Mobile phone - what age is best?

[ObsessedwithFIFA]

My DS is 8 and keeps asking for a mobile phone. He says some of his school friends have them already.
I still think it's a bit young?!

What are your thoughts?

Delay, delay, delay ..... as long as you can.

8 is too young anyway, not before 11 I would say.,

8 is absolutely too young for a mobile phone. 12 at the earliest, and even then there needs to be a huge amount of supervision and parental controls enabled.

My dc both got their first phones at 11.

My eldest two got theirs when they started secondary school. My third has just got one and he's in year 5. I'm not happy as I'd rather wait but it's to help with custody. He's been good with it so far.

My son is turning 11 over the weekend and getting his first phone. I still feel it's too young, but he is desperate to walk home from school with his friends now he's in yeae 6 and school allow it

We've always had the 'birthday before secondary school' rule. So, 11.

When they are old enough to be out unsupervised. Yr5+ are allowed them (turned off) at school since the majority make their way to and from school themselves. After I got held up yesterday, and was late to pick up, im considering I for my daughter. Just the non-smart type.

My 3 all got theirs for their 11th birthdays, so they had them ready for starting secondary school when they would be getting bus /train etc.
They don't need one before then in my opinion.

Mine all got them at 13. I would possibly go as low as 11 but no lower. Don't think of it as a phone, think of it as un censored internet access. And a free pass for them to talk to strangers on the net.