to think 8 is too young to get a mobile phone for Xmas?

[SingleMum01]

Apparently its the in-thing at the school and a friend's DD's are asking for them for Xmas. I think its far too young. I can understand having them when the kids go a bit further than the back yard/friends in the street but 8 seems far too young for me. Although I'm the mum of a son, so maybe girls are older than that at 8? Comments?

I just got DS (11) one last week for his birthday although have been resisting his pleas for a couple of years now.

Think it depends on the circumstances tbh.

We live fairly far from school and ds attends a few after-clubs. It means if anything is cancelled (which has happened) he can ring to let me know.

He will be starting secondary next year as well. I would imagine he'll be starting to take control of his own social life by then and it means if he makes last-minute plans he can let me know rather than me driving all the way there and back for nowt.

Makes me feel a bit more secure as well tbh. We live rurally and it gets dark pretty quickly at this time of year (we have no streetlights). I can ring him when I want him home rather than trawling fields for possibly hours!!!

Sorry went off on a tangeant, to answer the question I think 8 is too young

I agree, 8 is too young, imo.

I'm sorry but 8yr old is too young for a mobile.

Most of the children round here want a mobile to listen to music on, take photos and bluetooth songs, not so much to use as a phone.
My 2 teenage dd's had mobiles when they went to high school, plenty early enough, but my son age 7 nearly 8 wanted one to use as an ipod so he could bluetooth with his sisters, I haven't bought one yet but may for xmas as you can get them for £15 add a memory card for £5 but I won't add credit, and its cheaper than a camera and an ipod which is what he wants.

Secondary school is the sensible cut-off IMO.

I always thought I'd leave it until secondary but ended up buying DD (9) one because she has started playing out and walking home from school on her own sometimes.

It is important from a medical POV that she or someone else can contact me immediately if she has any sort of accident though. By having one, she gets a fraction of the independence I had at that age and I worry a bit less.

But it depends what sort of phone and what it's used for. Hers is very cheap and utilitarian. It has so few features that the battery lasts for weeks

She uses it for seconds maybe three or four times a week, it is not for chatting on to me or anyone else, that's what free local landline calls are for.

I wouldn't buy her an all-singing all-dancing one for Christmas, she's too young, she still wants proper toys. Where I live it'd be asking to have it stolen too.

I would always have said secondary school as that's when most kids start being out and about by themselves, but some of the posters above have valid reasons for letting younger kids have them. I would say no at 8 if it's just a "all my friends have them" thing. It's bad enough arguing about phone credit with a 16 year old!

I've just gotton one for almost 9yr old DD. but is not for normal mobile use. It is V basic does nothing phone to take with her when she is with dad. We have sat down and gone through rules. It lives at home and goes nowhere apart from when she goes to dads and if she wants to take it, when she stays at nanas.
Her dad will use it to call and speak to her so he doesn't have to go through me (a good thing!) and gives both me and her piece of mind when she is away with him (he lives abroad) that she can always contact me without having to go through him.
Under any other circs I would say yes far too young, and def too young for ordinary mobile use, but I think there are circs where a mobile is a V V good idea for younger children.

You are speaking my language, mumeee

Sorry, don't mean to sound dismissive of some good reasons for having a mobile.

I just don't like the idea that a phone is somehow like a magic talisman against the terrible harm that our children are thought to be at risk of. I don't believe that our children are at risk of greater harm than we were. In fact I would be more worried about my child being mugged for a phone.

I too used to go off and play with friends in other streets when I was around 9, but my mum trusted me to be back when I said I would be.

A phone with a few nos. on it does seem like a good compromise, but I'm still not in a hurry to get one.