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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think a 7yr old should NOT have a mobile phone or Laptop

58 replies

ray81 · 30/06/2009 21:10

DD is 7 and wants a mobile and a Laptop, i have of course said NO. I dont want her to have a mobile until she goes to secondary school and a Laptop, well i just dont think its neseccary when we have a family one.
However many of the children in her class seem to have mobiles and some have laptops, her best friend is one of them. She is going to junior school in september and i know that the older children will have mobiles to.

I simply do not agree she needs or should have one at this age but feel quilty for her probably being the odd one out.
Does anyone think i am being unreasonable.

Ps i am sorry if this has been done before.

OP posts:

mumeeee · 30/06/2009 22:45

YANBU. 7 is much to young for either a aptop of mobile.

barnsleybelle · 30/06/2009 22:53

Ds aged 7 has asked for a mobile. We've told him he can't have one until he starts going out without an adult with him. There is`always an adult we can contact should we want to talk to him just now, so we don't want the extra expense.
Re the laptop. He tends to use ours with us for homework etc, but luckily he's not bothered about the computer games etc.
However, it's your choice at the end of the day. 2 children in ds's class already have mobiles much to my surprise.

plonker · 30/06/2009 22:53

YANBU - you can think what you like!

...and you can do what you like, but you can't control what others parents do, and tbh, I don't know why people get so wound up about what other parents buy/allow their children to have.

No, a 7yo doesn't need one, I think thats pretty much indesputable ...

jemart · 30/06/2009 23:03

Hmm, well I'd have to say no to the phone as at that age they are either at home or in school so can use landline or should not be making calls anyway.

However my 4 year old already has a good grasp of how the computer works, she can play on the cbeebies website for ages without any help or input from me. So I reckon by the time she is 7 we will have got her a computer.

I will slap on every scrap of parental control software I can find though......

TheLadyEvenstar · 30/06/2009 23:03

ds1 is 10, has had a mobile since his 8th birthday the only reason he got it was to contact his wanker of a father. He got a laptop for christmas just gone.

l39 · 01/07/2009 09:20

My 8 year olds think they should have a laptop. It does feel a bit unfair they haven't when mum, dad and teenage sisters have one each, but I still think they're too young. Pointing out that laptops didn't even exist when their dad and I were teenagers gets us nowhere . I'm glad that at least they're not bothered about mobiles. The older girls have them, but they don't get much use. I must be one of the very few adults left who's never had a mobile!
They're very computer literate. Before they were 3 they had no problem installing games and running them, despite not being able to read!

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 09:24

jemart - at home or school - or on their way to or from school, or walking to a friends

juuule · 01/07/2009 09:29

Only reason I can think for getting a 7yo a laptop is if there is if you only have one other pc and there's conflict over wanting to use it at the same time.

I wouldn't get a 7yo there own laptop but I might get one as an extra so that more people could access whatever it is they want a pc/laptop for.

My dd will be getting her own laptop soon. But then she is 18 and will need one for university in September. She will be paying towards it herself, too.

As for the mobile phone - that's up to you. Mine get one once they start secondary school. But phones aren't just for communication now are they. My younger children borrow mine to play the games on them. So not really a problem to get a cheap one that you don't mind if it gets lost.

sarah293 · 01/07/2009 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

UndertheBoredwalk · 01/07/2009 09:32

DD is 8 and has my old laptop, but it has no internet connection and she uses it just to play her games on. That fine I think, she's certainly not getting her own internet connection at this age, she can use the main computer for that where I can see her.
As for mobile, no way, not until she's at secondary.

ABetaDad · 01/07/2009 09:32

A child of 7 does not need to carry a mobile and laptop around but DSs (at 8 and 6) each have computer at home and now do school work on them as well as play.

happywomble · 01/07/2009 09:40

I'm amazed that people have more than one computer in their house (unless you count work ones). If DH and I had our own computers we would never talk to each other. I try to encourage DS 7 to do lots of sport etc and he only uses the computer for about 10 mins a week if he asks.

I would not buy him a mobile unless he walked to school alone. He is either with me or at school or friends house so doesn't need one.

I will never let my DCs have TVs in their rooms. We have one TV for the house and that is enough.

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 09:46

"If DH and I had our own computers we would never talk to each other"

well the desk are right next to each other - I can see what he's up to and he can see what up to and we do actually talk we even sit close enought to kiss

Plus we have 2 computers as we were separated for over a year and are now back together. I have a nice new swanky computer - which gets used for studying (as well as MNing ) and there was no WAY that was going to be got rid of. He's got his computer so he can do job applications and for the boys to play on.

VinegarTits · 01/07/2009 09:46

you may think its inappropriate for your own dc, but you can't expect other parents to follow your rules, each to their own

sarah293 · 01/07/2009 09:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ingles2 · 01/07/2009 09:49

My 2 (8&9) have a PC laptop.
I've got 5 Macs in the house I use for work and found that lots of games, software was only available for PC's. DS1 mainly uses it for his topic work.
They don't have phones or tv's though and won't be getting them anytime soon

Kazzi79 · 01/07/2009 09:59

This is my personal view.....in my house with myself and 3 children aged 10,8 and 4 we have a laptop and a pc. My eldest 2 children also have their own mobiles and have done for the past 2 years. Technology plays a big part in todays life its hard to believe we ever survived without it, certainly schools use technology in the form of ICT lessons and most classrooms use interactive whiteboards instead of the chalk on blackboards that we had when I was at school.
If your child is interested in technology then IMO any child that shows an interest in something should be encouraged to pursue that interest. Even my 4 yr old will sit with me at my laptop and play educational games on sites such as cbeebies. I'm not an anti tv person but for the sake of computers it is important to limit the amount of time spent on them to avoid damage to eyesight, epilepsy triggers etc.

cory · 01/07/2009 10:19

tbh what you need to do is to stop worrying about what other children have or ought to have and decide for yourself what your dd is going to have

cory · 01/07/2009 10:24

we need more than one computer as both my children have joint problems so can't write very much by hand

dd's mobile is for when she collapses when out and about- I believe in giving children independence even under adverse circumstances

9yo plays out on his own, but I reckon he can do without a mobile as less likely to collapse

my brother was very technologically advanced; bought his own computer very young and by the time he went to secondary school was able to train the staff there in installing computers, now runs his own firm

no worse than letting a child have his own violin imo

GooseyLoosey · 01/07/2009 10:26

Dh gets a lot of phones in connection with his work and when the technology moves on, there is nothing to do with the old ones. Ds is 6 and dh has just given him one. It has the SIM removed so he cannot make calls but it has a huge amount of music and recorded stories on it together with an OK camera and camcorder. Also has a few fun apps like a compass and a spirit level. Its ds's favourite thing ever. Every where he goes he takes photos and listens to music or stories. I think its great.

ABetaDad · 01/07/2009 11:38

FAQ - "close enough to kiss". Awww.... thats nice.

We have 4 PCs in our house but DW and I sit together (like now) and often use 2 laptops while watching TV so it is not a barrier to communication. Just like reading a paper or a book but a bit more interactive.

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 11:45

happywomble · 01/07/2009 12:03

I can imagine it makes sense for children to have laptops, phones etc. when they are teenagers but the child in question is 7 yrs old.

I think giving children games consoles, computers etc when they are 7 is going to mean they will be doing less physical excercise and spend less time reading. They will cease to play imaginative games.

My DS at 7 still plays with his wooden train set, loves lego etc is starting to enjoy reading by himself and does loads of after school sport. He does not have a nintendo, computer or any of that stuff. He still has lots of friends at school.

I think people put themselves under too much pressure to get gagdets and gismos for their children so they will have what so and so at school has.

I must come across as very old fashioned but at least my children have a TV - I grew up without one and I think that was a bit unfair!

posieparker · 01/07/2009 12:11

We have two PCs and a laptop. DCs have a PC in the playroom, which is in full view of the open door (IUSWIM)they are allowed to play club penguin for a limited time each week and anything not internet. The only have it because it's our old one, which was broken but BIL fixed it. The PC is DH's work one.

As for a mobile I think it invites trouble, like dcs getting mugged.

LeonieSoSleepy · 01/07/2009 12:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

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