At what age would you give your child a mobile?
Discussion
As the title really.
Just got another new phone and my old phone is only about a year old, I'm planning on giving that to my daughter when she's here at the weekends so she can text and call me letting her have a bit of fun and it lets her feel a bit grown up.
As she's only 7 and a half (that bit is important she tells me) I certainly won't be installing tik tok or any of that crap on it and she won't have any access to the appstore so she won't be able to install anything on it but the way her Grandad has reacted today you'd think I've given her a phone with Gary Glitter in the phone book.
My thoughts are it's a bit of fun, the phone will be locked down and she is of a generation that has been born into this technology, it will also be prepay so no nasty surprises with bills.
Just got another new phone and my old phone is only about a year old, I'm planning on giving that to my daughter when she's here at the weekends so she can text and call me letting her have a bit of fun and it lets her feel a bit grown up.
As she's only 7 and a half (that bit is important she tells me) I certainly won't be installing tik tok or any of that crap on it and she won't have any access to the appstore so she won't be able to install anything on it but the way her Grandad has reacted today you'd think I've given her a phone with Gary Glitter in the phone book.
My thoughts are it's a bit of fun, the phone will be locked down and she is of a generation that has been born into this technology, it will also be prepay so no nasty surprises with bills.
My daughter will be getting her first phone any day now. Once I can figure out how to reset an old Iphone my FIL gave us. She is 12. The phone will be locked down and will be linked to my phone, so that if she wants an app, it will ask me for permission first.
Even at 12, I'm a little bit unsure about giving her a phone at such a young age.
Even at 12, I'm a little bit unsure about giving her a phone at such a young age.
My eldest got a phone with a simcard, but with heavy parental controls, at about 10 years old. The youngest (without a simcard) at 9. The reason for the former was for ballet lessons which parents don't stay at and it was just incase we were ever late collecting them - which has never happened yet.
They are 12 and 10 now. The youngest still doesn't have a simcard. Neither takes them to school. Neither has Facebook or TikTok. They do have Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp, and mostly use their phones for video chatting with friends and watching Minecraft videos on Youtube.
They do take their phones when they go to the park with their friends after school occasionally.
They are 12 and 10 now. The youngest still doesn't have a simcard. Neither takes them to school. Neither has Facebook or TikTok. They do have Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp, and mostly use their phones for video chatting with friends and watching Minecraft videos on Youtube.
They do take their phones when they go to the park with their friends after school occasionally.
My kid is only 2 and a half and we are very no tablets and phones around her.
I'd like to think year 6 age or when they go to senior school
Agree with that they are the generation that will and are growing up this technology. but I feel a phone at that age is just a bit too early IMO
Certainly not looking forward to these situations when the time comes !
I'd like to think year 6 age or when they go to senior school
Agree with that they are the generation that will and are growing up this technology. but I feel a phone at that age is just a bit too early IMO
Certainly not looking forward to these situations when the time comes !
Mine got hers during the last year at primary school for a Xmas present. Without one she'd be severely disadvantaged at school, as the school communicate with the pupils via Teams and Edulink (homework, clubs etc.) Also as she gets a bus twice a day she can call if bus doesn't arrive or is cancelled and we can track her location at all times.
Id Mobile do very good 1 month rolling SIM only plans, she's current on £8/month for 16GB of data.
Id Mobile do very good 1 month rolling SIM only plans, she's current on £8/month for 16GB of data.
dundarach said:
Mine had them in years 5 and 6, so 10 and 11.
They get the bus which helps, however yes, too young.
However you can use parental controls so it controls apps and time etc.
It's really useful knowing where they are too, especially getting off the bus!!
I can see the advantages but as you say a bit young, it will be restricted to this house and probably just whatsapp loaded on it so she can text me and grandad, probably from the kitchen, I'll be back next week saying she's texted me 354 times I'm gonna scream!They get the bus which helps, however yes, too young.
However you can use parental controls so it controls apps and time etc.
It's really useful knowing where they are too, especially getting off the bus!!
Sheets Tabuer said:
I can see the advantages but as you say a bit young, it will be restricted to this house and probably just whatsapp loaded on it so she can text me and grandad, probably from the kitchen, I'll be back next week saying she's texted me 354 times I'm gonna scream!
I thought that....Neither text me
However yes get it locked down, you'll be fine - even when locked they can make emergency calls, so could always stick it in a bag if going to a friends house etc.
We've had no problems - yet!
Its a while back now but both our kids got phones when they started secondary school but largely because the school was 40 minutes away by taxi. Back then phones were really just phones and few of their friends had them so there were never any issues.
If it was now I'd say the same or similar age and keep an eye on the amount of time used and any hesitancy to discuss related problems. I'd want an ultimate fall back of bricking it if I needed to.
If it was now I'd say the same or similar age and keep an eye on the amount of time used and any hesitancy to discuss related problems. I'd want an ultimate fall back of bricking it if I needed to.
I remember back in't days, I wasn't even able to use the house phone until I was 18, had a lock on it like this
Didn't help that I ran up a big bill of around £200+ calling Clubcall off Teletext when I was around 13 prompting the lock to be bought.
My lads 4 now with his own tablet and he pretty much knows his way around it.
I think if he had a phone if would probably get used to it quickly as well.
I'm planning on waiting until secondary school, unless they require it for school purposes but things change so fast in tech world, there will probably be something new out by then.
If he shows me he can be responsible and trusted with it then he may get one earlier, I reckon I will try some sort of phased approach with controls on it in the future.
Didn't help that I ran up a big bill of around £200+ calling Clubcall off Teletext when I was around 13 prompting the lock to be bought.
My lads 4 now with his own tablet and he pretty much knows his way around it.
I think if he had a phone if would probably get used to it quickly as well.
I'm planning on waiting until secondary school, unless they require it for school purposes but things change so fast in tech world, there will probably be something new out by then.
If he shows me he can be responsible and trusted with it then he may get one earlier, I reckon I will try some sort of phased approach with controls on it in the future.
We gave our 9 year-old a phone for Christmas after much debate about whether it was too soon. On Fridays she leaves school on her own and walks part-way to be picked up by my wife as she is unable to get there exactly when school finishes. It therefore means they have a way of communicating if either is delayed.
I have the family link app on my phone so her access is fully controlled (she can't use it on weekdays and has an hour on weekends to play crap games or WhatsApp friends/family) She knows that she isn't allowed tictok and I can see what apps she has been using anyway.
To be honest she mostly forgets about using it so we're not too worried! Yesterday she told her mum that she didn't want to go on her phone as she didn't want to use up the time she was allowed! Slightly odd child logic there!
I have the family link app on my phone so her access is fully controlled (she can't use it on weekdays and has an hour on weekends to play crap games or WhatsApp friends/family) She knows that she isn't allowed tictok and I can see what apps she has been using anyway.
To be honest she mostly forgets about using it so we're not too worried! Yesterday she told her mum that she didn't want to go on her phone as she didn't want to use up the time she was allowed! Slightly odd child logic there!
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