Should I cell out my kid??????

Recently, Q and I were discussing which cell phones we would like to get when our plan comes up for renewal. Kyle took that opportunity to pipe in: "Can I have your old phone?" Well, this was a shocker. I didn't know Kyle was so interested in getting his own phone. After all, he doesn't make or receive many calls on our house phone.

Kyle went on to tell us that "everyone in sixth grade has a phone!" Quinton immediately replied that that wasn't a good enough reason for him to get a phone. Now, I know phones are popular among kids, but I thought it would be a few years before we would have to visit this issue.

Quinton seems to think that Kyle doesn't need his own phone. At first I agreed, but now I'm not so sure it's such a bad idea.

Kyle's getting a older and he's venturing further away from home. A new park was recently built in our neighborhood and the kids like to go there after school. There's no pay phone there. In fact, there are hardly any pay phones anywhere anymore.

Also, Kyle's friend base is no longer limited to kids who live within shouting distance from the house. It would be really nice for me to be able to call him on his phone and tell him that he needs to come home. It's much easier than calling all his friends' homes trying to track him down. I've had more of these awkward conversations than I care to admit to: "Hi, this is Val ____...is Kyle there? He's not. Ok...I'm sorry I interrupted your dinner..."

Now see? If Kyle had his own phone, the number of etiquette faux pas I commit will go way down.

I am not worried about Kyle running up the phone bill. We have more monthly minutes than we ever use. I'm also not concerned about Kyle losing the phone. He has proven to me that he is responsible with his things. I mean, we're talking about a boy who carefully organizes his video games and gets angry when the covers of his paperback books get creased from being jostled around in his backpack. I know he will follow any ground rules we set forth for the phone.

Perhaps my biggest concern is his leaving the phone in the same place he leaves his keys--at home on the hall table. I have visions of myself trying to reach Kyle on his phone only to hear a Star Wars-themed ringtone reverberating from the next room.