To want my Year 7 DS to take a mobile to school

[Dizzykizzy]

He has just started at secondary school and is now walking home and getting the bus.

AIBU to want him to have a phone.

XH thinks it is unnecessary and is cross because he has been given an old one from my DB which is a nice one but 2 years old. DS is sad tonight because XH has been giving him earache all evening and demanding he doesn't take it to school but I want him to have a phone so he can call me if he gets delayed etc.

If he really needs a phone, just get a very basic £10 cheapie from somewhere. No Internet or camera needed, just the ability to text and make calls, to be left switched off in his bag til he needs it. That way, you'll feel happier and it's much less likely to get stolen.

I think there is a policy and they can be confiscated if being misused but surely most secondary school kids take a mobile to school these days?

Will it be your XH he calls if the bus gets delayed or worse? If not it's non of his business.

Why doesn't the XH want him to have a phone?

Yanbu and Im a secondary sch teacher. Most of my students have phones which they have on silent in their bags during lessons so no disruption but there for emergency. My dd is 3 and she'll definitely have one by year 7.

He said it was a ridiculous phone to take to school, i assume on the basis that it has internet access although its only pay as you go so DS can hardly overuse it. I think he's worried that it will get stolen but he also doesn't think DS needs a phone. It didn't cost him anything so I really don't see why he's bothered.

I bought my DS a cheep one from Tescos when he started secondary. Pay as you go. He's a year on now and still mainly uses it to text me (eg to say he's gone round a friend's after school).

He did have a bad fall from his bike last year (with concussion, but no other vehicle involved - well only a parked car - so noone to help him) and he managed to use the phone to call his dad who came and got him, so I'm glad he had it with him then.

I don't think it's unreasonable for a Year 7 to have a phone when travelling to and from school on their own. I think most of them do.

Would your ex be happier if he took a cheap phone, even though you would have to go out and buy this? If so, it might be worth just buying one, so you get your way and DS has the phone, but XH also stops giving your DS a hard time about it.

My DD has just been given a PAYG basic phone (texts and calls only, no Internet or cameras). School policy is to keep the phone off and in locker during the school day, DD knows she has to stick to that or there will be trouble.

The phone is there for emergencies and nothing else, YANBU, OP!

Well I did suggest to XH that he bought DS a cheap one if he was that worried about the nice one being stolen but he just said then that he didn't think DS needed any phone.

It may not be unreasonable (given peer pressure), but I'm not sure it is a necessity.

(I know that noone has said it is yet)

YANBU specially if your DS is relying on buses - what would happen if the bus didn't come? You'd have to walk miles to find a working pay phone mist places these days.

In my experience, most children from yr6/7 upwards have a mobile. You just need to check and reinforce whatever the school rules are - switched off or on silent, kept in locker or bag or whatever.

Most school kids have decent phones with net etc on them. Some kids will nick anything regardless of cost, even the cheap phones without net.
All my secondary age kids have phones, with net. Even the dd with the kleptomaniac in her class. During school time the phones are either buried at the bottom of bags or in lockers. But the phones are great for emergencies, changes of plans for them after school, or even to ask one of them to bring home milk.

YANBU my son Took his to school in year 6 when he started getting the bus home, it wasn't unusual. He used to send me a text when he got home.

At his secondary school they have to keep them on silent and there are strict rules on use. There's no risk of him running up huge bills as its a PAYG and we don't pay for any Internet.

YANBU
Very tight schedule her tonight, DD1 way with me. DD2 opposite direction with a friend.

Text saying some twits crashed their car will be late. Cue mother scrambling round finding change of clothes and kit and stuffing them in a bag so Dd2 could fall into house grab it and not miss her lift.

It doesn't happen often, but it can be useful. I was very glad the time they were almost an hour late because the gears broke. They had to wait for a relief bus.

YABVU unreasonable to give him a nice phone, even 2 years old. Get an Alcatel £5 job. No porn, no internet.