need advice for my teenage step daughter

[countrygirl12]

dancer that is a good idea.  If she has an emergency in her bedroom she can scream. lol.  But honestly, these days as screwed up as the world is I would not feel safe without mine.  I know my mom (yes I am an adult lol) worries less about me when she knows I have a phone and I can call if something happens.  Wait.  How did we live before cell phones?  lol

[sgluckadoo]

she wants a cell phone but we told her not until she brings her grades up she had one when she was with her real mom but we have set rules with her as long as she is living with her dad and myself do you think we are wrong or should we let her have a cell phone we know it would be useful for getting in touch with us in case of something happening but we also know she loves to talk to her friends any advice would be helpful

You ARE the PARENT. You make the rules and communicate them to the child. Of course she wants what her friends have and what she sees on TV, but basing making it so that she earns it through grades is best. The phone could hurt her grades, so she needs to prove she can earn good grades to earn the right to the phone. I would let her know that if her grades suffer she will lose the privilege.

[lepord]

I think its important to have a phone for communication.. Maybe she will feel better having the phone and that will help her be motivated to bring up a few grades.

[aggie49]

she is 16 years old

[djohnson43]

I have a 19 year old high school senior and she doesn't have her own phone yet nor a computer or anything like that. She was told if she wanted one she had to pay for it herself. But because she doesn't have a job and is concentrating on graduating... Now she does do some volunteer work with a cat adoption place on Saturdays and we will give her one of our phones so she can let us know what is going on. Also when she goes and meets friends at the movies or mall. She doesn't have her liscence  yet (nor does she want it yet) so she has to let us know when to come and get her.

[sak4kat]

I think your request for reasonable grades in exchange for the privilege of a cell phone is acceptable.  As long as your teen knows what grades are required than it's a pretty simple concept.  My teens currently do no have phones.  They both get great grades it's just not in our budgets.  In the mean time when they need to connect with friends they are allowed to use my cell phone but relying on it as there source of entertainment and a social life isn't allowed.  Stay strong.