mobile phone at 10?

[marshkat]

My dsd really wants a mobile for xmas, she is 10 and ALL her friends have one. But i dont think she really needs one. She is very young for 10, she is with us all the time and im really worried about her being bullied or losing it. (she obviously doesnt want a cheap one) What does everyone think? aibu?

YANBU. Do all her friends actually have one or is she just saying that? Either way, if you (and if he's around, your DH/P) don't think she should have one, she doesn't get one.

If you get her one, make her first the cheapest you can find so she will only use it in emergencies.

FWIW once we'd left school and were off travelling the world/going to uni, the majority of my group of friends got the £10 basic Nokia with either PAYG or a £10 a month contract. We are very cool :o

Anything other than very basic phones give internet access and a camera. Not a combination (or internet on its own) that I would want a 10yo of mine having access to.

She won't hate you forever if you don't get her a mobile now. It's more important to keep her safe.

*unsupervised access

My DS (9) went on and on about a phone that 'all' his friends have. (it was actually about 3 friends!). DH got a new one so we let him have use of the old one. It was the bees knees for about a week. It now sits in his bedroom and is rarely looked at, the only person he texts is my Dad re footy scores! Its quite old, but a decent one and only has £5 credit. Have to say it has come in handy sometimes eg getting separated at Legoland. Could you get her a cheap PAYG and see how she gets on? Novelty may wear off.

One probelm is that if she gets a half decent phone, she may be bullied for not having a more up-to-date mobile, however, if she doesn't have one at all she could be bullied for this as well, so really she may be damned if she does and damned if she doesn't IYSWIM.

She is 10 and you say she NEVER goes anywhere without you? That is very unusual. Does she never play with friends at all?

On the other hand though, if she never goes anywhere on her own, there is not much chance of her getting bullied about it.

I think at 10 most kids do have phones, not necessarily all singing all dancing ones, but certainly a basic phone so that their parents can get in touch with them if they are out with friends.

Its not very unusual squeaky not ALL 10 year olds have a tonne of friends to play with. Mu neice is 10 and she has 2 friends...they play at school and rarely at one anothers homes.

Thanks for all your suggestions, i think a cheapy is the way forward!

Squeakytoy she has lots of friends at school but chooses to spend her time with us and not her friends out of school, like i said she is a young 10 (which i am pleased with! Rather that than a mini teenager!!!) she has also been through alot this year with regard to her real mum, so think she is grateful to have company of people that LOVE her. so yeah she might be unusual but sometimes there are reasons for being unusual!

At DD's ninth birthday she was the only kid out of the eight girls that we took bowling without a phone. The others definetly have them. DD has a cheap phone to keep in her school bag incase of emergencies (my old one) and also a Blackberry (don't ask).

My DS will be getting a mobile for his 12th birthday. He really doesn't need it before he's at High School.