When did you give your child their first phone?

[DrunkBetch]

My DS is going in to year 5 this September and has started asking for a phone. I know some of his classmates have them as I've seen them. I'm just not sure if he's a little young. So my question is when did your kids get their first mobiles?

11, just before the end of year 6 so he had a chance to get his junior school friends numbers.

My 9 year old has my old one and just plays games on it but does what's app friends. It doesn't have credit on.
We got 12 year old new one last summer before they started secondary school as wanted them to be able to contact us if they needed to. Bought a new Samsung phone then a sim only deal. On a better tariff than me 😆

When he started ‘playing out’ on a regular basis and going to the park and things with his friends, it was mostly for my benefit so that I could look at find my iPhone and see where he was.
I think he was in year 5.

When they started walking to School on their own so year 5

My 9 year old is about to go into yr 5 and he has an old iphone. This is because since going back in March, he's been getting himself to and from school alone. He's called me occasionally when the heavens opened to come get him and Life360 app is great as I can see where he is. He gets 2gb of data a month for £5.

Agree with pp that iphone parental controls are pretty tight.

Y6 when she started walking to and from school on her own, met friends on her own and spent the day at the riding stable in the holiday.

She had an old iPhone without a SIM card to listen to music and play games prior to it to take with her on train or car journeys.

She needed a proper smart phone when she started secondary school but had to live with an older model until her 12th birthday when she also started Y8 and got a brand new one.

Just some info, for those saying their dc won't get a smartphone for high school, in my experience (Dd started yr 7 last sept) the school quite often expects them to have smart phones and teachers ask them to log on to school Wi-fi to look at resources, search stuff etc during lessons. They will also be excluded by not having a smart phone. It's a big deal in high school. Perhaps teach your kids what you expect of them if they come across something unpleasant eg tell me, a teacher, auntie etc.

We bought dd a basic Nokia after her grandparents "pretended" to have forgotten to pick her up from the theatre after a show. Dd was always looked after and supervised but she was rehearsing for pro panto and semi pro musical and they simply didn't have time to call parents if things ran late or early. So it made out lives a bit easier.

She got a smartphone in Year 7.

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

Just some info, for those saying their dc won't get a smartphone for high school, in my experience (Dd started yr 7 last sept) the school quite often expects them to have smart phones and teachers ask them to log on to school Wi-fi to look at resources, search stuff etc during lessons. They will also be excluded by not having a smart phone. It's a big deal in high school. Perhaps teach your kids what you expect of them if they come across something unpleasant eg tell me, a teacher, auntie etc.

I would echo this. Maybe not so much in Year 7, but certainly after that the expectation was they had a device, especially in DDs school where they don't have chromebooks (DS school did, so less pressure to have a connected phone). They were also expected to keep an eye on their own (school given) email address.

Some schools, but most I've worked in don't allow them at all, thank god. Teachers will book iPads and computer rooms for research.

For starting secondary school.

DS expected to use his phone in class.

DS1 in year 6 as we were no longer picking them up from school gates, but nearby (also covid reason) so needed to be able to tell them if we were held up. He never remembers it though! He won’t actually need it in year 7 as school is 5 mins walk away.

Ditto DS2.

Well I'm completely against the grain here.

I had a pc and tablet at home with WiFi and an old payg mobile the kids could take when out and about. No data on it.

I bought them pay monthly phones when they started college. They all had to be handed in on arrival at school anyway so it was pointless imo.

I think budget was a big factor in my decision making. I was totally skint.

Summer after year 6 ready for high school. Didnt need one before then and seemed like a good chance to get to grips with usage before travelling independently to school.

They all had to be handed in on arrival at school anyway so it was pointless imo.

At secondary?

Secondary school year 7

My old brick phone at beginning of year 6, for texting only. Smartphone towards end of year 6, so she was familiar with it before starting secondary. Android phone so could use Google Family Link to control screentime/track her if needed.

Brickphone in Year 5 when they started walking to school alone and playing out more frequently.

Smartphone as 11th birthday present.

They all had to be handed in on arrival at school anyway so it was pointless imo.

Surely the point of the phone is for the DC to contact you before and after school? Not when they are in school ...

A phone that can only be used for texting and making phone calls is a completely different thing to a smart phone with access to the internet, apps etc.

I’ve always said DD can have one when she’s 11/12 going up to secondary school.. but no smart phones until she proves her trust with just having a phone first. She doesn’t need apps and internet. She needs to be able to text and call, that’s it.

Her secondary school might have a different view on whether she needs apps or the internet. You would struggle academically without a smartphone at DC's school. Everything is online.

@HarrisMcCoo

DS expected to use his phone in class.

I think this is completely unacceptable. Schools should not expect children to have smartphones, they are expensive and schools should encourage children to use phones less, not more.

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

Just some info, for those saying their dc won't get a smartphone for high school, in my experience (Dd started yr 7 last sept) the school quite often expects them to have smart phones and teachers ask them to log on to school Wi-fi to look at resources, search stuff etc during lessons. They will also be excluded by not having a smart phone. It's a big deal in high school. Perhaps teach your kids what you expect of them if they come across something unpleasant eg tell me, a teacher, auntie etc.

I agree.

It's also used for arts lesson as a camera, they are encouraged to join instagram for updates on the various departements (and the school dog).

DD also needs a bus app, Google Map and without WhatsApp they are excluded socially. Not just during lockdown when it became a lifeline but she also has various chats by form, subject, extra curricular school clubs etc.

We have strict rules in place and do take it away for socaliasing if she breaks them. We also talk about online behaviour, grooming, knowing your contacts etc. The school also runs workshops on a regular basis.

The school is aware that not everyone can afford a smartphone but unfortuntately modern life develops differently.

Bitofachinwag I was surprised how much they are expected to use them in class time too. DS was telling me they need to take photos of timetable, check Teams on it etc.