http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/ Switched Comments for Dad Takes a Hammer to Teen's Cell Phone Over $5K Bill http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
Is it just me, or is that retarded?]]>Apr 9th 2009 8:17PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 10th 2009 2:04AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 10th 2009 2:35AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 11th 2009 10:21PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 14th 2009 10:54PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 17th 2009 7:41PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
Pathetic parents raising pathetic kids, using pathetic cell phones on pathetic cell carriers.]]>Apr 9th 2009 8:55PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 9th 2009 11:38PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 10th 2009 12:48AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
The whole point is that there need to also be devices that can easily have the SMS feature blocked in menus, as in there is no way to access any sort of texting features. It simply would not be there. Most of these young kids have phones at a young age for either emergencies or so their parents can be able to get a hold of them easier. But kids are kids here, and I realize no amount of parenting can 100% assure that someone's child won't do something they're not supposed to. That's why as a parent, they've got to just step it up. If any parent thinks for a SECOND that kids don't fire off rapid texts 24 hours a day, they're an idiot; I even manage to send over 1,000 a month and I'm in an office 50+ hours a week. Do some kids refrain? Oh yeah sure, but with unlimited SMS a mere $20 per account each month, why risk getting a $5k bill when all they'd have to do is flip the switch and boom, no risk on the SMS portion.

I dunno, parents don't enforce the rules, plain and simple. Making adjustments to the phone accounts is IMO part of enforcing said rules. When I was a kid, I knew if I had a cell/pager in school, I could be expelled for it, or if I had a nice teacher/faculty member catch me with it, I'd at least have it taken away. And guess what? I never used them in school, and kept them hidden on my person. My parents made me promise that I'd only use it for certain things; and call me crazy but my folks brought me up well enough to respect their wishes. I never ever got my cell or pager (it was the 90s, pagers were in style) taken away. It's all about the parenting. Lazy people just need to step it up. If the kid dicks off anyway, then she needs to babysit her little heart away all summer and school year weekends to pay me back that $5k.]]>Apr 10th 2009 5:28AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 9th 2009 9:07PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Level 5: I kind of agree, except, now kids can go anywhere and I'm the type that likes to keep tabs on my children, unlike some parents.
So, my girl has a phone--might look into one with GPS now so I can KNOW where she is.]]>Apr 9th 2009 9:25PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
geez, that will help.
Over-parenting, a sure way to push your kids into rebellion.

How about building trust from an early age and give them the chance to learn from mistakes. I guess if you screwed that up, there is no other choice than to over-parent. But rest assurred, when they earn the freedom through age, it will not be a good path they take, usually.

]]>Apr 9th 2009 9:37PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Have a sister-in-law that could care less what her children are doing. Her oldest is in the same grade as my oldest and he's anti-social, has awful grades, has been in ISS soooooo many times and her youngest (who is 2 years younger than her brother) is already a slut, like her mother. So, you tell me which is better, under-parenting or over-parenting. At least I care enough to KNOW what my children are doing, what their grades are, who their friends are, etc....
She is learning to not to use her cell so much tho. She keeps using her minutes up within 3 days of getting them uploaded. That's 27 days, or so without a phone!]]>Apr 9th 2009 9:58PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
But on to the topic I was going to mention. The whole over-parenting idea, its great… until you push your kid over the edge. Parents need to know when too far is Too Far. The GPS thing is ridiculous. The reason your teen/child is rebelling is probably because they don’t want people breathing down their necks 24/7. And with under-parenting, they are crying out for attention. Parents as the intelligent adults they think they are, need to find the balance. Times have changed people, come out of the Dark Ages.
]]>Apr 11th 2009 9:04AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 12th 2009 1:12AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
She isn't getting a cell phone until she turns 35!]]>Apr 9th 2009 10:32PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/Apr 9th 2009 10:49PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/
my daughter is isn't old enough for a phone (17 months) but i can assure you and everyone else i'll be the dad that treats a phone as a privilege and not a hook up tool... good job! ]]>Apr 10th 2009 12:28AMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/http://www.switched.com/2009/04/09/dad-smashes-teens-cell-phone-over-5-000-bill/>remember our systems track that and we know you did. This family is lucky the company was willing to work with them. I wouldn't have. ]]>Apr 30th 2009 11:03PM