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!

Going into year 7 for us. Secondary school is 20+ miles away and over the years there have been a few times when someone's missed the bus it's broken down or had to be diverted due to bad weather or a closed road etc, and being able to talk to them easily has been helpful. There are no pay phones anywhere en route.

11th birthday which was a few months before secondary

'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.'

I like the idea of an emergency phone and I'll be doing that when my oldest reaches a similar age.

My first, when he started walking to school at 10. I’ll do the same for my second.

DS was almost 11 I think, when he started walking home from school on his own.

DD was actually 7, much much younger than I would usually think is appropriate but it was last year when we realised schools were going to be closed for a long time, we sorted one of our old phones for her. It made the world of difference that she could play games and chat with her friends.

Y6 Summer term when all 3 of mine walked to school on their own in the mornings as preparation for the transition to secondary. The rule was a text to say they had arrived safely and then the phone was handed in at the office for the day. I think most of their friends were doing the same thing.

Ds is getting my old phone over the summer holidays, he'll be 11 in September. It will be restricted to calls and texts only for now and he won't have it unless he's out away from us. After Christmas I will probably slowly increase his access as and when his mates all get them.

Ex gave our DS one when he was 9 (2nd hand iphone) I wanted wait until he went to secondary school. He hardly looks at it.

12- for going to high school. Had an iPod for a year previous to that- which could message on but not much else.

DD got a 'brick' phone when she started secondary and a smart one 3 months shy of 12th birthday. We were going to wait until she was at least 13 for the smart one as her school has a strict no smart phones rule, but as soon as the lockdown looked imminent last March I went and bought her an android phone. She was was only 2 terms into secondary and we figured she'd miss out socially over what we knew would be an extended lockdown if she didn't have one.

Birthday of year 6.

Most dcs here have to go on trains to secondary school so want to have phone for that September, but its too expensive a gift to give for nothing.

But many families with separated parents give phones earlier so children can contact the other parent when not at their house.

@DinosaurOfFire

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.

Quite like the idea of a family phone or an emergency phone.

The high school that my daughter is most likely to be attending asks for a specific iPad and I think phones are in lockers all day and not allowed out of them.

Seeing as this school is only a 10 minute walk away I am hoping I can hold out a little bit. November birthday so could be a birthday present. Cannot imagine I will be able to to hold out much longer than that!!

@ShoppingBasket

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.

Gosh I wish I could imagine my daughter would be like this. As it is I am to seriously ration her use of my iPad!! She'd be on it all the time if not

Basic mobile (text/call capacity only) year 5 as walking to and from school alone.

Smartphone (hand me down) year 9.

Year 6 because I was at work and she would liase with her big sister about getting home. You can't possibly say really because circumstances change and if all their friends have one it's hard to say no. You want them to start exploring the world and meeting friends without you.

Dd had one from 9 when she started going to her dads and needed to be able to contact me. It was also while she was 9 thats she started sometimes walking to/from school and meeting a friend to go to the park or for a cycle. At 10 she started collecting her sister from school as I was 15 minutes late collecting due to work and during covid isolations etc she's often walked her to and from school. Was also great from keeping in touch with friends over lockdown, doing school work together etc. That's when the last most resistant parent got their dd one( so yr 5) . We didn't have phones to walk to school because it wasn't an option. Sometimes they would have been very useful though. DD has just finished primary and I don't know anyone her age that doesn't have a phone. I'd imagine it would hold them back socially as birthday parties and sleepovers are arranged, outfits for school dress up days, skate park meet ups etc. I monitor it and it's all very innocent and harmless still. Hoping it stays that way a long while.

We had a spare phone DD took with her if out with friends (year 6)
Bought her a second hand iPhone to start high school.
It would have been quite unusual for a child at her school not to have a phone. They use them quite a lot in school too.

It is a common sight to see children as young as 12 years old texting or talking on the phone. Children, who are growing up in the digital era, feel more comfortable with technology than being face to face with others, making them prone to a host of social problems later in life.

I offered my ds a phone when he started senior school. He said No thanks.

I offered again on his12th & 13th birthdays, and he said no. He says people just use them for bullying and sending dirty pictures and he doesn't want one. It made me sad that this is his view of the world already .

He socialises with his mates via games messaging, which is limited but works for him, or calls using my phone.