Best age to give a phone to kids

[Gifgaf]

My soon to be 8 year old keeps asking us when she gets a phone and I have to explain numerous times she's too young right now and will think about it once she's independent enough.

What is the right age really ? How do you approach this question without making them wish to be older straight away ?

Both of ours got a phone in the last term of primary school. Having seen the grief they caused friends with slightly older children having them at 7/8/9 there was no way ours were having them any younger than just before secondary school. And that was only really because of school buses and different pick up times, to make my life easier!

There was a discussion on Radio 4 recently, the expert said they thought smart phones so bad for teenagers they should be an over 18’s thing. Food for thought!

Quite. And unless she's sitting next to her child for the entire time, watching the screen, then it doesn't count as monitoring anyway.

You must be delusional lol, I don't recall judging any parent for allowing a phone. Bore off now 👋🏻

Okayyyy Zonder, ciao now 👋🏻

Sounds about right & best time to get one but unless they are going out alone, then I wouldn't see a need for her to have a phone tbh

This.

My 8-year-old keeps asking when she can have a phone (has older cousins who got them around 10), but there's no way she's getting one anytime soon.

When she starts walking to school by herself and going to the park with her friends (probably around 10), I will probably get her either an old-school text/call one or one of the new 'dumb' phones that are coming out with texts, calls and I think GPS. I imagine by then there will be lots more choice on the market as I think the pushback against children having smartphones is only going to increase.

Haven't decided on age for smartphone yet, but for going to resist for as long as I can... At least minimum of 13...

Agree with the thought that we are limiting children's real-world independence whilst encouraging their online independence! Complete madness! And no doubt contributing to the increase in youth mental health issues.

These threads are always quite hotly debated by the two extremes.

On one hand you have the parents who give their kids phones at a very young age and allow all the social media apps.

On the other hand is the parents who hold off giving their kids a phone until they're well into their teens.

In rl most people find a compromise between the two extremes 🤷‍♀️

Fwiw my dd was given one when she started secondary school and was only allowed it for games and messaging friends. I allowed tiktok from 14 and Snapchat at 16, she had a good group of friends so can't see that it affected her socially.

If I'd had a second child I'd of held off for at least another year.

Most pre-teens will be starting going to school on their own in Y6, latest at the start of secondary.

It's important to teach them independence and for that they need tools to be able to contact people. With no phone boxes anymore, they will need a mobile.

Yes, a brick will be sufficient and DD started out on one. But then she ventured further than our high street or being dropped off and collected at the shopping mall. She needed Google maps, bus app, train app.

Seriously OP? You’ve said you are worried about online issues and sexual predators, but you’ve said your 7 year old plays Roblox. Are you just upset you didn’t know about why Roblox is dangerous for children?

If you really are concerned then perhaps you could stop the Roblox.

It's not you she will be wanting to communicate with on her phone!

Honestly why do you even care that much on whether MY child has a phone or not.

Let me clear it up for you so you can finally get some rest, when myself and her dad think she is ready and responsible enough to go out alone (whenever that time comes) then I will consider one, as many people have said a brick phone sounds the right start.

I am sure you will have more to say because you have already made up your mind to keep pestering me regardless of what I say or think but take a rest from my post now.

I agree!

I didn't know the full dangers then and now I do, I will do something about it.

Of course I understand that when they are out alone, they will need to have something to contact myself or DH on. I wouldn't want them out with no way to get in touch.

However, what I have gathered from most is a phone seems most reasonable once they start going out alone. Once they do get a phone, 100% there should be some restrictions until they are at a suitable age. I agree with a lot the reasonable posts on here actually.

Everyone can have an opinion, but really it's parents discretion when they feel their child is ready for these big things in the world. 🤷🏻‍♀️

100%.

I am definitely a bit more on the extreme, I think someone referred to me as Taliban 😂🫣. Oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

When I got my first brick phone, I enjoyed taking pictures and listening to music and playing the games that were available then & SAFE!

No matter what side of extreme you're on, it's still parents discretion and what works for THEIR child. I have seen some extremely sensible children who I think I could trust you 100% to go out into the big world and use phones without me monitoring and you won't allow yourself to fall into traps. However, equally there are some kids that really don't know how to handle being out alone and phones so young and then get taken advantage of, no matter how much as a parent you think you're teaching them.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. These are still young children we're talking about, that can't do most things without parental consent (for a reason).

Honestly why did you ask the question if you are going to reply to posters like this 😅

I made all of my kids wait until they were 16. At their school they had to hand them in to reception and collect upon leaving so several DC didn't have phones. If they went somewhere I let them borrow a brick phone to call or text to be collected. They had laptops at home they could use for communication. I was a teacher and found it very annoying if a kids phone went off during a lesson or if they were looking at their phones. That probably influenced my decision.

Mumsnet for you...

Kind people get kind responses.

Good solution for when they're out & sensible choices I think for owning one.

I think by 16 if they've shown they can responsibly use a phone well, then an upgrade will be ok, especially as they get ready for sixth form/colleges.

I went for age 12 with both mine. But then made the error with DD of allowing tiktok too young. I did tiktok I think at 13 and Snapchat at 14. I'd recommend Snapchat at 14 and tiktok as late as you possibly can.

I know this is about phones but there is quite a lot of talk of Roblox too. My 7 year old plays - age restricted games plus no ‘friends’. Probably plays one hour on a Saturday and Sunday. Is that still safe?? I’ve been on the app and looked around and can’t see any obvious dangers but am I missing something??

Anyone can make a game and have it available to play, meaning there are games with inappropriate content for children eg stroke the cucumber. I wouldn’t risk it.

I think you need to check restrictions to ensure random strangers aren't contacting them while playing. I think kids chat while playing and this can be with random people. I'm sure you can restrict this though.

This is true but also monitoring who they have as friends on there and also the little chat that pops up sometimes. Plus these apps are on mine and DH phone so it's fully monitored and she usually tells me if someone or something weird pops up so never actually had an issue. However, I would prefer limiting it completely which we have been doing and things it's best to be on the safe side. YouTube is also another platform I really don't like and limit these as much as I can and if they watch it's usually on the big TV so I can actually see what they watch.