Phones for tweens

pollyanna24

I have always said that I would get my oldest a mobile when she starts Year 7 (currently year 5), but I’m not sure if I should review this.

The odds are that my daughter will go to a different school to most of her friends as we live that bit further away from the favoured school (London:Herts borders) that most will go to. Her argument is, how will she stay in touch with primary school friends if she doesn’t have one before secondary school. And also eeeevveeerryooone has one mummy!

I see her point to an extent, and I get that times have changed since I was young. But what is the appropriate age to get a phone? She has an iPad but this doesn’t have a contact number as such, although she can iMessage and FaceTime.

The school has a policy where they drop their phones in a box in the morning in yr5, so I’m guessing It’s normal now?

I’m not sure whether to give her an old iPhone now or wait a year. What has everyone else done?

74jax

Will she not see her primary school friends outside of school? Do you live near them? Is she only going to keep in touch on the phone?

I'd worry she was socialising more on the phone than real life.

ska_lover

Isn't a year 5 - a nine year old child? Is this what is classed as a tween now? In my day a nine year old was a 'child' lol

I would be more concerned about bending the preset boundaries because 'everyone has one' - rod for your own back, comes to mind

Nine is too young IMO

CuppaTea

Mine were/are 10 when they got their phones. £5 sim only deal. We don’t need a landline anymore so I’m saving money. I did it for several reasons.

They were walking themselves to and fro from school.
Some days they were locking up after I left and home before me.
They were going out to play and call for friends independently.
Their father will no longer communicate with me, so it gave them their own means to do so.
I went with old iPhones as I have complete control over restrictions, downloading apps and when they can access screen time, all set from my phone. I can also cap the bill so they can’t go over £5 and their data rolls over for one month.

They got theirs towards the end of Y5 due to the reasons above.
Times are constantly changing but I think you should do what’s best for your circumstances. It is lovely to get a text when they aren’t with me too.

Comms69

Iphones.


To be honest you can get some great deals on the SE at the minute; and it's a very good phone.


Don't do PAYG they will rinse through the credit. Most providers will cap data usage upon request; some do it automatically.

silvercar

Compromise on sometime in year 6. I don't see why children in year 5 need a phone. She still has 5 terms in primary school left, it is too early to plan on how she will keep in touch with them in late 2020.

sysadmin

My daughter is in Year 5. We've said she will get hers (it will be an iPhone so that I can control it and see where she, or the phone at least is) either for her 10th birthday, in July, or Christmas in Year 6..

Thats what we did with my son who's now 14. He has a £10 a month Virgin contract, it wont be the phone calls or texts you need to worry about them using to much of, it will be the DATA. So make sure they know the difference between 3/4G and WiFi (she already will im sure) and get some form of contract with a good data package but also one that will stop them using it when it runs out..

peachyprice

Mine got theirs when they started coming home from school by themselves in year 6.

Fireflyaway

I allowed my daughter a phone when she was in year 6 as I let her walk part of the way to school with her friend ( didn't last long as friend was always late) . My daughter is now year 8 and lives far away from her school friends. They tend to text and facetime to keep in touch.
I'm not a fan of too much technology and anti social media. So long s my daughter isn't always glued to the screen and puts it away during meals and bedtime I'm fine.
My other stipulation was to not get an expensive phone. Just makes you a target for thieves and is a lot of pressure on the child if they do drop it or lose it etc.

onlyroz

My daughter is in year 5 and has my old phone. She has a PAYG sim from the 3 network and it costs very little. She uses WhatsApp to talk to and message her friends in the evening, which costs us nowt as long as she does it in the house over WiFi. She doesn’t “need” it really but in the whole I think it’s been a good thing, especially as it allows her to keep more easily in touch with her friends.

suejb2

Personally we gave our d.d a phone in year 7. My d.d went to the same secondary school as nearly all her primary peers but soon made new friends so don't get one just to keep in touch with primary friends.