Getting my son not a smart phone

[PassiveAgressiveQueen]

My son has been stupid and is on 3 weeks no devices.

We just found him at 10:25 watching youtube videos in bed.

He needs a phone for school, would i be unreasonable to buy him the most embarrassing NOT smartphone for the 3 weeks and any other times of punishment?

P.s. Where can you buy embarrassing cheap not smartphones in a hurry?

Haven’t they just re-released the Nokia 3310?

That phone was epic in the 90s!

How old is he? Is it such a big deal for him to be awake at that time on a Friday night?

They have but you can still watch youtube on it if your eyesight is good enough. It is still a smartphone with internet, as that was my first thought too.

Another one wondering how old he is?

Ohhhhh. He was breaking his 'no devices' punishment.

He is nearly 12, no it isn't such a big deal if he wasn't already on a DEVICES BAN. For something else.

Mobile phone shops still spell basic bricks. My dc's have them, no camera or internet access. Batteries last for weeks and they're indestructible

Alcatel from Asda, £7, PAYG.
The interface sucks.
The ringtones and sound quality make you want to stick needles in your ears.
The camera is a potato.

UpstartCrow Sounds perfect!

If it is painful to use that sounds even better 😈

I once went into the O2 shop and asked the assistant for “the cheapest, foulest phone you have because my son has lost his iphone”

I suspect it was the Alcatel mentioned below.

Tesco £4.99 plus £10 phone credit OP, what more could you want?

www.tescomobile.com/shop/pay-as-you-go/imo/dash

Yep Alcatel! Tesco sell them. We bought one for my Granny when she was in hospital for ages and touch screen wouldn't have worked. You can call and text. You even have to press the button 4 times to get the "s". It's perfect!

I like this... he'll probably try to ring you through the inside of his shirt sleeve with it stuffed up

I must sleep now, i look forward to any further ideas in the morning.

Musicposy beat me to it 😂

DH had similar for a while after he lost a succession of decent phones and we couldn't afford to replace them. Once it was a basic brick he was leaving on trains/ at work/ in cinemas it kept getting handed in.
So not only annoying, but tricky to dispose of

I think all parents should get a “Alcatel from Asda“ and have it hanging on the wall as a sort of threat!

an

I can confirm the shitness of the Alcatel from Asda.

MIL has it and it’s just awful to use.

Does he need need it for school?

My 7 year old has the Alcatel. It's shit but does the job.

My kid has a Nokia brick, £30 from amazon prime. Pay as you go. Has never been embarrassed by it nor has any friends mocked it. Its fine for purpose, my kid has no need to access the internet at all times of the day.

My 13.5 year old has only ever had a £10 Nokia from Tesco . It's done 2 school years and still going strong. His younger brother will get similar when he starts secondary school in September. It's all that's needed to text / call me if necessary. At home there is PC, tablet & PS4 and I monitor and limit their use on it. I don't think kids need smartphones.

Tons of fine ones around £15 mark on amazon. And YADNBU, sounds like a good move. A 12 year old does not NEED a smartphone.

What is this outbreak of common sense I'm reading?!! I thought that, on MN, all kids absolutely needed the very latest smartphone, lest they die of shame in front of their all-important peers?

OP, the issue of when to return his "good" phone at home is up to you, but personally I wouldn't give him anything except a cheapie for school anyway. That way he keeps his plastic pal for leisure time, can still contact you in an emergency but won't be tempted to fool around with it at school. Surely that's a win-win?