to give a mobile phone to my 6 (almost 7) yo?

[MsMarshmallow]

Part of me thinks it's unreasonable, but I'm going back to full time job and we're going to be apart for most part of the day. I think it would reassure her and also give me peace of mind if she had a very simple mobile phone with preconfigured numbers that she could use to call me in case of emergency or if she gets really upset.

Of course, I can also see this not working and I don't even know what the policy is in her school.

No.

She doesn't need one.

Is thisa thread about a thread?

I got my dd1 a cheap payg phone last year when she was 8. I got it just before Glastonbury festival so that she could have it on her in case somehow we got separated (we didn't). The only time she has used it is when she and a friend went to see a film in a shopping centre cinema and called me when the film had finished (I was in the shopping centre). Apart from that it's just been gathering dust.

I have no idea why on earth your dd would need one at school. And the school would not allow it, as many others have said.

A 6 year old doesn't need a mobile phone. What happened if this was 1991? what would you do then?

If something really bad happened i'm sure the school/childminders will contact you.

I hate them in schools. Hate them. I wish they were banned.

And aside from the comments about the child, what about you and your colleagues OP? I once worked with someone whose child rang them constantly at work over the Summer holidays and it was so annoying. They would ring them on both the parent's mobile and work number so the parent (or colleagues) couldn't avoid the calls (upwards of 10 calls some days). Drove me spare!

right you are going back to work full time your daughter will be in school from 9 till 3ish when is she going to get upset and phone you ? is there no adults around in her life to help her what do you do now do you stand at the school gate just in case she needs you ? she is 7 you are anxious about going back to work chill out and trust the other adults around her to be able to look after her for you,

we live in a society that expects constant in touchness with everyone. I don't get it or like it, either, but I can understand why OP thinks it might be completely normal.

if you want to give them a cheap phone for a bit of fun, then fine.

a primary school will not let him have it, nor would an afterschool club. a colleague of mine gave one to her 8 year old to take to afterschool club. day 2, distraught daughter called her, saying she was being bullied. colleague goes straight there, by which time the whole thing has blown over and was 6 of one, half dozen of the other. which is exactly why they are not allowed.

Are you on bloody commission or what?

All you ever do is advertise this!

You would be making a huge mistake, and I doubt very much whether a six year old would be allowed a mobile phone in school. Why should she need reassuring or be able to contact you as you are already apart while she is at school?

I've just given my 9 year old a phone. Her father and I are in the process of splitting up and I work ridiculous hours, it's so she can contact either of us when we're not there.

It's also so if there's an emergancy she can contact help, we have no houseplant and my phone is too complicated for her to use in an emergency when she'd be flustered and scared.

It's also as I don't 100% trust ExP when the kids are in his care, he's lazy and will sleep the day away... At least if she has a means of contacting me or my parents I don't have to worry as much.

Ds1 is 7 and if he were the eldest I would have given him one, in our situation it's just necessary... I may pick him up a similar cheap and cheerful one as well just to be safe as dd isn't always at home... She spends a few days a week at her friends house as the two are inseparable.

I can only imagine that those parents that would give a child a mobile have not read the link posted in the beginning of the thread?

Another point no-one seems to have mentioned, is the possibility of the child being a target of theft and having her phone stolen - the phrase "taking candy from a baby" springs to mind... Because she will tell other children she has it (and they will tell other children) and she might take it out to show them on the way home..

I had a child bring in their iPad this week...they claimed they just accidentally found it in their book bag. I'm sorry but I am not taking charge of a £300+ piece of equipment and be responsible for it! Likewise who is responsible if said phone goes missing at school? I'm damned if i am going to get the blame for phones going missing when they can't even keep tabs on their sweatshirts....and that's my fault if they go missing!

YABU.
How the hell did we, now the parents, ever cope in life without being able to contact our parents 24/7.
Oh, that's right-we did!

Isn't this thread months old? I'm sure the phone has been lost/stolen/stuffed to the bottom of a toy box by now

Buzzard, as I said we have no landline and can't get one for geographical reasons. If there is a risk from mobiles my kids are at risk anyway as the only way they can talk to either parent when with the other is via mobile. So the link doesn't affect my decision either way, short of telling the kids they can't speak to their father for days on end they will be using mobiles anyway.