Background:

BM and her grown son decided on SD’s 9th birthday she was ready for a smartphone (she is now SD14). Big brother added her and BM to his cell phone plan (he lives way out of state). DH against my advice jumped in on this and decided that he was going to buy the phone as his gift to SD. I advised him not to (let that be their gift) and to buy his own gift for her. BM and son are always doing something shady. He didn’t listen. It has been drama ever since. SD14 over the years has probably gone through about 5 phones. Each time BM doesn’t have the money for the insurance deductible DH pays and SD gets a new phone. This kid had a better phone/access to the internet than most adults I know. It never fails at least once a year around SD’s birthday, something happens to her phone.

The Present:

When DH and I got married I added him to my cell contract. He had some sort of GO Phone at the time and in the joining of two households I thought this would be a good idea. A couple of years later at the age of 12 I added my BS(now 14) to my plan. Remember every year around birthday time there’s an issue. DH has been in a foul mood all week . . .since taking SD home from her weekend visit so I knew something was coming. . . .

Today he starts talking again after not saying 10 words to me since Sunday evening. I don’t even bother to ask what the problem is anymore . . .I disengaged from all of the drama with BM and SD. I just give him his space. . . . .He informs me today that he wants to add SD to OUR plan because he’s tired of dealing with crap from BM. Apparently SD broke her last phone (she’s had since the summer) and now she’s using one of BM’s old phones. . . .Lord forbid. My son and I have a deal that if he breaks or loses his smart phone . . .talk/text go phone it is. . . .SD has never had this stipulation. He is coming up on his 1 year anniversary and the phone looks brand new.

DH and I get into a little argument (we were both at work so we had to keep it low) regarding this. BM is not to be trusted. Every time something goes down DH gets shafted. He says he’s tired of always picking up the insurance on the phones and he’s tired of dealing with BM/Son combo. I say hey, let son keep paying and if DH doesn’t think SD needs new phone then don’t pay or pay the dang insurance as usual. I’m sure something else has happened that he doesn’t want to tell me. I don’t like the idea of a phone being on my plan that we can’t control. BM has family out of the country . . .which phone do you think she’s gonna use when calling international. DH never gets his money back from her. When BM/Son don’t pay the bills and her phone is shut off which phone do you think she’s going to confiscate???? And her little side kick will hand it over willingly. There is also the issue of SD ignoring DH’s calls/texts when she wants too. He will text time and time again and she’ll pretend that she never got it or refuses to answer his calls for up to a week at a time. THIS will get your phone taken away if you are my kid. . . .I call/text you damn well better answer. When SD does this DH just let’s her get away with it and moves on like nothing.

So tell me StepTalk . . .what’s been your experience with skids and cell phones?????