So we are in the process of getting our 12 & 8 year old phones. Our cell carrier (or anyother) do not have an option to view txt messages I can see who they are getting them from or sending them to but not the actual content of the message. Has any one purchased any software that allows you to track the content of the txt messages. I see there are many out there on the internet but not sure which one to trust and they range in price from $20 - $100 willing to spend a little more $$ if I know it will work and is not a scam. Thank you for any help you can give me.
Yes they both need the cell phones they are both walking to and from seprate school's by themselves while we are at work. So I need them to be able to contact someone if they were to get in a bind with anything. I can see who they are txting and recieveing txt's from but not the content of the txt. Thank you!
DO NOT GET TEXTING or internet access!!!
Texting is trouble waiting to happen. Get them simple phones that have no cameras, no text, no bells and whistles. All they need to do is call...
LBC
My sister just had a similar conversation with her cell phone carrier U.S. Cellular.....my sis was getting a new phone & the man helping her was pointing out my pouting niece who desperately wants a cell phone. The man asked my niece why she wanted one & she said for texting. My sis said she has no need for a cell especially for texting. The man said that U.S. cellular can view every single text that goes thru & the texts that most kids are sending are unreal. The texts are extremely dirty, sexual, & vulgar. All parents want to believe that they have the best open lines of communication with their children & give them privacy but I say no way in hell. So good for you for wanting to keep them safe from others & keep them safe from themselves too & let them know you are watching them so they think twice about sending something naughty, there needs to be more parents that are not naive.
I don't know if you have U.S. Cellular but hopefully that's an option.
8 is really young for the responsiblity of a phone and I would restrict the ability to text for the 12 year old if at all. We have an unlimited text messaging plan but I do have the ability to limit the number of texts my son can make along with restricting up to 15 phone numbers from calling or texting. While this is not really an answer to your question, it may give you some insight into what I am doing as a mom with my son and step son.
We found that text messaging has a lot of benefits. My daughter does text me from school or someone's home if she needs something. Yes, phones are allowed at school everytwhere except to be in sight in the classroom.
She has texted me instead of calling when she was out with teens and did not want to participate in the activities they were planning. It was "convenient" for me to simply call her and say I needed her at home because something came up.
We text a LOT and my latest phone bill has over 14,000 incomingand outgoing text on daughter's phone alone. Mine has about 5,000. Texting is a primary way a lot of kids communicate.....remember when we used to stay on the phone for hours...
I do not support any software to track her laptop or phone. We have a VERY open policy about communication here. I routinely check her computer at random times and I do the same with the IPhone and texts. The lines of communication work well for us and daughter understands why I check her laptop and phone. She has no issue with it. As far as a tracking device on either....nope, I am not going to do that.
Good luck with your choices. Every family is different and you have to do what works best for your family. My daughter (almost 16) had her first phone by 8 and YES, it is a good thing for safety.
Do YOU need them to have txt messaging? If not, then see if the application can be blocked.
With my carrier I can view both sent and received messages. It stores 200 of each depending on length. Double check the menu options. Make it a habit to take the phones and check. Of course they can delete what they would want to hide.
Some carriers you can get online and request a list of numbers sent to and received from. That way you can keep track of at least who they keep in touch with.
Best of luck. You can always just trust them until they give reason not to be trusted.
I would be content to be able to see it was their friends texting them. I believe even children deserve trust and privacy unless they have done something to prove otherwise. Do they know you will be reading their texts or are you planning on spying in secret hoping to catch them in something? I would want to know that no adults were texting my children, but I would not want to snoop into their private conversations with their friends, I believe that would be a violation of the trust they have in me. Just my opinion.
House rule for our 8yo is that he can't delete texts.
Do they have to have texting? I know they proly want it but do they need it? Also what about those phones that only allow certain numbers to call the cell and only allow the cell to call certain numbers? Again I know its proly not fun for them but if the phone is suppossed to be for emergencies then they can only call you, dad, grandma, aunt, etc...that way if they are able to text those people you wouldnt need to read those texts cause those people should be trustworthy! Good luck! My almost 7 yr old keeps bugging me for a cell and a facebook page, I cant believe how grown these kids are! I was the first of my friends to have a cell and I was 18!
Well an 8 and 12 year old shouldn't be texting. that just starts bad habits, unless you restrict texting. if you let your kids text all the time, they will never know life without technology. plus its expensive. maybe they could go outside and meet friends and talk to them outside doing something active instead of glued to the phones screen or maybe they could call them like we used to do in the olden days. also it will save money you could put toward something else. when i was that age, i had a phone, for emergencies only.
I did a quick Google search and it looks like the software depends on the type of phone they have. I would look for reviews published in mass media on the options that work on your phones.
We just got our 8 1/2 year old a phone with no texting capability. It was much cheaper than having a land line or Internet phone at both our houses. Now we are a complete cell family. Eventually we may give her the ability to text and then we'll discuss this question, too. So far, she is so responsible that I don't think we will track her texts at all.
I see the need for phones if you ar both working and they walk to and from school, but I dont see the need for texting at this age. At this age isnt the phone just for emergencies to call you, or Dad or siblings to ck in on them and not for socializing? I would not allow texting to be activated on their phones, you are opening yourself and them up for trouble Mom . Our daughter got a phone for same reason, emergencies at age 10, she didnt walk to school but both parents work and she does afterschool activites. She was not allowed to start texting until she was 13 and then it was limited.
Hope this helps.
