Mobile Phone for Senior School Kids

[kafkesque]

We live in the country and child needs to go to school on bus. Therefore if it misses the bus we are buying a mobile phone for Christmas for emergencies.

What do other parents do contract or PAYG?

We were going to give a budget of PAYG and then child will have to sort out own phone budget from pocket money.

I realize the whole system is open to abuse even with parental controls. What has happened, How did you deal with it ect.

This is all new territory for us and would like to be one step ahead of the blighter!

[bigTillyMint]

Some children (DS) can manage their phone budget well. Others (DD) will overspend. I recommend a capped contract or sim-only deal - we use Tescomobile.

[AuntieStella]

We started off with PAYG basic bricks, on same network as my phone so that even if credit ran out she could still call me.

We had said that she had to look after it responsibly for a year before upgrade, but we might crack early and will be looking for a cheap contract smart phone.

[kafkesque]

But the problem with capped Tesco that is £120 per year compared to £20 Xmas and birthday PAYG, plus pocket money top ups.

Or do you think PAYG works out at around £120 per year anyway for the parents in the long run?

[bigTillyMint]

Hmm, I'm not sure. I think most use way more than you imagine!

The £10 a month sim only deal (plus perk of extra data) works for mine (14 and 16) - it's not so much the calls/texts, it's the data they want.

If you don't want your DS accessing the Internet at all, then you could get a cheap brick phone deal somewhere I guess? But I bet he will be bugging you for a touch screen PDQ