Smartphone for kids

[Sux2buthen]

My son is turning 11 and I’m getting him prepared for some independence as much as I’d rather not!
I’m looking for advice for a decent but not top of the range smartphone that I can sort parental controls out on relatively easily. Not a pinwheel as it’s too expensive or an iPhone; same reason.
He’s very sensible and not one to try and get through controls. I’m not doing a brick phone because he’s the last if his friends to get one and I know I can trust him.
Any experienced recommendations would be welcome please!

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Any Android and Google family link.

You know you can trust your 11 year old child not to look at porn on his smartphone? Or sext other children? Or be involved in bullying? Or see horrific things?

Awful parenting

You know the wise people at Google have invented an App that means you can approve every website your child visits?

Awful advise if you don't know that

Oh well then, absolutely no problems exist with children having smartphones then 🤣

Why don't you give your top notch parenting advice to OP and advise her what bottle of vodka and which flavour vape to supply her child as well.

So we just struggled our way through this debate for my 11 year old. We nearly got a Neow phone but very little in the way of reviews etc.

We ended up going with an old iphone (cost under £100) and took a lot of time to make sure the restrictions are as tight as possible. No access to the internet. No access to social media. Can only download apps I approve. Can only use for an hour a day (excluding texts, phone calls and Spotify).

It’s early days but honestly child is barely using it. It’s useful for me as child is now old enough to play out with friends and go to the park etc and I like to be able to text about tea etc.

I also think around friends it looks the part even though it’s barely got anything on it.

Troll

I mean this kindly OP, but it makes absolutely no difference if you trust your own child and you think he’s sensible and not looking at anything on friend’s phones, never mind his own. Ask yourself, what does my 11yo need a phone for? If it’s to make arrangements for meeting friends, then a brick phone is all they need to call or text each other.

Can you recommend where you got some instructions on how to lock it down? This is where I come unstuck so it's brick phone for 12yr at mo in our house. But yes, just looking the part would most likely be enough to pass the peer pressure problem

You will get all sorts of people on here proclaiming that smartphones are equivalent crack cocaine, but I congratulate you on living in the real world by enabling him learn to use technology in a safe way.

Smartphones are just a device in the same way as a TV. The issue can come with how they’re used and what they’re used to do.

I don’t have specific advice on a model, but I would definitely advise ensuring he knows that you are approachable and he can come to you if he sees something he shouldn’t or needs any advice.

Otherwise, your DS will definitely be developing the tech skills he needs to live in the modern world. He will have far fewer problems as a teen than DC of the anti-smartphone cult, who will have serious issues when the reins are finally loosened.

Otherwise, your DS will definitely be developing the tech skills he needs to live in the modern world.

@Sux2buthen in no way whatsoever does a child develop tech skills by using a smartphone. If your child is interested in tech, let them join an after school coding style club. They’ll use laptops at school anyway, with homework apps and classroom learning on devices and probably have a gaming device, that’s plenty of age-appropriate tech skills at 11yo.

But the pp is correct in saying Smartphones are a device just like a tv…if you usually let your child watch tv at any time of the day, including overnight and usually subscribe to age 18+ adult channels for your 11yo.

Off you piss love. Yes I trust my son 100%. He will be going to secondary school soon and will need to be contactable.
sorry if your inability to trust your kids has caused you difficulty, perhaps you should look at your own parenting

We went for re-conditioned iPhones at that age then switched to Samsungs.

ignore the trolls.

Yes I’m aware of what smartphones are for, Thankyou those that explained it he won’t be having a brick phone. He’s very savvy and has more common sense than most.
Thankyou I’ll look at a basic android but one he will be pleased with.
Id rather work with him to educate him about safety than cause him to have a lack of informed understanding.

Thankyou, I would’ve ignored the muppet but I answered after reading their first post then realised they were just bored!

We bought DS (11) a refurbished iPhone SE. It cost about £80 and then we pay £5/month for a SIM with Smarty Mobile.

DH and I are iPhone users so this was the best route so that we could monitor his use and activate parental control easily. And also see where he is with the ‘Find my’ app.

You can block access to certain apps - initially he was only allowed phone / text / camera / maps / podcasts / music and no web access or social media of any kind (beginning of year 6).

It can also be set to block at a certain time of night etc.

Good luck OP- although you sound very informed already, you’ll see the difference in how secondary school age children use their phones. I started a thread like yours on MN when my dc was about to start secondary and it really changed my mind about smartphones, despite me trusting my son 100%. What I learned from MN advice was to keep them away from WhatsApp groups and all social media. Loads of 12yos we know have brick phones now and dc school has now banned smartphones, no need to buy expensive phones to show off at school. I keep learning all the time and don’t believe my dc and friends are missing out on tech skills as they’re doing so much school work on screens 🤷‍♀️

Thankyou I’m going to be on the ball with it, I can’t be home for him at the end of the day when he starts secondary so I’d like him to be trackable and reachable from the get go.
some good advice thanks all

Google Family Link, or the Apple equivalent depending on what phone you buy your child.

You can control an Android phone from Apple but I don't think you can control an Apple phone from Android

Just like smartphones, social media is just a tool. Of course there can be issues with its use (like any other technology), but imo DC need to learn to use it safely and responsibly rather than having blanket bans.

There are going to be all sorts of problems once these DC of the ‘smartphone free’ cult turn 16 and have unfettered access to phones and social media with no idea how it works.

At that age, they are much more independent generally and less likely to turn to mum for support or advice.

I think the 'smartphone free' thing will end with the realisation that young teens can acquire secondhand phones from friends or pawn shops that parents know nothing about and ZERO controls.

Moving the SIM card from their dumb phone to Smartphone

Of course, just like vapes, alcohol at parties, but none of that happens at 11? For me it’s about this age - why do they actually need a phone, what are they using it for age 11 (just to contact home and their friends so they don’t need a smartphone for that) and why do they need to learn how to use social media safely at 11 when it’s not meant for 11yos?

Music apps, Spotify, Deezer, etc
Bus timetables
Ordering school lunch
Homework Apps
Loyalty apps (Greggs, McDonalds etc)
Banking apps inc Go Henry type cards

I'm sure there will be a zillion other apps kids are using

Edit to add
Games
Duolingo

@StillCreatingAName
How does your child access music?

And I mean outside the house, when previous generations would have used MP3 or Walkman / Discmans. Which aren't really a thing any more

Who do they need a 60” 4K TV when a black and white one would do?