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luvsun27
Check out my cool glasses
Member since 5/05 8135 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Cell phone bill and a 12 year old...UPDATE with punishment at bottom!
Ok...so I'm trying to stay calm, but I just got my cell phone bill for last month and it is $350  We have a family plan with 700 shared minutes...which is what we have always had.
So, I'm looking at the details, and my step-daughter used 756 minutes just herself, which means that all the minutes DH and I used are billable 
So, short of grounding a 12 year old for live and revoking her phone privileges...how would you handle this?
DH says we should let her take the phone to/from school in case of an emergency and she will have to turn it into one of us when she gets home. She only gets $7/week for allowance...so it will take a really really long time to pay back $200 
What type of punishment would you give for this?
Message edited 9/25/2008 7:54:15 PM.
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Posted 9/25/08 11:03 AM  |
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partyof6
b nice like u want ur kidz 2
Member since 7/06 7752 total posts
Name:
jeannine
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
I would buy her a phone with minutes..and once they are up they are up.
This is why my 12 and 13 year old do not have one yet.
I told them when they do enough chores constantly where they can pay the bill then no go.
It is different though if there are carpools or working moms involved, then I guess its necessary,
mine can use a old-fashioned payphone.
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:09 AM |
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eroxgirl
My Loves
Member since 5/05 15697 total posts
Name:
Rebecca
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by lastchance1222
I would buy her a phone with minutes..and once they are up they are up.
I agree with this. My MIL has this problem with her girls - they are 14 and 15 now but they go through months where they run up the phone bill and my MIL takes the phones away. Then she gives them back and they're good for a month and then they run the bill up again. The constant back and forth is ridiculous!
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:15 AM |
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luvsun27
Check out my cool glasses
Member since 5/05 8135 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by eroxgirl
Posted by lastchance1222
I would buy her a phone with minutes..and once they are up they are up.
I agree with this. My MIL has this problem with her girls - they are 14 and 15 now but they go through months where they run up the phone bill and my MIL takes the phones away. Then she gives them back and they're good for a month and then they run the bill up again. The constant back and forth is ridiculous!
UGH...I hate to buy another phone
This is the first time this has happened and she has had this phone for almost 2 years, but STILL...I'm MAD
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:18 AM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Can you get her a phone that is locked to only dial a pre-programmed list of numbers? I know they have them, but I don't know if they will work with your phone plan. You can program your home, your cell, DH's cell, etc.
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:18 AM |
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metagefken
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/08 679 total posts
Name:
J
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by luvsun27
Posted by eroxgirl
Posted by lastchance1222
I would buy her a phone with minutes..and once they are up they are up.
I agree with this. My MIL has this problem with her girls - they are 14 and 15 now but they go through months where they run up the phone bill and my MIL takes the phones away. Then she gives them back and they're good for a month and then they run the bill up again. The constant back and forth is ridiculous!
UGH...I hate to buy another phone
This is the first time this has happened and she has had this phone for almost 2 years, but STILL...I'm MAD
if shes had the phone for 2 years and this is the first time this happened i'd cut her some slack. that doesnt mean that she is off the hook. she'd still have to pay the overages. part from her allowance and part by working it off. she'd get a stern warning that if this happens again the phone is gone and she gets a prepaid one that she has to pay for so she better start saving up.
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:26 AM |
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jerseypanda
Life is good.
Member since 1/07 9164 total posts
Name:
Amanda
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Ugh... sorry about that Kim, that stinks!
My first thought is to take the phone away from her whenever she is at home. If you have a home phone, let her use that when she is at the house.
My next thought is that most cell phones have the ability to lock them through the security feature. You can make it so that she can only accept incoming calls... or can only make or receive calls with numbers in the phone book itself. You may be able to restrict the phone a bit that way.
(I can tell you I know how you feel because we pay for FIL's cell phone and he took it on a cruise and ran up a $400 bill because each minute was $2.49!!!   ).... and he is an adult!!!
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:26 AM |
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partyof6
b nice like u want ur kidz 2
Member since 7/06 7752 total posts
Name:
jeannine
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
def see if you can work it where u can get a phone with only pre-programmed #'s I think its the firefly.
She def won't be happy.
If you do not want to get a new phone..or better yet, make her buy the phone for punishment-itss cheaper then the bill she will never pay off. Problem solved...
mine are still def never getting one now..
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:26 AM |
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luvsun27
Check out my cool glasses
Member since 5/05 8135 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by GoldenRod
Can you get her a phone that is locked to only dial a pre-programmed list of numbers? I know they have them, but I don't know if they will work with your phone plan. You can program your home, your cell, DH's cell, etc.
Yeah...I might have to go that route. This is the type of phone she used to have...and then we upgraded her phone when the terms were up because it wasn't cool 
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:27 AM |
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jerseypanda
Life is good.
Member since 1/07 9164 total posts
Name:
Amanda
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by luvsun27
Posted by GoldenRod
Can you get her a phone that is locked to only dial a pre-programmed list of numbers? I know they have them, but I don't know if they will work with your phone plan. You can program your home, your cell, DH's cell, etc.
Yeah...I might have to go that route. This is the type of phone she used to have...and then we upgraded her phone when the terms were up because it wasn't cool
Well, maybe the consequences of running up a $350 phone bill is that she will have to walk around and be seen with a phone that "isn't cool"!
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:33 AM |
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FelAndJon
needs to update her avatar pic
Member since 6/05 10212 total posts
Name:
Felice (aka LuckyBride2004)
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Oh, Kim
Have you asked her who she is calling with all those minutes? Also, is she making the calls during school hours? Since this is the first time, maybe there is a "reason" this happened. Rachel doesn't seem like she is so irresponsible to allow this to happen on a regular basis that would warrant a new phone or new plan.
Additionally, maybe you want to reconsider the "texting" idea. Half of these conversations could consist of "you hang up first", "no, you hang up first". Ahh, the joys of a teen-ager
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:51 AM |
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pinkandblue
Our family is complete, maybe
Member since 9/05 32436 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
She would not have a phone period if that was me
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:57 AM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by GoldenRod
Can you get her a phone that is locked to only dial a pre-programmed list of numbers? I know they have them, but I don't know if they will work with your phone plan. You can program your home, your cell, DH's cell, etc.
I would go that route. They still have a phone for emergencies but can't use it for any other purpose.
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| Posted 9/25/08 11:57 AM |
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luvsun27
Check out my cool glasses
Member since 5/05 8135 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by FelAndJon
Additionally, maybe you want to reconsider the "texting" idea. Half of these conversations could consist of "you hang up first", "no, you hang up first". Ahh, the joys of a teen-ager
 Thanks, I needed that laugh!
I looked at the details...they are to the same few numbers, her friends, I'm sure. Some of them are at night...AFTER BEDTIME, so that's definitely a no-no.
I think I will make a combination of these suggestions...first, lock current the phone to only certain numbers can be received/called for a period of time until she earns enough money to pay for the bill
Oh...and as for the house phone, we have told her to that when she is home, she is supposed to use that, and not her cell phone, but she obviouslly is not listening.
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| Posted 9/25/08 12:02 PM |
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EmmaNick
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Member since 12/06 16001 total posts
Name:
*
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by Mikismom
She would not have a phone period if that was me
Agreed!
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| Posted 9/25/08 12:52 PM |
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stephaniea
LIF Adult
Member since 1/07 1280 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
My 12yr. old dd has a phone. We have alot of minutes and unlimited texting. We never go over our minutes. I make the kids pay when they download stuff. My kids use the phones constantly. I love that they have them. I can call them whenever I want.
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| Posted 9/25/08 1:18 PM |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by Summerrluvv
Posted by Mikismom
She would not have a phone period if that was me
Agreed!
Ditto.
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| Posted 9/25/08 3:48 PM |
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PrincessP
Big sister!!!!!!!!!!
Member since 12/05 17450 total posts
Name:
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
Posted by monkeybride
Posted by Summerrluvv
Posted by Mikismom
She would not have a phone period if that was me
Agreed!
Ditto.
ITA! Get that phone and throw it down the toilet.
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| Posted 9/25/08 4:09 PM |
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dandr10199
Grace is growing up too fast!
Member since 10/05 11561 total posts
Name:
Dina
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old
one word: Trackfone.
Prepaid minutes when she uses them...that's it. She earns more minutes by doing chores and being responsible. You can add minutes to it whenever you want to.
I would be LIVID. She would be grounded. Forget a cell phone. NO phone, NO TV, NO computer...NO socializing AT ALL. To school and back home. That is IT. For at least two weeks. If she complained about her punishment, i would add on another day and another day until she accepted it.
And she would have to babysit her stepsister and help around the house to pay me back for the the $350 bill.
Message edited 9/25/2008 4:46:28 PM.
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| Posted 9/25/08 4:42 PM |
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luvsun27
Check out my cool glasses
Member since 5/05 8135 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old..UPDATE
UPDATE: So, here was the punishment. No Computer, no phone (cell or house phone), No TV for 2 weeks. I deleted all the contacts in her phone (I told her to write down anything she wants to keep), except for Me, DH and an emergency contact. I set the parental controls on the phone that she can only send/receive calls from only those people in her contact list (which is me and DH). That stays on the phone until I decide to remove it. And she has to pay back the $200+ that we went over our regular bill from her allowance...not her savings account (because then she wouldn't realize how long it will take her to make $200).
Message edited 9/25/2008 7:56:06 PM.
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| Posted 9/25/08 7:53 PM |
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waterspout4
My loves
Member since 5/06 19150 total posts
Name:
Kelly
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old...UPDATE with punishment at bottom!
Posted by luvsun27
UPDATE: So, here was the punishment. No Computer, no phone (cell or house phone), No TV for 2 weeks. I deleted all the contacts in her phone (I told her to write down anything she wants to keep), except for Me, DH and an emergency contact. I set the parental controls on the phone that she can only send/receive calls from only those people in her contact list (which is me and DH). That stays on the phone until I decide to remove it. And she has to pay back the $200+ that we went over our regular bill from her allowance...not her savings account (because then she wouldn't realize how long it will take her to make $200).
Wow!!!!!!! Tough mom! 
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| Posted 9/25/08 8:20 PM |
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old...UPDATE with punishment at bottom!
My stepdaughter did this a few yrs ago - with text messaging. We made her pay for it and took away the phone for a while....
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| Posted 9/25/08 9:50 PM |
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old...UPDATE with punishment at bottom!
This works for me!!! 
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| Posted 9/25/08 9:51 PM |
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KristinasMama
How did she turn 2 so quickly?
Member since 10/07 8257 total posts
Name:
Blessed Mama of Kristina Elena
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Re: Cell phone bill and a 12 year old...UPDATE with punishment at bottom!
Posted by lipglossjunky73
This works for me!!!
GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!
My BFF's daughter just did the same thing - with texting. They don't have texting on the plan, and her daughter decided that if she logged on to AIM that it wasn't texting.... Needless to say - close to $300 later....
And here's the kicker... they are on the plan with the Top 5, and this girl was ON HER TOP 5!!!!!! She could talk to her MORNING, NOON, & NIGHT 24/7 - 365 days per year, and it would have cost them nothing!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Posted 9/25/08 9:58 PM |
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