how old are your kids and have they got a lap top/own computer and/or mobile phone?

[hatwoman]

not really sure if education is the right place to ask ...but I am thinking about secondary school and wondering how much secondary school kids need to use a computer for homework etc. and the mobile phone bit is just out of interest really. we have two computers in the house but dh and I both work from home and so we tend to be on them a lot of the time.

My 2 DDs (11 & 14) had phones from about year 6. Neither have a laptop of their own, they use the family home computer downstairs. However, DD is getting one for her 15th birthday as she is needing it alot more for school work. I think 14/15 upwards is a good age for own laptop but younger I would worry. It takes them away from other activities and also you never know who they are chatting to. School homework online is only about 2 or 3 times a week. They can easily do it on the home computer.

DD (11) has mobile, was 2010 Christmas present, ready for secondary school, and she now walks to and from school alone, so texts when leaving school.

Thinking maybe laptop will be next Christmas present, but am still wary of her having it upstairs on her own, so wil try to insist on downstairs for internet stuff.

DD got a cheap PAYG mobile in Y6 for starting secondary - we get a free texts deal which she makes full use of! She wants a fancier one for her birthday.

She uses the PC (downstairs) or laptop (sometimes in her room) for about half of her hmework - we like to keep tabs on what she's up to, though she's pretty sensible and no Facebook yet

DS1 (17) has his own laptop (since start of Y10) and an iphone (christmas present)
DD1 (14) got her own laptop at the start of this year (Y10) and has a phone
DS2 (11) uses the family computer or DH's laptop for homework and has had his own phone since starting secondary

TBH They really don't need their own laptop/computer until they start doing coursework for GCSEs/A-Levels because until then only a small amount of homework actually needs the computer.

They have all had phones since the start of secondary because they have a complicated ish journey and often have after school stuff so its easier that they can call me and I can call them if need be.

Mobiles when they walked home. So year 5 for son and year 6 for daughter. Both PAYG. Daughter moved onto a £10 month calls/texts/data contract when she went into year 10. Most of her friends are still on PAYG : they end up using her phone for calls home because they are free!

Laptop. Both children had one of their own when they went into year 7. Both use it a lot for homework. I'm not sure how necessary it is if they are not affordable but, if you can afford to buy one, it is much more practical.

Be warned laptops encourage bedroom hibernation, whereas stand alones you are in more control of where the child spends their computer time.

Both my DDs had a second hand mobile (on PAYG) aged 10ish but didn't really use them much until starting secondary school.

The issue of how vital a computer is really depends upon the school and how they set their homework.

DD2 in year 7 has lots of of her homework set on an internet system called Moodle. In fact some of her subjects have the resources such as Maths text books on them which is great for her school bag but not if the internet goes down!

On the recent snow days they had quite a bit of work set which was compulsory to complete. She was not amused!

DC1 mobile 18th birthday (it was a good one!)
dc2-6 (2-16) none of the above