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Parenting

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Original poster

Mobile phones.

18 replies

MyTruthIsOut · 06/05/2023 08:03

At what age did you let your child have a mobile phone?

My son (9) keeps going on about it as apparently “everyone else” in his class has one….thought I strongly doubt this!!

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Soproudoflionesses · 06/05/2023 08:05

Dd has got my old one - start of year 6 so was nearly 11 but she doesn't get free rein over it - it is locked down with time limits etc and l am allowed to lookmat it whenever l want

Idkmanbutgonnatattoo · 09/06/2023 15:50

MyTruthIsOut · 06/05/2023 08:03

At what age did you let your child have a mobile phone?

My son (9) keeps going on about it as apparently “everyone else” in his class has one….thought I strongly doubt this!!

“Everyone else” is probably true(ish)
like at least >85% of kids probably have phones

Awumminnscotland · 09/06/2023 15:51

Idkmanbutgonnatattoo · 09/06/2023 15:50

“Everyone else” is probably true(ish)
like at least >85% of kids probably have phones

Show quote history

Yes. Normal for kids 8 and 9 here to have them and more amore 7 yr olds..

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Awumminnscotland · 09/06/2023 15:54

But it doesn't matter what other kids have. Even if they all do in his class at 9 , do you want him yo have one?
It would be a hard no from me.

Idkmanbutgonnatattoo · 09/06/2023 15:57

Awumminnscotland · 09/06/2023 15:54

But it doesn't matter what other kids have. Even if they all do in his class at 9 , do you want him yo have one?
It would be a hard no from me.

It would cause a lot of social exclusion like
not being in any groupchats or not knowing any trends

tiggergoesbounce · 09/06/2023 15:58

What is it that your 9 year old specifically wants the phone for ??

I think social media is really damaging to our childrens mental health (and alot of adults) if not monitored, we are not there yet as our DS is just coming up for 6, but we have friends with kids that age and all have said they can have one in first year of high school. Or if out and about, they get one for calls only.
They try not to bow to peer pressure and go with what they think is the right thing.

Awumminnscotland · 09/06/2023 16:16

Idkmanbutgonnatattoo · 09/06/2023 15:57

It would cause a lot of social exclusion like
not being in any groupchats or not knowing any trends

Show quote history

At 9 I would still say no. Parents have to stop giving in to things they know are harmful just because they want to protect them from being different.

MrsSchrute · 09/06/2023 16:25

Idkmanbutgonnatattoo · 09/06/2023 15:57

It would cause a lot of social exclusion like
not being in any groupchats or not knowing any trends

Show quote history

What trends does a 9 year old need to be keeping up to date on????

This is nuts!

purpleme12 · 09/06/2023 16:27

I don't think at 9 not having a phone would any exclusion from group chats or anything else.
Mine is 9 and won't be getting a phone for a long time yet

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/06/2023 17:35

A fairly cheap one on starting High School. If they can manage to not lose or break it in the first 12 months they get a newer, but not new one for Christmas/Birthday, whichever is sooner.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/06/2023 17:36

Forgot to add that it seems to work well as none of them have lost or broken a phone yet

KateJohns · 09/06/2023 17:39

I always said she'd be 12 at least.
But, she wanted to go visit a new friend and I wanted a way for her to contact me after, so I gave her an old phone of mine. She's 10.

What's really surprised me is that just about every kid in her class has a phone and they all WhatsApp each other and stuff.

10 seems so much older these days than when I was 10.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 09/06/2023 17:41

Dc1 (y6) got hers this Christmas. Dc2 will get theirs Christmas of Year 6. There are still plenty kids in the class who don't have a phone.

No way would mind get them any younger.

Jeannie88 · 09/06/2023 17:54

DN, sensible girl, has just got her first hand me down mobile and is only allowed to use it for WhatsApp family chats and see photos, also a few games. It's great for her as it helps her to converse with us all and her wit is hilarious so makes a huge contribution to brightening our days! All little steps to growing up, technology is unavoidable and second nature to kids now so no point in denying it but with firm boundaries and supervision IMO, which I really thought I would never say pre parenting! X

DroopyLids · 09/06/2023 17:54

I think you need to consider what the phone will be used for. Lots of issues at school come from not the phone but social media apps on the phone, so snapchat and girls being absolute bitches to each other at 9. Parents don't want to report it because their children should not have access to snapchat at 9. Even whatsapp or messaging can lead to problems, everything can be screeshotted and shared in a heartbeat.

That poor girl went viral with the whole video of her going Thanks Rachel and then a tirade about how her ipad won't charge now because the charger had got used to Rachel's ipad. It is far too easy for children to do this type of shit and it get shared.

Mine had phones for Christmas of year 6 but they were monitored and locked down via parental controls. No younger. If you haven't already seen it watch The Social Dilemma on Netlix to see how addictive social media is.

WreckTangled · 09/06/2023 17:56

Towards the end of year six ready for secondary school. And no social media apart from WhatsApp (dd is 13, ds is 10 so he doesn’t have one yet).

whathappenedtome12 · 10/06/2023 10:16

We got our 12yo a smartwatch. He has no desire to use social media. It basically does everything I need from a phone, but nothing I don't. Maps, messages/calls/video with parents and grandparents, but no social media. I remember how mean kids were when I was young. The idea of kids dealing with that around the clock with limited supervision scares me.

Himawarigirl · 10/06/2023 18:31

My 10 year old just got a ‘dumb phone’, she is walking home or to friends more on her own and we needed to able to get a quick text that she was ok, or for her to be able to reach us if needed. But since it doesn’t so anything interesting at all and messages are a pain to type out as there are three letters per number key, it is really is just a back up option for contact.

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