mobile phone

[themumfairy]

What age did you/will you allow your child to have a mobile?

Ds aged 9 is asking for one as some of his friends have one.
I've always said the year he starts high school is when I'll get him one.

He's going on trip in July and on holiday with my parent in August and the over protective parent in me Is thinking that he could ring me if needed.

Please be kind

All of mine got mobiles when they started secondary school.

9yo ds has got a basic Samsung Keystone 2 mobile. It's only really needed for days out or when he plays over the road at his friends house. He doesn't take it to school and most of the time I look after it.

Thankyou, I'd have complete control over it and the only numbers he'd have would be close family.
He is very sensible I just don't want him growing up too fast.

Year 7, purely because it's a 2 bus/40 Min journey.

It's worth taking the time to think about it. My two cents: "because some of his friends have one" isn't a reason. (Just for starters, what happens when "some of his friends" have smartphones?) Once he does have one, he has one for life and there are issues that come with it and need thinking about: is it for him, so he feels safe, for you, so you feel safe(r) for him (and if that's it, how much will you find yourself expecting to know about his life that you otherwise wouldn't have known or even thought about and that would have remained private to him)?
A useful rule of thumb - for children who don't have long/complicated/dodgy journeys - is the beginning of secondary school: it's nice and clear and can be seen as part of that big step in the growing-up process.
[My daughters are now 16 and nearly 14: the first got her first (smart)phone for her 14th birthday and the second at the beginning of year 9: later than some of their friends but not latest of all. (We live in a big city and their school is 10 doors up on the other side of the road.)]