What ages would you put against this list of stuff?

[AKMD]

Dh and I have been wondering about the following list in a PFB way (DS is 17mo). I don't particularly want DS to have any of it but DH has other ideas (and he's probably right about some of it). At what ages would you give/have you given your DC the following items:

Games console
DS or similar
Mobile phone
Smartphone (I don't even have one of these!)
TV in own room (over my dead body...)
Laptop
Facebook account

Mine were (they're currently 11 and 15)

games console - 6, but it's actually DPs, they just have games for it.

DS - 7

mobile phone - 9, but I wouldn't have bought them at that age, they paid for them out of birthday and Christmas money.

They don't have the rest except facebook at 13

Laptop without own access to the internet from 5 or so, but then in our family everyone has a computer so there will be an old robust laptop knocking around. Ds has an excellent toy laptop from Sainsburys that he loves (nearly 3)

Friends with older kids have often got them a DS aged 7ish, usually before a long journey! Cheap mobile phone for last year at primary school. Games console belongs to whole family and lives in the living room so can be easily overseen, ditto internet access.

I imagine that by the time ds is old enough for a phone they will all be smartphones...
TV in own room - when they are old enough to save up enough money or get a job in order to buy it themselves, as I'm not getting them one or allowing them to be given one. We only have one in the house.

Will see what I end up actually doing!

Games Console - DS1 got a Wii at, er, 7 or 8 I think.

DS Lite, DS1 9, DS2 7 and DD 4

mobile phone: DS1 11 (Y6) DS2 got an old one of mine at 9 but he'll get a proper one of his own at 11 as will DD eventually.

Smartphone: There is a chance DS1 will inherit my iPhone when I upgrade it in the next dew months or so.

TV in room: probably never

laptop: DS1 got his at 11 and I imagine the others will too.

Facebook account: DS1 12, DS2 10, DD is only 5 so a long long time yet! use, I know DSs are technically too young but i monitor their use and I am happy with it. As I know their passwords I am able to disable the accounts whenever I like if I am not happy.

oh, DS1 is 12.5 now.

Games console (wii) - 6.
Games console (ps3) - 10
DS - 7 IME there's often a lot of reading on these games, so I held out until they'd got their SATs scores at the end of Y2 to make sure they weren't asking me to read the screen every two minutes.
Mobile phone - xmas or birthday before they start high school

Eldest is 12 and hasn't got any of the other things yet. He can use my lap-top and I suppose I'll let him have Facebook at 13. Luckily he hasn't asked yet, so I'm not going to suggest it.

Games console - We're a gaming family, the consoles are actually mine and DHs! DCs have had access since they expressed an interest though (so pretty young from an MN POV I'd imagine!)

DS or similar - Around 5ish

Mobile phone - 11 (start of Secondary School)

Smartphone - When they earn enough to get their own...

TV in own room (over my dead body...) - DS1 got one for his 13th birthday.

Laptop - Ditto to Smartphone

Facebook account - I allowed DS1 and 2 to have one at the end of Year 6 so they could keep in contact with school friends. It's got the security set to the highest level, I know their passwords, and they're not allowed to accept friends without telling me first. We've had no problems so far.

Actually with regards to the laptops. DCs don't need them as we have an abundance of PCs - we have 2 stand alone ones in the living room, plus my laptop and the boys have one without internet access in their room to write up homework on (DS1s TV is also a monitor)

Actually my DS had a tv in his own room when he was about 12mo because I used it as the electronic nanny while I had to see clients at home. So I would put a video in (it was one with an integral video) that lasted around an hour, put him in his cot and go and work. This happened a maximum of 5 times a week and usually only 2-3. It wasn't on apart from when I was working.

As to the rest, DS is only 3.8 so I can say "not for as long as I can get away with it."

SHould have said - DS doesn't have a tv in his own room now and hasn't since we left the UK 2 years ago.

Games console - DD had my old SNES from when she was 5, played on a shared Gamecube when she was 7, and got her a Wii when she was 12

DS or similar - DD has had a handheld console type thing since the age of 6 or 7

Mobile phone - got her her first one age 10

Smartphone (I don't even have one of these!) Does a touchscreen phone costing arounf £150 count? If so, age 14 when she got that.

TV in own room (over my dead body...) from age 5 - yeah so shoot me but it was only connected to a DVD player and she, by her own choice only watched it occasionally and still did plenty of other creative and outdoor play. Don't see what the big problem is.

Laptop - age 13

Facebook account - age 13

Games console we have had an xbox since before they were born, they play on the kinect now at 3 and 5, and they play golf with DH since they were about 2. But their own one? I think probably 8 or 9.
DS, they are getting one this christmas so 6
Mobile phone, 10
smartphone - when they can pay for it
TV in own room, never, but tv in playroom, about 5 or 6
laptop - age 11 (so when starting secondary school)
Facebook account? hopefully never, but definately not until 13. I hate children on fb.

Games console - family shared one at around 7 and 9 - had access to play games on PC before that

DS - 7 and 9

mobile phone - have had loan of old ones when it has been useful for us as parents a couple of times from 8 and 10, DS has just got his own aged 11 to go to secondary school

smartphone - DS' phone is a cheap smartphone, but he is not supposed to use the (deliberately slow) internet access without our express permission - unless to check email or the weather!

tv in own room - late teens

laptop - no need as yet, have 2 family desktops and a laptop which they have access to

Facebook - will be 13

Games console - probably never as DH and I hate them! If they want to buy their own, probably 15 (as judging by the kids I teach, they'll want to play 15 certificate games anyway)

TV in own room - 16

Mobile phone - 11 (when they go to secondary school) Echo comments about them prob being all smartphones by then!

Laptop - 16+ as we already have PC and laptop they can use (though this may change as both DH and I use them for work)

Facebook - 13 (with monitoring)

All this is hypothetical as we don't have kids yet - but I am a teacher so I know what's normal for teenagers! Shocked at the number that say they spend 3hrs+ a night on computer or console... Trying to get them to read for ten mins in class is a mission and a half!!

Games console - PS2 given to him by exh when ds was 7 - Only age appropriate games

DS or similar - 8 - age appropriate games

Mobile phone - 10 so he can speak with his father (we live overseas)

Smartphone - I will never buy him one, he might get my one when he is 16/17.

TV in own room - 10 to watch DVD's, he cannot actually watch TV on it and it has a timer which goes off at his bed time.

Laptop - 11 for senior school

Facebook account - He has this now, but it is heavily monitored by me and he is only allowed to have family members on there.

Games console (over my dead body...)
DS or similar (over my dead body...)
Mobile phone 11 for senior school
Smartphone by the time DS1 is 11, all phones will be smartphones.
TV in own room (over my dead body...)
Laptop 11 for senior school
Facebook account 13

Ive no idea but my DD aged 3 is better at using my smart phone than me, it scares me how children will be in a few years time.

Games console - preferably never but maybe 8?
DS or similar - got DD one last xmas age 5, for the junior brain training and books, she likes it for ben 10 and zhu zhu crap
Mobile phone - high school
Smartphone - arent all mobiles smart phones now? is that internet and camera etc? really rubbish with technology
TV in own room - age 3/4 for her v.smile after i kept playing it in the living room
Laptop - getting a netbook either this xmas/next birthday so 6/7
Facebook account - bloody never!

Games console - They can share the family consoles (DH is a gamer) at any age. They can't have one of their own until they leave the house.

DS or similar - Probably never, but DD is only 2. Absolutely not before about 8.

Mobile phone - 11 (starting secondary)

Smartphone - 16, if they pay for it themselves!

TV in own room - Also over my dead body. I am determined that we will only ever have 1 TV in the house.

Laptop - When they leave for university. (They will probably have had a not-connected to the internet computer in their room from about 11 though. If they don't go we'll probably encourage them to spend the laptop money + their trustfund on a car/driving lessons instead.)

Facebook account - 13.

I suspect DHs list won't be the same. He would love our DC to be tech babies! But I can just see the wasted money, better to make the things they do have fun for the age they are than to have everything and nothing to look forward too IMO.

Games console

Uses dp ATM (ds 6) own around 13-14

DS or similar
6
Mobile phone
12, when allowed home alone

Smartphone (I don't even have one of these!)
16-18 when they start to pay for it them selves, as most have to have a contact
TV in own room (over my dead body...)
12-13

Laptop
11ish when he starts using it for school work, but dp and me have one each so maybe sooner

Facebook account
13

Games console - We got our wii 2 years ago, so 8 and 4.

DS or similar - DD1 got hers at 7, DD2 got hers at 5 (earlier as was always pestering her sister for a play on hers...I was actually v surprised when her Dad bought it for her birthday present)

Mobile phone - DD1 got one at 9. Is now 10 and a half and still on the first £15 she was topped up with. She got it because it was a hand me down from me and she mostly just uses it to listen to music and take photos. She has learnt some good lessons about budgeting her phone fund in the meantime, so will use it more carefully when she is having it on her when walking to/from high school etc. DD2 - doesn't have one as has no friends who also have phones. I have a second hand me down phone waiting for that time however.

Smartphone - I've just got one and my DD1 is now desperate for one. She may ask for one for Christmas and getting one would depend on whether it could be bought for WAY under £100 and if I could get one that would be guaranteed that you could switch off the mobile internet and use the home wifi instead, like my HTC can.

TV in own room (over my dead body...) Lol...DD1 got one at 7 because our childminder was getting rid of one and offered it to us. DD2 got one of the princess ones for Christmas that included a DVD player, because it was less than £50. They aren't allowed them on school nights and aren't allowed to disappear into their rooms for hours on end either, but it does save me from having to listen to lots of Hannah Montanna or Doctor Who.

Laptop - Neither have one yet...and long may it last. DD1 has a PC that my OH built from old systems that is not internet linked. She loves writing scripts and uses it to do her homework. DD2 goes on my laptop. Both are extremely profficient at using the computers and www.

Facebook account - We broke the rules and DD1 has one from age 10. Under the conditions that...I am her friend so can access her page, she uses it on my laptop when I am around to supervise, that it is linked to my email address and that I know her login and password. Working well so far, although I know a lot of MN's would be horrified by the thought.

this is my set of rules and my kids know of them

Games console - 10/11
DS or similar - 7/8
Mobile phone - when they start walking home from school
Smartphone (I don't even have one of these!) - no necessary
TV in own room (over my dead body...) - never
Laptop - for GCSE's
Facebook account - 13

Oh yes, and their tv's, like another poster's, aren't connected to the aerial so they are only used to playback DVDs.

We also have a lovely flatscreen TV and DVD thingy in my bedroom. (Didn't buy, was won in a rather lovely raffle last year) It is lovely to snuggle up with the girls and watch a DVD on a 'movie night'.

Games console- haven't yet (dcs 11 and 14)

DS or similar- once they have learnt to read fluently (and somebody else is paying- so birthday money rather than gift from me)

Mobile phone- I'd normally say start of secondary but have had to anticipate this because of health problems= risk of collapse on way from school

Smartphone (I don't even have one of these!)-don't suppose I will

TV in own room (over my dead body...)- not for us

Laptop- again would say secondary, but have had to start earlier because of disability

Facebook account- hoping it won't come to that, not before 15 or so

Games console - never
DS or similar - never
Mobile phone - 7
Smartphone - never
TV in own room - never
Laptop - when needed
Facebook account - legal age, but hope later.

By the time this is relevant, though, the technology will probably have changed considerably.