What age for cell phones
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4 after 1 vote
At what age do you think it is appropriate for kids to get a cell phone?
I used to be one of those parents that couldn't justify it till they had a lot of extra curricular activities that required they be in contact with me. I finally broke down and bought one for my son on his 13th birthday because his step brother got one from his mom the year before.
Now I must say I wish I had done it sooner. It is incredibly handy to text them reminders that I'll pick them up from school, or come home for dinner and such. Now that he has one, I think it's more for me than for him.
I used to be one of those parents that couldn't justify it till they had a lot of extra curricular activities that required they be in contact with me. I finally broke down and bought one for my son on his 13th birthday because his step brother got one from his mom the year before.
Now I must say I wish I had done it sooner. It is incredibly handy to text them reminders that I'll pick them up from school, or come home for dinner and such. Now that he has one, I think it's more for me than for him.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tammy Dantzler on -
Cell phones are a great gadget to keep in touch with our kids. However, I highly recommend parents having an insurance program due to loss and theft rates from classmates. I believe it is appropriate when they demonstrate responsibility. However, do we really want our children to feel like it is a social necessity?
But, remember as kids, teens or some as young adults of our generation we didn't have these gadgets our children have today and we grew up safe without them. It really boils down to parenting and affordability. In our family cell phones were for business purposes only. However, for our daughter until we knew she could be responsible with caring for the phone and usage we choose to purchase her a T-Mobile pre-paid phone. We purchased 1,000 T-Mobile minutes every Christmas for $100.00 for 2 years. This seems much more economical for most families and still gives parents a feeling of security contacting their kids. I feel that kids and teens today are relying way to much on the social aspects of their lives with text messaging.
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Permalink Reply by Val on -
We didn't have an "age" for them to get their phone. My daughter got her's in middle school because she was staying at new friends houses and we wanted to be able to get ahold of her at any time. My son got his at 9 because we no longer have a house phone and sometimes he gets home a few minutes before I do. I had to have a way for him to tell me he was home and alive, let alone him be able to call for help.
It's been great and well worth the $10 a month per line. My parents call them to chat. My Dad works swing shift and calls the kids almost every night now. It's very cool, I never had a grandparent that called to talk to me and I treasure that connection for my kids.
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Permalink Reply by Karrie on -
My son is 13 and is not ready for the responsibility of a cell phone. He would rack up my bill so high just calling people for the sake of calling. Until he is driving, there is no need to give him a cell phone.
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Permalink Reply by BDC_Sharon on -
I say until they can earn the money to pay the bill, they don't need the cell phone. Its a privilege, not a right.
Fondly,
Sharon
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Permalink Reply by Becky Cortino on -
I think it depends upon the situation, the child and schedule... a big consideration is the level of responsibility a child has -- to take care of the phone and not lose it. When we first gave them to our children I was concerned about that, but they have handled it well, and it has been a definite benefit. That said none of us are on the things all day long -- but use them as a useful tool.
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Permalink Reply by Casey on -
Oh i am in this HUGE dibate with my husband he wants to get our 7 year old yes 7 year old a cell phone..i think that is reduculus..i'm like soo freakn mad at this...but he finds NO problem with it..UGG...
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Survillas on -
mine was 7 when she got hers...but again we bought it for her so that she could call us from dance or if there was an emergency there. All her emergency contact numbers are in it. Now at 9 1/2 we let her text on it. She doesn't get to call her friends unless they are in our network and only the friends I approve of. It just isn't that big of a deal to her. She only really calls us or texts one friend. She is responsible and now that she spends 12 hours a week at dance without me, I am glad she has it!
Casey said:Oh i am in this HUGE dibate with my husband he wants to get our 7 year old yes 7 year old a cell phone..i think that is reduculus..i'm like soo freakn mad at this...but he finds NO problem with it..UGG...
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Permalink Reply by Willowbottom on -
Hi, Nicole. This is complex b/c a lot of us are of an age and background where anything approaching the glamour of a cell phone was an unheard of luxury when we were growing up. (Not that cells were around for me but Walkmans were!)
But if you take away the "luxury" and cost/affordability aspect of it, I think it's really determined by how independent your kids are. For home-schooled kids with SAHMs, I can't think of a good reason for it, not for the occasional use. If the need is only occasional, some peeps I know just get a phone they can charge with minutes and only give it to the kid when they're away for some period of time. Then you don't need to worry about it being lost or damaged (since it was probably pretty cheap to begin with) or being misused.
The only other concern I have is in helping kids learn when to turn off and not be connected. I realize I'm the pot looking at a bunch of kettle like situations, but I wouldn't want my 10 year old to always be on the phone or INternet. I don't think it's good for them. Again, this is just me.
Long post brought short -- I'd probably start around early teens, 13-15, but the phone would have protections on it and requirements attached.
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Permalink Reply by jalove on -
HI moms,
when my son was a sophmore in high school he wanted a cell phone so bad! it had to be nextel cause alll the other kids had the bleep bleep thing going. Well, i stalled for 3 weeks, did research on other companies and in the end, he got his phone. Mind you I am the one with the name in the bill. So i said to him, if i end up paying one statement, it will be my phone. ( i didn't have a cell phone either). so 3 months later i paid the bill and it has been my phone since, although i was still driving him to sports and stuff we both used the phone.Plus it had alll his friends contact so i could reach him through his friends sometimes. SO....now at nineteen, i have his cell phone cause he couldn't use it while out of the country and the original nextel is cut off cause I couldn't pay the bill.. soo, when he comes back in FEB 09, I will be under HIS family plan!.
that was an interesting cell phone memory! thanks
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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on -
I bought both my daughters a cell phone when they were12. They were then responsible enough and spending a great deal of time away from home with friends and activities at school. I needed a way to keep in touch with them about pick up times, where they were going and when they would be back. Also, at the mall and large stores they could venture off together and I still knew where they were.
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Permalink Reply by Donna L. Johnson on -
I had mixed feelings about this one too. I certainly didn't fall for the "but everyone else has one" trap. My daughter got her cell phone last Christmas 2007 when she was 13. I'd been explaining to her about the responsibility that goes along with it (I.E: the bill has to be paid!). She pays me $5 per month toward her bill and if she's late, she gets hit with a late fee. I'm using the cell phone as an opportunity to also equip her with life skills. She's very grateful and doesn't approve the privilege.
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Permalink Reply by Jenniffer on -
Due to mine and my husband's work schedule my oldest daughter got one when she started junior high (6th grade). It's been a lifesaver and a pain but she was too old for a babysitter. We used to use the chaperone feature on the phones until she figured out how to disable it so we disabled it since it was a waste of $10 a month.
It is handy though b/c i can easily track her down now.
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