Phone?

[catlover121]

My DD is moving on to Secondary School next year and me and my DP were thinking of getting her a smart phone for her birthday? What do you think is this a good idea of bad?

I think this is the age many kids get one.

Some suggestions:

• pre-owned not new you have no idea how careful she will be
• PAYG
• consider not paying for data so it is 'just' a phone/text
• parental controls
• who pays? her from pocket money or you?
• not taken to primary OR only taken to primary if they have a 'hand in' rule & she travels independently

Rules in place before it is given for example

• you know passcode & can check at random
• off and downstairs over night / at bedtime/ after 6pm / whatever
• never in bedroom?
• no sending photos of any sort (see suggestion on data above)
• not at meals
• not at the expenses of face to face / family socialising
• playing on it counts as 'screentime'

Easier to relax rules than put them in place.
She may be very sensible to start with, but think what rules you might need when she is 13/14 and make sure they are there now!

Thanks, she will pay for it out of her own money. Any suggestions on brand of phone?

No not really. My phone is so ancient all my friends laugh at it.

But CEX sell Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S4 for ~£100.

(I'd go with the brand you have as then you'll know how to work it!)

You may like to read this thread (and many other similar ones on the Teenagers board) to see why I made the suggestions I did www.mumsnet.com/Talk/teenagers/3728101-DD-and-her-phone

This one too has stuff about parental controls:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/preteens/3689149-what-phone-has-your-preteen-got-also-do-you-set-any-parent-controls-etc