Quick poll please: does your 10yo have a mobile phone? Do you think it's ok for a 10yo to have one?

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Dh and ex dh are here saying no way, 10 is too young. Ds has his own money and may want one.

So, what do you think?

(both dhs have LOADS Of gadgets btw!)

DS#1 (10) has one. We bought it in advance of his going to secondary school but since have learnt that he won't be able to have it there . But he already goes out on his bike and to the park and it's handy to be able to get hold of him. So far he's only got through the £5 of credit that I put on it in August so not bad. He's been told that if he wants more than £5 a month he pays for it himself.

I thought of (BIG maybe) eventually giving dd my old one but I'm too cross to consider it now.

I came on MN today to vent about this, btw. And actually I'm feeling a teeny bit better.

My elder stepson hankered after one for years and was allowed one when he started secondary school - with one hour's phone credit per month.

Younger stepson who doesn't give a damn will also get one next September when he moves on to secondary because it's actually quite practical to be able to call them direct - it means that I can contact them when they are at their mother's (only if very necessary though), whereas I wouldn't want to call them at their mother's on the main household telephone. And it means that they have a safety net when they are on public transport etc. IMO it helps children gain independence as parents are less wary of letting children walk a few blocks on their own, go out on a bicycle or take the bus if they have a mobile.

So you think it wasn't such a stupid idea on my part? How old is your stepson, Anna?

Oh, secondary school.

ds will be 10 in March and has no interest nor any reason to have one. tbh was shocked that on a recent school residential trip , when parents had been specifically told in advance kids should n't take them, there were still some who had to have theirs confiscated.

Mobile phones, iPods, nintendos all forbidden at dc's school. She was only meant to use it when necessary. Dd took it with her today to show off in front of her bf, I'm sure. Serves her right to have lost it.

My 10 yr old DD doesn't have one although we are told on numerous occasions that all her friends have one. She doesn't go anywhere on her own, if she goes to friends she gets dropped off and picked up plus we have all her friends parents numbers. She will however be allowed to have one when she starts secondary school as she will have to make her own way there and back.

No (DS2 is 11 today). He can have one when he starts secondary next year.

Off-topic, but I sat through a presentation at a school open evening last night, next to four 10 year old girls (well I assume they were all yr 6 children), all had phones, and sat playing and chatting all the way through the headteacher's speech.

It was irritating.

I just rung my ds3 (15) to check that I remembered correctly but we let him have a mobile when he was 8. The main reason we let him have one was so we could get him if we needed to and I must admit I was a little paranoid when we lived "down south"... Also, I found they could keep in touch with my ex (their dad) under their own steam which I feel with hindsight was a good thing. Mainly because whenever we were in each others company for too long I wanted to stab him with a spoon, so it hurt more.

Yes - 9 & 10 - both started travelling on their own and also it was the year I was at college and would often get stuck in traffic on my way to pick them up. They only phone each other or me.

Yes he does, but it lives in the cupboard and he only has it if he is taking the dog for a walk or going to see his dad ( we live on a farm) just in case of an emergency.

I always thought no way would my DC have a phone in primary school, probably not until age 14 or at least starting secondary school... but DS is 8 and starting to walk home alone to-from school, and suddenly I can see the value of just being able to ring him and know where he is, that he remembered his bag, etc.... I will want him to have the freedom to do something like go swimming on his own at 10, so I can suddenly see he might get a phone that soon, afterall.

mine has a really cheap, simple one which was £15 off ebay with £10 credit. You can text or phone on it, that's all. And it has the time on it. It was invaluable at festivals this summer and now he takes it when he is playing out so I can ring him and tell him to come home.

My ds (10) has one and I was a bit when my sister got it him ,in all honesty though he just uses it like an mp3 player and always forgets to take it with him when he is at his friends houses