My ten year olds both have phones the very cheap one without wap or internet service and they use it to communicate with me and their dad! Both of them walk to and fro school (the exercise and air is very good for them) and once they are in school its off until lunch time and off again till closing (their teacher makes sure of this) its purely for communication purpose in case of emergency as one of them is asthmatic,the phones ceases to be theirs once they are home they understand this and so do not fuss about it!

jennykadry:

Since feminism came into existence . Come on nowww. I have 10 and 12 yr olds nieces who were on scholarship first term last year cos they were the best in class. One is currently holding 8A's and one P. Hey the P was in yoruba, so don't blame her .

Hey both have got mobile phones, BB's(I think) and currently talking about Iphone

No kill me o!

Abeg!

I just got an image of my pikin having a P in Yoruba and I almost had a heart attack.

KAI! I would sacrifice that pikin to the God's on a pyre! Roasted lo'mo yen ma je. (The child would be a roast).

My child is only allowed to have A* in Yoruba and should have a PhD in Ijebu by TARTEEN.

On a serious note, I work on probabilities, not exceptions. The probability of a child being like your nieces is far lower than ending up with what I am trying to avoid. Moreover, you have no clue if your nieces are doing some wrong stuff online while still excelling in school.

Sagamite:

No kill me o!

Abeg!

I just got an image of my pikin having a P in Yoruba.

KAI! I would sacrifice that pikin to the God's on a pyre! Roasted lo'mo yen ma je. (The child would be a roast).

My child is only allowed to have A* in Yoruba and should have a PhD in Ijebu by TARTEEN.

On a serious note, I work on probabilities, not exceptions. The probability of a child being like your nieces is far lower than ending up with what I am trying to avoid. Moreover, you have no clue if your nieces are doing some wrong stuff online while still excelling in school.

Trust me, there are times those girls abandon their phones sometimes in their parents room and never bother about it until they need something from me or grand parents. Not once, not twice have they forgotten their phones in my parents house after a holiday and went home. My dad on my occasions have driven home to them and returned the phones. They are not phone obsessed, they are books obsessed. When they visited me, goodness gracious me, I reserve my comment. These girls wrote their common entrance for high school 2 years and 3 years before, trust me and it was in my former high school. They were done in less than 30 minutes, the teacher was worried and told them to go through it again and they told him they were sure of their answers, rang their mum to pick them up and a month later, they were in the merit list. I mean, they did not need an interview cos their grades were impressive.

I love those girls, gosh I love them


PS, I always got P and F in yoruba, everyone in my house are professors in Yoruba language except me .These girls are too young to become yoruba experts jooo

The only thing I don't support is leaving an 8 yr old home alone. That child is still too young.

jennykadry:

Trust me, there are times those girls abandon their phones sometimes in their parents room and never bother about it until they need something from me or grand parents. Not once, not twice have they forgotten their phones in my parents house after a holiday and went home. My dad on my occasions drives home to them and returns the phone. They are not phone obsessed, they are books obsessed. When they visited me, goodness gracious me, I reserve my comment. These girls wrote their common entrance for high school last year and 2 years before, trust me and it was in my former high school. They were done in less than 30 minutes, the teacher was worried and told them to go through it again and they told him they were sure of their answers, rang their mum to pick them up and a month later, they were in the merit list. I mean, they did not need an interview cos their grades were impressive.

I love those girls, gosh I love them

Good girls. They are unfortunately rare exceptions.

Majority of the 10-20 year olds I see in the UK have what I call "the arch neck with text fingers".

They frequently have their neck's bent down texting and communicating through FB. They are like addicts. They can not live without their phone for 1 hour. And obviously they want the advanced ones.

jennykadry:
PS, I always got P and F in yoruba, everyone in my house are professors in Yoruba language except me .These girls are too young to become yoruba experts jooo

If I was president of Nigeria, I would revoke your passport and citizenship even though you are from the East! Everyone should have A* in Yoruba and come and worship in Sagamu to be full Nigerians.

Sagamite:

Good girls. They are unfortunately rare exceptions.

Majority of the 10-20 year olds I see in the UK have what I call "the arch neck with text fingers".

They frequently have their neck's bent down texting and communicating through FB. They are like addicts. They can not live without their phone for 1 hour. And obviously they want the advanced ones.

Which kain yeye FB? they are not allowed in FB's oo. Their mum has warned them very well. I see 14 yr olds almost everyday with their mums, coming in to talk about best contraceptive pills and you think I don't feel like throwing up but have had to keep quiet until they've gone, to vent in my toilet? . One of them calls her mum a B*tch. Arggggggggggggg and when I was like such words are not allowed here, she wanted to show me say she stubborn and her mum was right beside her. She started telling me not to tell her what to say or do cos I don't live with her B*tch of a mother so I don't know what it's like having to live with her these years that infact she will be moving out next year to live with her boyfriend and his mum Arrrg, I just could not imaginer my own kids saying such to me, damn my temper that day. I stood up looked at her with fingers pointing at her and told her to be quiet . . . "This is my territory, my space, my domain so you don't come in and say whatever you feel like because you think you have the right to actually you have no right, right now so get Yourself off that chair and get out of here this minute and one more swear words from you, I will be getting someone to do me the honor of walking you out". I remember telling the mother that I don't want to see her daughter anymore cos there are certain behaviors I will not tolerate, I have kids and none of them would ever have the guts to open their mouth and talk to me like that, how dare them? . All these kids trained in obodo oyibo and unimaginably spoilt. Imagine a woman painting her son toe nails with pink cortex?

Thinking about it self, still drives me crazy.

Sagamite:

If I was president of Nigeria, I would revoke your passport and citizenship even though you are from the East! Everyone should have A* in Yoruba and come and worship in Sagamu to be full Nigerians.

Egbe enu'e dake jooo. I was a copy cat in high school. .My Igbo was enough for me but my old man insisted we know yoruba cos we were born and brought up in Lagos .It was torture having my mum translate what our neighbor's mum (in her 90's back then) used to say to me. My mum would translate in English or Igbo to me then me I will reply her in English and then she tells the old woman what I said in Yoruba.

I don't see anything wrong with an 8 year old having a cell phone.... I even plan on buying a cheap one for my niece when she turns 8. Just in case of emergency..

i dont think there is anything wrong in a child having a cell phone, even smart ones.....

"Better Safe than Sorry" ... With the increasing risk of danger in not only Nigeria, but other parts of the world, you can't really trust anyone with your kids these days. So yes you should buy them phones, but there should be parental restrictions. Like on the iphone you can restrict the content that they have access to. Although some parents will be worried that it will spoil their child's educative concentration, and social behaviour, that is not the case; it just depends on how each parent brings up his or her own child. Moreover your child learns a lot, and will end up getting better scores in an Ict test than children who didn't have this privilege.

My 2yr old son owns and uses an Apple Ipad, but, not a phone. He uses the GSM table phone at home to call me when he wants to.
Except a technological device is harmful to a child, we should not limit children, especially if you can afford it. My opinion pls!

jennykadry:

Which kain yeye FB? they are not allowed in FB's oo. Their mum has warned them very well. I see 14 yr olds almost everyday with their mums, coming in to talk about best contraceptive pills and you think I don't feel like throwing up but have had to keep quiet until they've gone, to vent in my toilet? . One of them calls her mum a B*tch. Arggggggggggggg and when I was like such words are not allowed here, she wanted to show me say she stubborn and her mum was right beside her. She started telling me not to tell her what to say or do cos I don't live with her B*tch of a mother so I don't know what it's like having to live with her these years that infact she will be moving out next year to live with her boyfriend and his mum Arrrg, I just could not imaginer my own kids saying such to me, damn my temper that day. I stood up looked at her with fingers pointing at her and told her to be quiet . . . "This is my territory, my space, my domain so you don't come in and say whatever you feel like because you think you have the right to actually you have no right, right now so get Yourself off that chair and get out of here this minute and one more swear words from you, I will be getting someone to do me the honor of walking you out". I remember telling the mother that I don't want to see her daughter anymore cos there are certain behaviors I will not tolerate, I have kids and none of them would ever have the guts to open their mouth and talk to me like that, how dare them? . All these kids trained in obodo oyibo and unimaginably spoilt. Imagine a woman painting her son toe nails with pink cortex?

Thinking about it self, still drives me crazy.

Awww! What a cute daughter.

[Stands up to punch the air in frustration and anger]

This is one of the possibilities when people are too daft and bring up their kids like the Westerners do.

My child says such a thing to me or my wife? That child is D-U-N Done.

raycomray: My 2yr old son owns and uses an Apple Ipad, but, not a phone. He uses the GSM table phone at home to call me when he wants to.
Except a technological device is harmful to a child, we should not limit children, especially if you can afford it. My opinion pls!

Your two-year old son can call you? Who is he, Ganesh Sittampalam?

AjanleKoko:

Your two-year old son can call you? Who is he, Ganesh Sittampalam?

His 2 year old also owns an ipad.

He would probably be driving a Ferrari by 10.

Don't you know his child is the most gifted and he loves his child more than the way any of you love yours?

The modern day parent: "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! My life is perfect. My kids are exceptional, most intelligent and speak with funky English accents but don't speak the bush local dialect well. We are progressive and modern."

Sagamite:

His 2 year old also owns an ipad.

He would probably be driving a Ferrari by 10.

Don't you know his child is the most gifted and he loves his child more than the way any of you love yours?

The modern day parent: "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! My life is perfect. My kids are exceptional, most intelligent and speak with funky English accents but don't speak the bush local dialect well. We are progressive and modern."

I wouldn't embellish to that level. But it sounds like our friend here is telling whoppers. I mean, a 2-year old can fool around with an iPad. But there is no way a normal 2-year old can call anybody to discuss anything.

I've stated my stand clearly before, but I keep seeing d statement in case of emergency. . . . And I wonder d wat emergencies we are talking about.
I'm in Nigeria so I'll talk based on what is obtainable here. . . . .
1. If d child is being bullied will d bully or person harassin d child let him make a call?

2. Will d phone be in his\her bag or pocket? Because in an emergency I don't expect d child to run for his bag or hold on to his bag. (fire drill, robbery incident)
3. How many parents know how to use d speed dial option which is d most discrete way of using a mobile these days.
4. How fast can U get to d child in that emergency? Our emergency services don't work remember?
5. Are 8yrs so coordinated to take control in an emergency?

Just thinking.

As long as a "child" is defined as anyone below 18 yrs of age, my answer would be never.

When I say I am very intelligent and have unrivalled prescience, some yeye people would be opening their mouth to say: "Sagamite is arrogant".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18088334

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/16915104

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12385159 (see the second video clip at the bottom)

When it comes to thinking, I am way ahead of the curve.

Nuff said!

All the people saying their kids need cell phones "in case of emergency"... where there no "emergencies in 1988? How did you survive without a cell phone?

davidylan: All the people saying their kids need cell phones "in case of emergency"... where there no "emergencies in 1988? How did you survive without a cell phone?

this is akin to you people should no longer travel via
planes. before the airplane was invented, people trekked.
many trekked from nigeria to saudi arabia for pilgrimage.

of course, the more advanced we get, the more advanced the
danger is as well. criminals/kidnappers/pedos/etc use mobile
phones to track kids to steal, it's only fair for parents to also
arm the kids with mobile fones to prevent danger.

coogar:

this is akin to you people should no longer travel via
planes. before the airplane was invented, people trekked.
many trekked from nigeria to saudi arabia for pilgrimage.

of course, the more advanced we get, the more advanced the
danger is as well. criminals/kidnappers/pedos/etc use mobile
phones to track kids to steal, it's only fair for parents to also
arm the kids with mobile fones to prevent danger.

So kidnappers wait for the kid to finish his/her SOS call before springing into action?

davidylan:

So kidnappers wait for the kid to finish his/her SOS call before springing into action?

depends on the situation....a kid watching another kid
getting abducted can quickly dial 911, describe the kidnapper
and his car to the cops and it would aid the capture of the culprit.

it's not 100% safe but it's better than having nothing at all to reach out.

coogar:

this is akin to you people should no longer travel via
planes. before the airplane was invented, people trekked.
many trekked from nigeria to saudi arabia for pilgrimage.

of course, the more advanced we get, the more advanced the
danger is as well. criminals/kidnappers/pedos/etc use mobile
phones to track kids to steal, it's only fair for parents to also
arm the kids with mobile fones to prevent danger.

I think it is more akin to building a local-airport in Obalende so people can fly from Ikeja there to get to VI. Hence Western Billionaire investors can get to VI faster and avoid the traffic.

It is virtually un-needed, an expensive venture, illogical for the aims and liable to create other significant challenges.

coogar:

depends on the situation....a kid watching another kid
getting abducted can quickly dial 911, describe the kidnapper
and his car to the cops and it would aid the capture of the culprit.

it's not 100% safe but it's better than having nothing at all to reach out.

And there would not be other adults there to see the car and call 911?

The possibility of that scenario is so remote, I am sure it would be close to the possibility of lightning striking the child.

Sagamite:

I think it is more akin to building a local-airport in Obalende so people can fly from Ikeja there to get to VI. Hence Western Billionaire investors can get to VI faster and avoid the traffic.
It is virtually un-needed, an expensive venture, illogical for the aims and liable to create other significant challenges.

if it's unneeded, the government would have prohibited it.
mobile phones have saved the lives of kids.....

Sagamite:
And there would not be other adults there to see the car and call 911?
The possibility of that scenario is so remote, I am sure it would be close to the possibility of lighting striking the child.

1% possibility to save the lives of children will not be ignored!
yes, some foolish kids would abuse the mobile phone and send obscene pics here and there....
this is why a basic phone that can only send texts and receive calls was suggested.
the parents buying smartphones for their kids have themselves to blame. if i buy a nokia 3310
for my child, he has no chance in hell to see pictures on it.

coogar:

if it's unneeded, the government would have prohibited it.
mobile phones have saved the lives of kids.....

So would an airport in Obalende save Billionaire investors coming to Lagos 15 mins off their travel or even avoid them being robbed while driving on Ikorudu road.

Of course it is unneeded, that is why the governement will not do it. It is as unneeded as most kids needing a mobile "for emergencies".

Which kids have mobile phones saved their lives?

What proportion of kids with mobiles have needed the mobiles to save their lives?

coogar:
1% possibility to save the lives of children will not be ignored!
yes, some foolish kids would abuse the mobile phone and send obscene pics here and there....
this is why a basic phone that can only send texts and receive calls was suggested.
the parents buying smartphones for their kids have themselves to blame. if i buy a nokia 3310
for my child, he has no chance in hell to see pictures on it.

No 1, it would be far lower than 1%.

No 2, your child is far more likely to be hit by a car than have an emergency where a mobile would help. So would you ensure everytime your child leaves the house, he is in a car to avoid being hit? Would you think it is rational if any parent had that policy? Would you say "such safety measures" can not be ignored?

No?

Yet, having your kid not walking the street and always in a car when out will have a higher percentage possibility of saving their life than a having a mobile phone "for emergencies" that has equal possibilities as lightning striking them. The mobile phone might even be the item that would distract them and cause them to be hit by a car.

In th UK, 107 children are killed and more than 5000 seriously injured each year as they crossed the road. I don't think anywhere close to those figures of kids are kidnapped each year, talkless of a mobile helping them stop the kidnapping. I am pretty sure a large fraction of those figures were kids using their mobile phone and not concentrating.

Sagamite:

So would an airport in Obalende save Billionaire investors coming to Lagos 15 mins off their travel or even avoid them being robbed while driving on Ikorudu road.

Which kids have mobile phones saved their lives?

What proportion of kids with mobiles have needed the mobiles to save their lives?

plenty of them.....you would find a handful of stories about kids
dialling 911 to save their sick mum or save themselves on the internet
this is why you have google. if mobile phones have only saved a life of a child
since it's invention, then it's worth it!

No 1, it would be far lower than 1%.

No 2, your child is far more likely to be hit by a car than have an emergency where a mobile would help. So you would you ensure everytime your child leave the house, he is in a car to avoid being hit? Would you think it is rational if any parent had that policy? Would you say it can not be ignored?

of course, everytime he leaves the house, he must be in a car until
i am sure he is aware of the dangers walking on the road. every child
needs a mobile so he can reach and so he can be reached.

Yet, having your kid not walking the street and always in a car when out will have a higher percentage possibility of saving their life than a having a mobile phone "for emergencies" that is likely never to occur than lightning striking them. The mobile phone might even be the item that would distract them and cause them to be hit by a car.In th UK, 107 children were killed and more than 5000 seriously injured each year as they crossed the road.

yes, because many of them don't look before they leap.
they chase balls, objects, pets, bikes and cross and get hit......it did not say all the
107 kids got hit by a car because they were using their mobile phones.

coogar:

plenty of them.....you would find a handful of stories about kids
dialling 911 to save their sick mum or save themselves on the internet
this is why you have google. if mobile phones have only saved a life of a child
since it's invention, then it's worth it!

Which kids?

Show me one! Please.

With which phones?

With their mother's phone or the home line? So how does that relate to kids having their own mobiles?

coogar:
of course, everytime he leaves the house, he must be in a car until
i am sure he is aware of the dangers walking on the road. every child
needs a mobile so he can reach and so he can be reached.

You think the kids that are hit by cars are not aware of dangers on the roads?

You think the ADULTS that are hit by cars are are not aware of dangers on the roads?

So when will you stop them from leaving the house without being in a car? When they are retired and in a coffin going to their burial site?

coogar:
yes, because many of them don't look before they leap.
they chase balls, objects, pets, bikes and cross and get hit......it did not say all the
107 kids got hit by a car because they were using their mobile phones.

So your child has FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR more chance of being hit by a car than needing a mobile phone "for emergencies". So are you telling me, as a parent that will not ignore any danger and that will give his child mobile phone "for emergencies", you will only allow them to go out when they are in a car until they are 21 years old? Don't tell me you will ignore the higher danger but cater for the remote, virtually impossible danger?

Sagamite:

Which kids?

Show me one! Please.

With which phones?

With their mother or the home line? So how does that relate to kids having their own mobiles?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,740680,00.html

You think the kids that are hit by cars are not aware of dangers on the roads?

You think the ADULTS that are hit by cars are are not aware of dangers on the roads?

So when will you stop them from leaving the house without being in a car? When they are retired and in a coffin going to their burial site?

i don't get your point. so because the risk involved in letting a kid walk by
himself on the road is more than the probability of a child needing his phone
for emergency we should then ignore one for the other? both eventualities
should be catered for no matter how remote it looks.

So your child has FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR more chance of being hit by a car than needing a mobile phone "for emergencies". So are you telling me, as a parent that will not ignore any danger and that will give his child mobile phone "for emergencies", you will only allow them to go out when they are in a car until they are 21 years old? Don't tell me you will ignore the higher danger but cater for the remote, virtually impossible danger?

i don't get your drift here.....
how do i completely remove the possibility of my child getting hit by a car on the road?
isn't this the reason why he needs his mobile phone? you're making my point for me.
if he gets hit, paramedics would get there, see his mobile, place a call to the last
dialled number(which should be the child's parents) and update them what's gone wrong.

you've just made my point!

coogar:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,740680,00.html

That is the best you could do?

I thought you said you have several examples of kids using their mobile phones to call to save their mother's life?

coogar:
i don't get your point. so because the risk involved in letting a kid walk by
himself on the road is more than the probability of a child needing his phone
for emergency we should then ignore one for the other? both eventualities
should be catered for no matter how remote it looks.

No.

I am saying the prevention you are recommending is virtually un-needed, an expensive venture, illogical for the aims and liable to create other significant challenges.

I am using the other (car accidents) to prove to you that you will not even do half of what can save them for a more risky possibility without looking like a freak. Despite your claiming you will never ignore danger for your child if you can do something to improve their safety.

Children facing accidents when crossing roads is a more pertinent danger, and yet you yourself would be rational and not overeact by saying your kids should not go out on the road. Despite your claim that if you can do anything to increase their safety by 1% you would. No you would not, if you can see the irrationality. The mobile phone for a child is pure fear consumerism. You can as well buy an Earthing hat for your child when it rains so the lightning does not harm them.

coogar:
i don't get your drift here.....
how do i completely remove the possibility of my child getting hit by a car on the road?

The way of removing the possibility of your child being hit by a car is to always be with them when they are out walking on the road or to make sure they are always in a car or not go out at all. You will not do that because you will be rational and see it as a silly suggestion and you will be willing to accept the risk. A risk which by the way is FAAAAR higher than they ending up in a situation they need a mobile to call you to save them. It is like a choice of betting between Brazil winning the 2018 WC and Mozambique winning the 2018 WC. The probabilities are worlds apart, yet you place a £100K bet on Mozambique winning the WC in 2018.

coogar:
isn't this the reason why he needs his mobile phone? you're making my point for me.
if he gets hit, paramedics would get there, see his mobile, place a call to the last
dialled number(which should be the child's parents) and update them what's gone wrong.

you've just made my point!

A mobile phone is actually more likely to increase his chance of being hit by a car than him needing it for an "emergency" where the call will lead to you changing the dangerous outcome.

So buying him a mobile phone actually means you are increasing the risk of harm to your child.

Paramedics can ask a child for his name.

If he is unconcious, they will notify police and when you go and report him missing, police would tell you.

A mobile phone does not help prevent nada in that situation, it just speeds up your time to react to the harm that has happened, not prevent it.

Sagamite:
That is the best you could do?
I thought you said you have several examples of kids using their mobile phones to call to save their mother's life?

busy at work....when i break free....i would scour the net for your delight.

I am saying the prevention you are recommending is virtually un-needed, an expensive venture, illogical for the aims and liable to create other significant challenges. I am using the other to prove to you that you will not even do half of that for a more risky possibility without looking like a freak.

let me be the judge of what is an expensive venture when my child is concerned.
unfortunately, you cannot make that decision for me or anyone but yourself.
some people think putting their kids on the bus is expensive, they can trek whilst
some people think putting their kids in maybach benz is the way to protect them.

Children facing accidents when crossing roads is a more pertinent danger, and yet you yourself would be rational and not overeact by saying your kids should not go out on the road. Despite your claim that if you can do anything to increase their safety by 1% you would. No you would not, if you can see the irrationality. The mobile phone for a child is pure fear consumerism. You can as well by a an Earthing heart for your child when it rains to the lightning does not harm them.

it's not fear consumerism. that's what today's world dictates. mobile phone
is for emergencies. a child could lose me in a crowded mall. what do i do as a parent?
call him, tell him to hold his position and i would find him there....rather than having
to go through the stress of getting the PA to make lousy announcements n blah blah blah.

too many reasons a child should have a phone. it's endless.

The way of removing the possibility of your child being hit by a car is to always be with them when they are out walking on the road or to make sure they are always in a car. You will not do that because you will be rational and see it as a silly suggestion and you will be willing to accept the risk. A risk which by the way is FAAAAR higher than they ending up in a situation they need a mobile to call you to save them. It is like a choice of betting between Brazil winning the 2018 WC and Mozambique winning the 2018 WC. The probabilities are worlds apart, yet you place a £100K bet on Mozambique winning the WC in 2018.

so me being in the car would prevent a driver high on 'caine to hit us
and maim everyone in the car? really? putting a child can only reduce the
risk, it does not completely nullify the risk in the same way as giving him
a phone does not nullify any danger that might occur but it can prevent some.

both goals is to reduce the danger to the barest minimum.....

A mobile phone is actually more likely to increase his chance of being hit by a car than him needing it for an "emergency" where the call will lead to you changing the dangerous outcome. So buying him a mobile phone actually means you are increasing the risk of harm to your child.

i am not. i am saving his life.
auto accident isn't the only potential danger on the streets.
with a phone, i can do a prompt check on the whereabouts of my child rather than
making wild guesses. you did not use a phone when growing up because there were no mobile fones.
if there were, your parents would have provided one for you to make sure you don't come into any harm.

Paramedics can ask a child for his name.
If he is unconcious, they will notify police and when you go and report him missing, police would tell you.

so i will bear the pain of waiting and searching all the police stations in my borough instead
of the luxury of placing a call to that child and getting the answer i need? thanx but no thanx.
i prefer the mobile.......lose a child in lagos and see how missing person's list would help you locate him.

A mobile phone does not help prevent nada in that situation, it just speeds up your time to react to the harm that has happened, not prevent it.

it does. when accidents happen, good samaritans or emergency services
reach for the pockets to search for a diary or a mobile phone so they
can alert the next of kin.....it's very very important!