Some kids are into songs and shoes at age 11. My "tween" daughter’s no different. But her biggest obsession this summer is the Sidekick.

We can’t pass a T-Mobile (DT) store without her dragging me in to check out this text-messaging dream machine. She even scoped out the various mobile phone options on our trip to Germany back in June.

Nothing Nokia for her, thank you. The iPhone holds no interest, either - although she can catalog every parent who’s gotten the new one (I’m not one of them). She used to crave a Motorola Razr instead of her gray and functional photo-snapping Samsung. But now it’s nothing but Sidekick.

The subject first came up toward the end of 5th grade, a year when text-messaging kicked in with such intensity that her school sent home a “contract” for parents to use to establish texting boundaries for their children.

My daughter has the money saved to buy a Sidekick herself and the cost of our all-you-can-eat T-Mobile plan covers unlimited texting and picture-sending. Creative photo compositions are the other use of the phone she enjoys with abandon.

I helped her go through the advantages and disadvantages of owning a Sidekick - the cost to replace it if she lost it (although she’s proven to be more responsible with her phone than her multi-tasking mom). She agreed to think it through.

Let’s face it: There’s a generational shift that’s in full swing and the market has gone way-mobile. This Boomer mom can text when needed, but I’m still more of an email and IM addict.

And that’s just the thing. I know how powerful the urge is to always be on. I spend way more time online than is good for me. I don’t dare try Twitter because I fear I couldn’t stop tweeting. I’ve resisted getting a Blackberry because I don’t want to miss any more life in the real world.

I had a long leisurely dinner with my minister/teacher friend the other night and even she couldn’t avoid checking her Palm Centro a few times over the 2 hours we spent.

So I equate the graduation to a Sidekick with the unleashing of an addiction I’d just as soon see my child shy away from for as long as possible. We’ve managed to sidestep the siren sound of the Nintendo GameBoy, a gadget my periodontist had to forcibly remove from her 12-year-old’s possession a few years back. Real withdrawal ensued.

Who’s kidding who? Our latest T-Mobile statement tells the story. Only 42 text messages for mom; a whopping 846 for my master thumb-typing daughter (when I mentioned this to a colleague, he pointed out that’s only 28 per day).  

We’re giving it until the end of the summer. She’s wrapping up her last week of sleepaway camp (no cell phones allowed) and was starting to question whether she really wants to spend her money on a Sidekick the last time the subject came up.

If nothing else, I’ve taught her the lesson this summer of delayed gratification.

Any bets on which way it’s going to go? Weigh in on The Exchange.