What is the right age to buy your dc a phone????

[OneLieIn]

It's dd's birthday coming up and there's a split in the parenting camp...dh thinks 10 is a good age I get her a phone, I think she is still a kid.. Ffs she wants sylvanians as well.

What do you wise ones think? 10? Too old, too young or just right?

Ds1 got one at ten because he had to. If not I suspect I would have left it later. He is a good kid but he still lost two in the first year

Mine got one for their 11th birthday, as this is when they started going to more places without us. If she doesn't physically need one, then I'd wait. Year 6 does seem to be a bit of a rule of thumb round where I live. Don't spend much on one though, as they're likely to be lost/nicked.

Dss got one at 9 from us but that was so Dp could keep in touch with him. If it wasn't for that I think starting secondary school is a good time for a mobile. What with most kids getting home by themselves and maybe going off with friends after school or whatever.

My dd got one when she actually needed it which was when she started senior school (age 12)

She is now walking further and is out for longer on her own and may possibly be late for whatever reason. It's a way for us to stay in touch. There just didn't seem a need for it before that.

Many of her friends got their first one then too, although there are always a few who have them younger which of course starts up the pester power.

Both dcs - 11th birthday.

They were out and about independantly at that age.

Also impending move to secondary school made them both mature quickly.

Neither has ever lost or damaged a phone.

DS got one with christmas money when he was 10 and a half, in year 6 - he was already walking to and from school or friends' houses by himself, so it seemed like a good idea. Most of his friends also got one at some stage in year 6.

DD will probably have one at 9 or 10, whenever she starts walking to school alone.

starting secondry school.

My dd got one for her 11 th birthday.
Ready for the move to Secondary school.
She did not use it much to start with, but has been very useful since September, when she went up.

Got ds one in the summer before going to secondary school. His reaction was 'at last, everyone at school has them already' (which wasn't completely accurate and I was rather dumbstruck as he hadn't mentioned once about wanting one!)

He got bored of it quickly with not many people to call etc. Even friends who had had phones for ages didn't check their texts very often (which says a lot really) so he would be all excited sending a message and never get a reply.

It is useful now he is at secondary as I can text him if I am running late to pick him up after work.

One things though - I showed him how to make calls etc on it. He was like yeah yeah. But in reality he got the hang of replying to texts. I had to show him again about the address book etc and how to make a call when he couldn't text me after I went through and deleted lots of old messages and got all upset he couldn't find my number to call me.

Several of his friends have lost or broken theirs and 1 had their phones stolen (child at a different school and it went missing during a class. It was found when the parent insisted that the bags of the children in that class were checked. Parent was contacted by his brother at same school so was dealt with immediately, doubt it would have been found had he not been able to contact parents during the day.)