This week of June 8, 2009, Family On The Phone buzzes one seriously knowledgeable and active mom, Dr. Daisy Sutherland. She took time out of her very busy schedule to answer a few questions about her family’s cell phone habits.
You seem to lead a very full and busy life with all your websites and your job, plus being a mom. I’m sure you need to be able to stay connected all the time. How does your cell phone help you and your family to do that?
First of all I never leave my home without my cell phone. We decided over a year ago to do away with our land line, so our cell phones are the only way for people to communicate with us. With our cell phones, we can make plans and contact each other when and and if an emergency should arise.
What features do you have on your cell phone and what is your favorite?
I have a Blackberry Curve and it is actually my office away from the office. It has all the bells and whistles and quite thankful for all the gizmo and gadgets. I love having a planner and access to the internet as well as access to my emails.
The best feature I have on my phone is a downloaded application called Pandora Radio..music is very relaxing to me and having the feature is one of the best features I have.
Do any of your children have cell phones yet? If so, what are their ages and how is that handled? Do they have limits? Pre-pay or added to your contract?
I have 5 children and 4 of the 5 have cell phones. My oldest is now paying for her cell phone usage. My others are on my plan and all share minutes. Thankfully we have unlimited texting which saves us a lot of money. The ages of my children are 17, 15, 13, 9 and 5, and of course the 5 year old has no need for a cell phone. The others are very active in extra-curricular activities as well as church activities and having a cell phone makes it handy to contact us when necessary. They do have limitations on their phones. They are not allowed on the phone after 10pm and they do not have internet access or download capabilities on their phones. Just recently my son wanted a fancier type of cell phone, so he worked hard and raised the funds in order to purchase a new model. My others have the basic and freebie style phones.
How young do you feel is too young for a cell phone?
Well, that will depend on the parents and their family situation. Of course my 5 year-old does not need a cell phone, but I know some parents that have given their young children cell phones. Many of them have parents that are separated or divorced and use the cell phones to communicate with their parents. Again, I feel it depend on the situation and it is a decision the parents must make.
Do you have any concerns about the latest news involving cancer and cell phones?
I don’t have any concerns when it comes to the cancer issues the news has informed us regarding cell phones and cell phone usage. Quite honestly we only use our phones for emergencies and I use it mainly to stay connected to my family and friends, via testing or internet.
Is there anything else you’d like to add regarding your cell phone use?
The cell phone usage is definitely restricted in our household. My children are very well of the rules they must follow to have the privilege of owning a cell phone. If they break the rules, they lose the phone and it has happened so the threats are not idle in our household.
Dr. Mommy, as she calls herself, has several very informative websites she operates in her time away from her job as a Doctor of Chiropractic. She has five children. Her self-stated mission is “Helping YOU to help your family”. 
Written on June 8th, 2009 at 9:45 pm by Amy
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