[blackbird]

My two boys will be with their dad for 2 weeks over xmas and I am very worried about this as they have never been away from me for so long so I am thinking of getting them a cheap phone that they can call me on if they want to as I know their dad wont offer this and rarely has ever let me talk to them through his phone.

Do you think this is a good idea?

Do you know what phone might be suitable?

[Monroe]

My first reaction was no way! But after reading your story, yes I would get them a cheap phone for them to use.
I personally would go to Optus and see their prepaid mobiles, they have Nokias with a keypad for around $70. Get them $30 credit which has a lot of calls included & they should be set.
I'm almost 100% sure you'd be able to put credit on it online if you needed to.

[*Lib*]

$29 prepaid at bigw.

[wildflowers]

You can get cheap prepaid phones. I think you would need to try and set some rules thatnthey can ring you each night. My brother gave my niece a phone cause he is separated and she rings him at any time during the day or night which I think is crazy cause I know she would miss him but it isnt an emergency to ring at 11pm.

[bakesgirls]

Can I ask what you are worried about? I know 2 weeks is a long time if you haven't had to do it before, but what do you think is going to happen? Could you discuss calling them with your ex before they go?

I just think 4 and 5 is very young, and can imagine the phone getting lost or broken which means you would be unable to call them on it anyway.

This post has been edited by bakesgirls: 12/12/2012, 08:52 PM

[libbylu]

Why can't you tell your ex that you will call at say 7pm each night and expect to be able to talk to them then.
That's what my friend does when his son is at his ex's place.
I don't think that's unreasonable.
Who knows what a five year old would do with a mobile. accidentally call a random number while in his pocket and run the credit down in one go, probably. I think it's too young to use it responsibly.

[mad madam mim]

I wouldn't bother, if he wont let them call you with his phone he will probably just take the mobile off them. I would just tell him that you will be calling at x time each day to say goodnight.

[Regular Show]

I think if I was your ex i'd feel offended. I think its rude and disrespectful. tbh. Its the kids dad. Let him have the kids in peace without them having to be checked in on every day.

Thats coming from someone who doesnt know your personal situation though.

I think a better approach may be to organise to have them call you or vice versa every 3 or so days. Otherwise it may come across as you trying to pry the kids for information on your ex and what everyone has been up to. Its sounds intrusive.

Again this is coming from someone who has seen what its like on the other side. My scenario may have nothing to do with the situation you are in.

[blackbird]

I think if I was your ex i'd feel offended. I think its rude and disrespectful. tbh. Its the kids dad. Let him have the kids in peace without them having to be checked in on every day.

Thats coming from someone who doesnt know your personal situation though.

I think a better approach may be to organise to have them call you or vice versa every 3 or so days. Otherwise it may come across as you trying to pry the kids for information on your ex and what everyone has been up to. Its sounds intrusive.

Again this is coming from someone who has seen what its like on the other side. My scenario may have nothing to do with the situation you are in.

Personally I don't give a rats what he is doing or anyone else he knows for that matter, what I care about is the kids not feeling I have abandoned them, I have had a big struggle just getting them to happily go to his house for the two nights every fortnight that he has them, this arrangement is only recent of the last few month, directly before that he did not see them or talk to them for about 6-8 weeks (I have it written some where). I am actually a little happier that I suspect his female friend is more serious than he has said, she is a nurse and by having another person around he might be more tolerant of them and they might have more fun, but this last weekend was the 1st that my youngest didn't have an argument about not wanting to go, my oldest is autistic and his dad has very little respect or patience for his 'quirks'. I'm just worried as this is a man who pinned up a 3 year old against a wall and bellowed at him because his little brother cried and daddy assumed it was because of the oldest, hitting said 3 year old so hard I had to comfort screaming child with an ice pack and the neighbor called because she could hear it all and was worried, he wasn't purposefully abusive, he just was too rough and didn't think 1st, I'm pretty confident he isn't quite that bad now but smack 1st is still his policy for everything. Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a vent. I just thought it might make the kids feel more secure if they know they can call, their dad liked the idea when I suggest he call the kids on their own phone but nothing ever come of it.

[mumofsky]

Stay strong OP. And if a phone makes you feel safer, get them one. It's hard being a separated parent when your ex is a crap parent.