Phone I can track for 7 year old

[Sunlight82]

My 7 year old has just started spending activity time away from me, particularly during drama when she can spend all day in a theatre without me. They are well supervised and I have no concerns but I would just like her to be able to contact me if she needed to. I was going to give her my old Nokia but I also have an old iPhone 4. I have heard that you can lock down an iPhone very well so that they can have no apps, can’t use the internet, can restrict numbers that can call her etc. I also like the fact I can track an iPhone.

Am I insane to give a 7 year old an iPhone? It would be kept in the bottom of her lunchbox unless she needed it for an emergency.

Yes you would. She may not be able to control leaving it alone which would distract her/others. Phones are also a gateway to a world she is too young to comprehend just yet, regardless if you keep the apps etc off..

I’m pretty sure there are watches for children you can track. That can be left in her bag. Encourage that independence too, even at a young age - if she needs to contact you, she can ask one of the responsible adults in charge to help.

Ridiculously unnecessary for a 7 year old. I assume they go to school everyday and have no need to contact you so why is this any different? If there is an emergency then the adults in charge of the group will contact you. Total waste of money.

I would want my 7 year old asking the adults looking after him to help in an emergency. Or the adults not letting an emergency happen!

I can’t imagine a situation where he would be dealing with an emergency himself by phoning me.

Am I insane to give a 7 year old an iPhone? It would be kept in the bottom of her lunchbox unless she needed it for an emergency.

Yes.

And do you think that 'in an emergency' a) she would be alone and b) have the presence of mind to retrieve the phone? (assuming that the lunchbox was with her)

If you want her to do this activity, you have to trust the adults to take care of her. Or don't send her.