Kid and cell phones

ShayBells

Let's get dangerous.
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
First, not looking for judgements or debates. :grouphug:

My DS is turning 10 in November. He keeps asking for a phone. I keep saying no. But I hear so many kids lately that have them. So it made me wonder...

When did your kids first get a cell phone or when are you planning to first get them one?
 
My kids are older 17 and 19. It was a typical 5th grade grad gift at the time. So around 10.

Now it seems much younger.
 
Got mine at 14 when pay as you go mobile phones were new and all the rage - we could manage our own budgets. My phone was tansparent orange!

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My 3 boys were abt 8th grade as their after school activities increased and phone availability was sketchy.

Dd was abt 6th grade as we cancelled our home line and did leave her at home for short times.
 
My children never had cellphones that I paid for. They were born in 1980 and 1974 so one lived without a cellphone throughout his childhood and the other acted childish during his teen years over the need for acquisition. Finally told him I'd pay for the startup but he was responsible for monthly charge when he was about 17.

I've given up and accepted the change in norms for DGD. She received a basic cellphone when she was 12 y/o. One of her parents insisted she needed more services but but when I asked if they were paying for the upgrade they went allllllll silent. She now has the full service (plus) her parent wanted her to have but that's because it no longer costs me more.
 
My kids are in college. They got smart phones in high school. Trac phones in 7th grade when their after school sports warranted it.
 


I had planned to wait until my two youngest were in middle school but ended up passing down our old ones for their 10th birthday. They were starting to go off on their own a bit more and I just felt better knowing they could get ahold of me anytime they needed.

Older DD had one of those that you could program four numbers into at 11 for the same reasons. She graduated to a flip that she only took when she went somewhere. When she was thirteen she inherited my iPhone 3G.
 
First, not looking for judgements or debates. :grouphug:

My DS is turning 10 in November. He keeps asking for a phone. I keep saying no. But I hear so many kids lately that have them. So it made me wonder...

When did your kids first get a cell phone or when are you planning to first get them one?
My son is 13 and doesn't have one or need one.

I teach middle class 10 & 11 year-olds. Some of them have phones: about half of them. No social difference (in terms of popularity or wealth) between the phone haves & have nots- it's just a parenting decision, whether or not to provide them. They do not all have them, though.
 
I had planned to wait until my two youngest were in middle school but ended up passing down our old ones for their 10th birthday. They were starting to go off on their own a bit more and I just felt better knowing they could get ahold of me anytime they needed.

This is kinda where I’m at. My plan was 13. But now I’m reconsidering and plus it’d be great to track him as he gets older. :rotfl2:
 
My "kids" are now 23 and 27. High school was when they first got them.

Same here my sons got them in 8th grade, one year after each other, when they started after school activities and needed them.

But with cheaper phones and plans I can see kids getting them earlier. My niece got one at 10 because my other sister thought she needed it. Niece is now 12 and loses it a lot as in mom takes it from her.
 
My son is 13 and doesn't have one or need one.

I teach middle class 10 & 11 year-olds. Some of them have phones: about half of them. No social difference (in terms of popularity or wealth) between the phone haves & have nots- it's just a parenting decision, whether or not to provide them. They do not all have them, though.

This is what my son tells me that some of his classmates have them. I think he mostly wants it for YouTube when not at home which definitely makes me want to say no cause I don’t trust YouTube unless I’m monitoring what he’s watching. I keep going back and forth. :confused3
 
This is kinda where I’m at. My plan was 13. But now I’m reconsidering and plus it’d be great to track him as he gets older. :rotfl2:
Yep, haha. I was able to lock them down pretty tight and they’ve proven to be very responsible with them. I don’t know anyone who has a landline anymore and payphones are pretty non existent. They know they have those phones FOR ME.
 
It’s definitely interesting to see what everyone else does. Thanks everyone for keeping it simple and clean. :thumbsup2
 
This is what my son tells me that some of his classmates have them. I think he mostly wants it for YouTube when not at home which definitely makes me want to say no cause I don’t trust YouTube unless I’m monitoring what he’s watching. I keep going back and forth. :confused3
You can lock that down, restrict websites, purchases etc. At least you can on an iPhone. Tell him that’s your plan and see if he still wants one.
 
You can lock that down, restrict websites, purchases etc. At least you can on an iPhone. Tell him that’s your plan and see if he still wants one.

My bet is he wouldn’t want one then. I could just wait for the YouTube phase to go away. Does it go away? Please someone tell me it goes away. :rotfl2:
 
My kids both got them in middle school because we wanted them to be able to reach us if needed after school (at the time they were old enough to sign out of after school care on their own to go home with friends, etc). They had no need for them any earlier than that.
 

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