What age did your DC get a mobile phone?

[Redyoyo]

My dd is turning 9 soon, most of her friends have mobile phones, she is the youngest of her group they are all turning 10 shortly.
She's not asked for one, but she's wanting to start going to her friends for sleepovers, is 9 too young for cheap pay as you go phone?
I was 18 before i got a phone lol!

[DinosApple]

I'm considering letting nearly 10yo DD have one as she has just started playing out, and I worry! But it'll be my old cracked one and only for when she's with her friends in the village.

She won't be allowed SM until she meets the age requirements. I'd rather she didn't have that at all!

[anniehm]

10, when they started traveling on the (city) bus alone to school

[Witchend]

Christmas in year 5. They become more independent in year 6 and it gives them time to get used to it.

[Sunonthepatio]

12

[Sparklingbrook]

When they started walking home from Middle School so Year 6 IIRC.

[sansou]

11 - end of YR6

[sansou]

No whatsapp, snapchat or instagram. Luckily, DD isn't bothered by not having those.

[MariaNovella]

DD had hers at 9 but tbh she only ever used it for residential holidays and sleepovers until she went to secondary school.

[MrsElijahMikaelson1]

Yr 6 when they started walking to school on their own

[MrsElijahMikaelson1]

And it’s always just an old one of ours knocking about, on a sim only contract

[twosoups1972]

Leave off for as long as you can.

Mine got theirs in the summer term of Year 6 so age 11. In preparation for travelling to and from secondary school alone.

My youngest (now 12, Year 7) isn't allowed any SM other than WhatsApp , and I monitor it carefully. She knows she's not allowed to be added to a group where she doesn't know everyone.

Why does she need a phone for sleepovers?? If she doesn't feel comfortable with the host parents she shouldn't be going.

[Pinkbells]

We gave our oldest one at 11, so that he could go to friends and school by himself, so we'll do the same for the younger one when he reaches 11. We got a Samsung, he seemed to want one of those over an iPhone.

[Pinkbells]

And ditto no social media except Whatsapp

[Booyahkasha]

End of year 5 but mine was one of the latest! No Snapchat as messages disappear and I read all of DDs messages on WhatsApp etc. Phone regularly gets confiscated when she's naughty, no longer than 30 mins on school days.

[Leeds2]

Mine had one to start Year 7. She is now 21, and I know that lots of DC at the primary where I volunteer have them from a younger age now.

[ChorleyFMcominginyourears]

My eldest has just got one at 14 as he has never needed one, he goes to a special needs school so gets picked up and dropped off every day and can't go out on his own but now some of his friends have left he can keep in touch with them. My daughter turns 11 this year and will be getting one for her birthday ready for secondary school and my youngest son who will be 9 will get one at 11 too

[reluctantbrit]

DD was just 10, she got it when she started walking to school on her own. We gave her a cheap PAYG but it became clear very fast that she was the only one without a smartphone. We kept it until Easter/start of Summer term and then converted the phone she used as an ipod to a proper one with a contract, we are with plusnet. The pressure is huge, I found esp with girls.

At secondary most have one since Christmas of Y7, I would say the majority got them when they started. The school is quite vocal about the age requiredments for social media etc but on the other hand the children are allowed to use camera function for work or apps in connection to school work.

[Focalpoint]

Hold out as long as you possibly can.

[Mustbetimeforachange]

Mine got them when they went to secondary school.
I might be sounding naive here but I thought they had to be 16 to have WhatsApp?

[LeekMunchingSheepShagger]

At the start of year 6 when she was 10. She started walking to school by herself and I wanted her to be able to text me when she got there. She has an ancient IPhone of dh's. We will do the same for dd2.

Some of dd2's friendship group had phones at 6/7 which i thought ridiculous.

[twosoups1972]

mustbe you are right, WhatsApp min age is now 16. We reluctantly allowed 12 year dd to have it so she can be in our family group and keep in touch with wider family. The problem with it is, you don’t have to give permission to be added to a group, other people can add you giving your number to people you don’t know. We had a problem with this initially, some groups were formed and dd added. She now knows not to be in groups where she doesn’t know all the participants. If that happens she removes herself and deletes the group. She’s pretty sensible actually.