At what age can a child reasonably be given a mobile phone?

DeeDee74

mine both have phone's.
ds is 13 and he's had one since he was about 7, at the moment he's got a contract phone was cheaper than buying him the phone he wanted plus he's got minutes and txt so he can allways get hold of me and vise versa.
it's on the cheapest tarrif and he know's if he run's up a bill he will be the one to lose out.
dd is 11 and has the same i have to watch her's a little more as she's a chatter box and dosent realise how long she's on the phone for.

blackcoffee

lynnexxxo wrote: »

I honestly can't see what the problem i with kids having mobiles . Sure we never had then when we were kids, we never had nintendo ds's, wii, playstations, videos, dvds, computers (unless you count an acorn electron), mp3 players and a whole host of other things. You can bet if they were available we would have all wanted them.

My five year old has my old mobile. He thinks he's cool listen to songs i've bluetoothed onto it and taking photos. Whats the harm?

there is huge difference between wanting and getting! my daughter 7, has written a mobile phone down on her christmas list, the last 2 christmas' it doesnt mean she is getting !!! she wants a laptop too!

HariboJunkie

lynnexxxo wrote: »

I honestly can't see what the problem i with kids having mobiles . Sure we never had then when we were kids, we never had nintendo ds's, wii, playstations, videos, dvds, computers (unless you count an acorn electron), mp3 players and a whole host of other things. You can bet if they were available we would have all wanted them.

My five year old has my old mobile. He thinks he's cool listen to songs i've bluetoothed onto it and taking photos. Whats the harm?

I agree. My grandparents played with hoops and sticks but I wasn't expected to.
As long as they are not running up bills or using constantly there shouldn't be a problem. Mine will use theirs mainly as MP3 players and for games.

Minimum_Wage_2

Back to ages again!
All of my kids have phones, My 2 oldest DS and DD pay for there own Phone on my account. My 2nd Youngest Ran up a huge bill as she was at that age of being defiant so she has a pay as you go. My youngest has had a phone from when she was 6 but she only had it with her when she was out but she is now 10 and she's on one of those roll over things where you get so many minutes and text a month. Its not down to the age of your siblings but how responsible they are with them.

screamer

My sister thinks all kids should have everything they want. My nephew had an X box at the age of 3, a PSP at the age of 6, a mobile phone at the age of 8 and his own laptop a year later. My youngest nephew is 4, but last Christmas she bought him a flat screen TV and DVD player for his bedroom. He was 3 years old. Needless to say they both got broken, and not replaced because she just didn't have the common sense to buy extended warranties.

I am 31 and I don't have a top of the range mobile phone. I only have one because of my Epilepsy and I might need it for emergencies. I couldn't tell you where it is right now, I just don't use it. If I, an adult living miles away from family, doesn't really need one, then why would my 9 year old nephew need one?

The ironic thing?? Her and her OH are up to their eyeballs in debt. They're remortgaged twice so are now in negative equity on a house they bought 8 years ago. She defrauded the Benefits agency for 2 years , got found out and is now having to repay every penny which amounts to thousands for HB, CTB, single parents benefit, money from the CSA, as well as pay for things she got on credit, loans, and 6k for a car that got repossessed ages ago.

Let's just say we don't talk. She has no morals and she's a spoilt little brat, and her kids are going the same way!

bugbabe1970

Hi there...
I have 3 children aged 15, 13, and 8 and they all have mobiles.

I live in a relatively safe village in Wales, my daughter started going to the local park in the summer with her friends so I bought her a mobile so we could keep in contact with each other. It was a god send and gave me real piece of mind when she was out.

I also keep in contact with my boys when they are out via txt messages. As i work full time shifts it has also helped me stay connected with my kids as I txt them all special messages when I am at work, and my 15 year old txts me to ask me to ask his dad if he can have money or go out etc. I wouldnt be without them.

And by the way, as i pay the bill i reserve the right to look at their phones whenever I want to just to keep check on downloads, pictures messages etc. Works well in my house.

Ps. Oldest boy has a contract £20 a month and has been really good at sticking to it and the other 2 are pay as you go. Good pocket money incentives!

minerva_windsong

I got my first mobile phone when I was 12 or 13. It was incredibly basic (a Phillips Savvy, if anyone remembers them) and looked like a brick but I absolutely loved it.

red_devil

kindofagilr wrote: »

I personally dont think children should have mobiles.

I didnt get one till I was 17, I know times are different now and evey tom !!!!!! and harry seems to have one

But I know I wouldnt be buying my 10 year old one for example

ha ha good post! How about when they can afford to buy it and run it themselves.

You see schoolkids chatting away on them the bill must only be footed by mummy and daddy.

Indie_Kid

minerva_windsong wrote: »

I got my first mobile phone when I was 12 or 13. It was incredibly basic (a Phillips Savvy, if anyone remembers them) and looked like a brick but I absolutely loved it.

I think my parents still have these phones somewhere.

When my parents used to pay for my phone (Since I turned 18, they don't) they'd decide if it would really need topping up.

Because my sister ran up a huge bill, (this happens a lot!) they decided it would be cheaper to just get her a contract phone which she pays for. They did used to pay and one time she went over and got told she had to pay the extra.

I only have one for emergencies and because I'm away from home - it's easier to phone my parents and them to phone me than talk to them on Facebook or email.

Ruby_Moon

To know a daughter is upstairs in her bedroom with a device that allows her to send/receive lewd and rude messages must be every parents nightmare and yet the same parents happily purchase that said device.
A mobile phone can be silent and doesn't give too much away to a parent who enters the bedroom unannounced, unlike a PC, which is very difficult for a child to 'hide' what they are doing. (Quickly trying to minimise screens when parent comes in creates suspicion which parent can check upon later when child is out)

A mobile phone stays with child, by their side and does not keep a history, unlike a PC. Children do not understand the importance of keeping personal information private and they often fall out with their friends who can become 'mean', eg putting the kids mobile phone number on a website for a laugh.

If parents were to see what was going on a lot of the time on those mobiles they would never allow them and yet they do because the majority of parents "know my child would never do anything like that" .
Even if what they do on the mobile isn't 'bad', why is it ok for daughter to be texting her boyfriend whilst tucked up in bed at 12 midnight in her jimjams?