What age did you give your child a mobile?

[marmaladehound]

Just a question out of curiosity and would like to hear different views on when and why you gave your child a phone.

My eldest is only 8, so no phone here yet. Earliest age I am thinking is when she starts high school so age 11 going 12. But I feel this has become the norm with most people saying it's because they have to make their own way to school. But I made my own way to school without a mobile so is this really needed? I guess I had a mum at home, if she was out working she may have wanted a phone call when I got home.

However in my ideal world would prefer my daughter not to have a mobile until around 15, but I know that's unlikely to happen!

Many high schools use them in lessons and for homework apps.
My son, who starts in Y7 this September has one and chats and messages his classmates a lot. I have a tracking app on it so if he's gone to the park and when next term he's walking to and from school, I'll know where he is and when he's safely home.

DS had one for his 12 th birthday, which was a month after he started secondary school. He told me he was the only one in his class who didn’t have one, I don’t know if that was true but he did say they often were asked to use hem in class to take pics etc so he knew everyone else had one! He is 14 now.
DS2 will probably get one this Xmas, which will be a term after he starts secondary school. Different school though. They don’t use them in class, I know.
I do prefer DS1 to have a phone now because he goes into town by himself, up to London on the train etc, and also so I can keep in touch if I am out and he is home.

9 because he started walking to and from middle school. No internet access and he had to leave it downstairs from 9pm.

My eldest is also 8 and I am aiming for at least 13 for her own phone. I plan to have a 'family phone' for if she goes on outings by herself with friends etc, just a basic one with texts and calls and maybe a simple camera, so that she can contact me if needed. But that's about it. Lots of kids in her class have smart phones already, but mine has access to games and youtube via my old phone and I don't see a need for her to have her own, unlimited, access at an age where I don't think she is ready for that responsibility.

My grandson was 11 when given phone

She had an old one so she could contact her dad whenever she wanted after he left us. Not a smart phone though as they hadn't been invented.

DS got a very basic Nokia the summer after year six as he went camping with my brother and had never been away from home that long. When he started secondary he got a secondhand smart phone with PAYG. He looked after it very well and now has a contract phone, still nothing overly flashy. They use phones at school a lot, even for snapping a photo of homework. He travels to and from school alone so it's a handy thing for him to have. We don't have a landline, so really it's the only way he can stay in touch with his friends outside of school.

12 and even then it was just used for if he was left alone for a short while in house that he had a way of contacting me. We have no landlines. For some strange reason he has no interest in it and it could be turned off for 5 days at a time. He will send a text to his friends but then turn it off after sending it 🤣 . I know he is an exception to the rule. He does talk to friends a lot through xbox though.

11 dc1 started secondary without one and was only one without a phone.

I think a couple of kids had basic ones with no internet though.

Dc1 got one that Christmas. A smart phone but a cheapish one.

Dc1 is now 14. And has another smart phone but constantly begging for an iphone.

Realistically I think they need one for secondary. My dc were given their own school email address. The teachers will email them and homework is on an app.

Year six for us...was also when all their friends started getting them

secondary school is typically the normal age to get one, but keep an eye on things and be careful

DD had the new Nokia 3210 from 9/10 with only family numbers stored on it. She took it to swimming galas and anywhere busy where we might get separated. So mostly an emergency phone.

She's going to secondary school this year and I'm going to put off upgrading it as long as I can. Her journey to school is almost identical to her journey to Primary (a 10 minute walk) as the Secondary school is just across the road from her current one and she communicates with her friends on her laptop. The laptop is less portable though and she's not glued to it as I'm sure she would be (like many of us are) if it was a phone. I suspect she'll ask for one for Christmas when she realises most of her friends have one or if she decides she wants to go out and about by herself but so far she hasn't shown much interest as her best friends don't live near us.

If her school journey was longer, involved getting public transport etc then I wouldn't hesitate though.

She just got one for her tenth birthday.
Its got no money on it though... its just used for contacting friends at home.

Well put money on it when she starts going out and about by herself more.

My oldest two had them for their 11th birthdays, ready for starting high school.

I should probably add that mobile devices are not used in class and confiscated if seen so definitely not an issue that she won't have one for class work.

I check Dds laptop regularly and she has never done anything untrustworthy. However I teach at a secondary school and far too aware of what goes on between tweens and teens on their phones. Not to mention the distress of accidently smashing the screen as it drops out of a blazer pocket etc.

Year 6 as that was when they started walking home-however-it was a sim only phone on an old recycled phone we had knocking about. The younger ones still only get an upgrade when the grownups do-so always second hand.

Spring term of Year 6 so aged 11.5. It was during the 1st lockdown last year, so a bit earlier than had planned. Would have been summer before Year 7 otherwise, so a few months later.

Mine had iPhones just before they left primary school, so they could exchange numbers with their friends in year 6 and keep in touch before starting secondary.

I am getting one for DD2 for her 10th birthday as she is a July baby and will be walking too and from school from September in year 6, on her own. I will be locking down via screen time though. I made DD1 wait till Year6 too.

When they went to senior school; years 7 , 7 and 9.

Summer before secondary school in this house, have them the summer to chat to primary friends, get added to chat groups for secondary school and to learn to use phones, get the novelty out of the way etc before September.

I did get dd one a bit earlier, when schools shut back in 2020 for the first lockdown once it became evident they wouldn't be back at school so that it gave her a way to keep in touch with people.

And cheap android phone, giffgaff sim, tight controls through family link.

At Christmas before secondary (age 10.5) for DS1, 11th birthday for ds2.
Ds1 doesn't take it to school though, it's only 1/2 mile away and they are not allowed on in the school day. Only time he has taken it was for school trips when they were expected to have one to let us know if running late.

I think age depends on the child in question and how sensible they are, if walking home etc.

12