is why I'm hesitating! I just see so many kids in the schools (even elementary school!) addicted to playing around on their phones so I'm trying to avoid that with my kids! In our schools the kids are not allowed to have their phones out during the day but as soon as the bell rings they all grab them and start playing games or texting each other. Last year a bunch of kids in my daughter's class (4th grade) missed their buses at the end of the day because they were so engrossed in their phones.

All of her after school activities have very strict start/end times so she's not at the state yet where she has to call me to come pick her up. She is still in intermediate school (4-6th grades). I was trying to hold off on her own cell phone til at least 7th grade when she is in Jr. High. But maybe I will have to frame this as it is a house phone, except on the days she is catching the bus by herself. And that it is to be kept in her backpack at all times unless she needs to text/call me or DH. And the girls can use it to iMessage family when at home. We'll see how well they do keeping it plugged in to charge in the kitchen. If they end up misplacing it or not charging it, then we will look into the landline options.

[KrisM]

A few years ago we bought a family Tracfone. It was used by the kids, but rarely. If one of them needed it, they could take it. It worked pretty well and spent most of its time in the kitchen. Then DS1 started doing more things that made him need to have it, so he had it very often. Once DD started needing it as well, we got DS1 a phone of his own. Now DD and DS2 share the Tracfone.

[zukeypur]

Will your old iPhone dial 911 even without any minutes loaded? I think all cell phones have to be able to dial 911. If this is the case, why not just set up a facetime account on your old iPhone for her to use to facetime you or your husband, this way, she can use the house wi-fi to facetime you. Also, there are apps (kik) that allow you to "text" using wi-fi. Oh yeah, one of me students uses her icloud account to text me, I am pretty sure she is on wi-fi only.

I would advise STRONGLY against kik. It's a pedophile playground.

We have a home line because of family health issues. I need 911 to be able to know our address if called. When DD3 was just 2 days past her 1st birthday, she had something lodged in her airway. For whatever reason, my cell phone would not work. It had no service at all. Luckily, i called with the home phone and 911 was able to see our address. They saved DD's life.

If having a land line is doable, I would do that. I would also give her the old iPhone with very severe restrictions to be used over wifi only.

[RiverRat]

I would get a landline. If you talk about adding 3rd party apps that's way too much to monitor.

If it was me, I'd get the landline for her to call. And set the old iPhone up for FaceTime no cell service.

Chances are the old iPhone 4s won't work too much longer anyways as a cell phone.


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[mommy111]

I think this is why I'm hesitating! I just see so many kids in the schools (even elementary school!) addicted to playing around on their phones so I'm trying to avoid that with my kids! In our schools the kids are not allowed to have their phones out during the day but as soon as the bell rings they all grab them and start playing games or texting each other. Last year a bunch of kids in my daughter's class (4th grade) missed their buses at the end of the day because they were so engrossed in their phones.

All of her after school activities have very strict start/end times so she's not at the state yet where she has to call me to come pick her up. She is still in intermediate school (4-6th grades). I was trying to hold off on her own cell phone til at least 7th grade when she is in Jr. High. But maybe I will have to frame this as it is a house phone, except on the days she is catching the bus by herself. And that it is to be kept in her backpack at all times unless she needs to text/call me or DH. And the girls can use it to iMessage family when at home. We'll see how well they do keeping it plugged in to charge in the kitchen. If they end up misplacing it or not charging it, then we will look into the landline options.
I hear ya on the kids engrossed in phone piece! I didn't give my own kids cell phones until much later because of this.

[ang79]

I would get a landline. If you talk about adding 3rd party apps that's way too much to monitor.

If it was me, I'd get the landline for her to call. And set the old iPhone up for FaceTime no cell service.

Chances are the old iPhone 4s won't work too much longer anyways as a cell phone.


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How do I set up the phone for facetime if the SIM card is the same as my phone number? We kept the same numbers when we got new phones and the SIM card in the 4S is from Net10 but we transferred the number and service to AT&T GoPhone.

[JElaineB]

How do I set up the phone for facetime if the SIM card is the same as my phone number? We kept the same numbers when we got new phones and the SIM card in the 4S is from Net10 but we transferred the number and service to AT&T GoPhone.

The SIM is deactivated if you transferred the service. I am not sure if the iPhone needs a SIM to work at all, but Android phones don't need a SIM to use it as a wi-fi device only. I would just pull out the SIM and see what happens.

[niccig]

We have a home phone and just hit DS a cell as he'll be walking home from MS. The cell is OUR phone, and can be taken away at anytime


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[ang79]

The SIM is deactivated if you transferred the service. I am not sure if the iPhone needs a SIM to work at all, but Android phones don't need a SIM to use it as a wi-fi device only. I would just pull out the SIM and see what happens.

But what phone number is on the phone then? We tried this with our older iphones awhile back and when they tried to text other people it was still showing as my name and number and got confusing!

[mommy111]

But what phone number is on the phone then? We tried this with our older iphones awhile back and when they tried to text other people it was still showing as my name and number and got confusing!
You can create them a separate 'home' Apple ID. The Apple ID e.g. *Bonnie-home* will then show up as the 'phone no'

[JElaineB]

But what phone number is on the phone then? We tried this with our older iphones awhile back and when they tried to text other people it was still showing as my name and number and got confusing!

It has nothing to do with the phone number, it is because you are using iMessage, which while convenient for Apple users is an Apple-only hybrid between and SMS (text messaging) app and a wi-fi/data messaging app.


You can create them a separate 'home' Apple ID. The Apple ID e.g. *Bonnie-home* will then show up as the 'phone no'

This is the solution. You need a new Apple ID to be associated with the phone if you don't want the old info to show up on iMessages you send when using it as a wi-fi only device.

[khm]

It has nothing to do with the phone number, it is because you are using iMessage, which while convenient for Apple users is an Apple-only hybrid between and SMS (text messaging) app and a wi-fi/data messaging app.



This is the solution. You need a new Apple ID to be associated with the phone if you don't want the old info to show up on iMessages you send when using it as a wi-fi only device.

Yeah, you'll need to log out of current Apple ID on that phone. Make a brand new one, with a different email address.

[jerseygirl07067]

I haven't really understood how so many have ditched their land line. I hate using my iPhone as a phone. It's not near as comfy as our real phone. I also much prefer having a non-cell number to give out as there are plenty of people I don't need calling me when I'm out and about. So, I clearly vote house phone. :)


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I agree with this wholeheartedly, and I LOVE my smartphone. My middle school DDs do have smartphones, but they get taken away occasionally for bad attitude. With a landline I don't need to worry if I am gone, they always have a guaranteed way to communicate. The other thing, though this may not apply to you, is that I live in FL, and we have had hurricanes, storms, power outages, etc over the years. When we lose power, our landline usually still works. (I even have an old trimline phone specifically for this purpose if we are without power, since no electricity is required).

And, really the landline is cheaper, like $10 a month.

[o_mom]

I agree with this wholeheartedly, and I LOVE my smartphone. My middle school DDs do have smartphones, but they get taken away occasionally for bad attitude. With a landline I don't need to worry if I am gone, they always have a guaranteed way to communicate. The other thing, though this may not apply to you, is that I live in FL, and we have had hurricanes, storms, power outages, etc over the years. When we lose power, our landline usually still works. (I even have an old trimline phone specifically for this purpose if we are without power, since no electricity is required).

And, really the landline is cheaper, like $10 a month.

Which reminds me of a friend's issue. They got their DS a cellphone and shortly after, got rid of the landline. However, then they realized that taking away the cellphone for behavior was no longer an option as he was coming home after school to an empty house.