What age is appropriate to buy LO a cellphone?

[Tasha]

My oldest two are 7 and almost 6, and they have no need at all for a phone. I will get them just before they start high school (11) as this is when they will be walking to and from school alone etc

 

[Avalanche]

I survived until I was 18 without a phone, in different countries around the world when the world was just as dangerous as it is now. I'm sure my daughter will survive without one until she is a teenager.

 

[Natsku]

I'd get her one as soon as she starts going places by herself, so about 7/8 years old. Its pretty common for small children to have phones here so I wouldn't want her to feel left out either.

I know exactly what you mean. When I went to visit my namesake at Helsinki in 2003, I was shocked to find that her 7-year-old daughter Silja had a very nice looking mobile phone, especially since I only got a cellphone, Nokia 3310, at the age of 17.

Anyway, I asked my namesake why her daughter had a phone at such a young age and she told me that all her friends had phones as well and she bought one to keep in touch because Silja often went to the cinema with her friends and had swimming, piano and drama classes after school. She said some of these activities ended earlier than scheduled and the phone was used to call her mum and let her know she needed picking up or if she got on the bus with her friends, would inform her mum so that she could wait for her at the bus stop.

It just seems to make sense here as young kids are more likely to be taking the bus alone and things like that. I still get a little surprised when I see these 8 years old chatting away on their phones while waiting at the bus stop alone, I never used to see that in England.

 

[I_AM_LIVID]

I'd get her one as soon as she starts going places by herself, so about 7/8 years old. Its pretty common for small children to have phones here so I wouldn't want her to feel left out either.

I know exactly what you mean. When I went to visit my namesake at Helsinki in 2003, I was shocked to find that her 7-year-old daughter Silja had a very nice looking mobile phone, especially since I only got a cellphone, Nokia 3310, at the age of 17.

Anyway, I asked my namesake why her daughter had a phone at such a young age and she told me that all her friends had phones as well and she bought one to keep in touch because Silja often went to the cinema with her friends and had swimming, piano and drama classes after school. She said some of these activities ended earlier than scheduled and the phone was used to call her mum and let her know she needed picking up or if she got on the bus with her friends, would inform her mum so that she could wait for her at the bus stop.

It just seems to make sense here as young kids are more likely to be taking the bus alone and things like that. I still get a little surprised when I see these 8 years old chatting away on their phones while waiting at the bus stop alone, I never used to see that in England.

Yeah, but England as a whole is not nearly as safe as Finland. The crime rate in scandinavian countries puts us all to shame. Kids as young as 8 can go to the mall, cinema or fast food joints with other friends and without adult supervision and parents don't have to worry about something terrible happening to them. Not so much the case in most countries.

 

[Kalah]

Yeah, I remember my best friends number by heart to this day, but I don't know my DH's mobile

LOL me too!!! but only her home phone!!! And I remember her dad had a CAR PHONE because he was a real estate agent and it cost him like $3/min We all thouht it was amazing

CAR PHONE!!! I remember when I was little and we got a car phone, I thought it was the coolest thing ever! We didn't even have cordless phones back then, let alone portable ones. I remember when cell phones did start coming out though, my oldest brother got a nokia and texted his friends all the time and played snake, I thought it was amazing! So much has changed since then, I remember MTV even had music!

 

[Kalah]

Totally mortified My dad scared the shit out of one of my brother's friends who called late (my dad used to work 5am-5pm). He told the poor kid that he would skull f*ck him if he ever called that late again. Poor kid was terrified to come over after that for weeks!

Oh that would be awful! My parents never did things like that, it was my brother that was the problem..At one point a couple years ago I was living with my brother for a few months, one night I told him I was going out on a date with a guy I met online. He says he wants to meet the guy so I said yeah sure, had the guy come in. My brother then asks for his drivers license and goes to make a copy of it, also making sure to flash the gun on his belt and tell the guy he better have me home by 10! (I was 18 at the time) Well 9:30 rolls around and my brother shows up where we are to pick me up, embarassing!! Surprisingly the guy still called, but I didn't see him or any other guy again until I moved out of my brother's house..
Suppose it's nice that my brother loves me so much though =)

 

[Natsku]

I'd get her one as soon as she starts going places by herself, so about 7/8 years old. Its pretty common for small children to have phones here so I wouldn't want her to feel left out either.

I know exactly what you mean. When I went to visit my namesake at Helsinki in 2003, I was shocked to find that her 7-year-old daughter Silja had a very nice looking mobile phone, especially since I only got a cellphone, Nokia 3310, at the age of 17.

Anyway, I asked my namesake why her daughter had a phone at such a young age and she told me that all her friends had phones as well and she bought one to keep in touch because Silja often went to the cinema with her friends and had swimming, piano and drama classes after school. She said some of these activities ended earlier than scheduled and the phone was used to call her mum and let her know she needed picking up or if she got on the bus with her friends, would inform her mum so that she could wait for her at the bus stop.

It just seems to make sense here as young kids are more likely to be taking the bus alone and things like that. I still get a little surprised when I see these 8 years old chatting away on their phones while waiting at the bus stop alone, I never used to see that in England.

Yeah, but England as a whole is not nearly as safe as Finland. The crime rate in scandinavian countries puts us all to shame. Kids as young as 8 can go to the mall, cinema or fast food joints with other friends and without adult supervision and parents don't have to worry about something terrible happening to them. Not so much the case in most countries.

Well thats true.

 

[lesleyann]

i had a phone before secondary, however i used to go to school by my self in another part of town.. But then so much happened in my life i ended up with no rules etc so was always out at like 12 till maybe 10/11pm at night

 

[aliss]

Am I the only one old enough who could not have had a cell phone in high school because...... they didn't exist?

eeeek

 

[Mama1985]

Hmmm for me I am not getting my LOs a mobile phone until they are at least 16 (15 maybe depending on how mature they are) if anyone gets them a mobile before that age they are not having it until they are old enough, and on top of that lol something I thought of was to put about maybe £50 (when hit 16) towards a mobile phone, if they want a spefic one then they will have to save up for the rest!!!

Please dont hurt me.....but my opinion is that anyone younger that 14 does not really need a mobile phone, I know its like a safety thing and thats understandable and Although I dont agree with it, it is ultmaitly up to the parents, (it doesnt mean Im gonna like hate the person who gives their kids a mobile at age 7)

Ooohhh my kids are gonna hate me when they are older lol I want to be a strict but fair parent, lol (Im not a mean mummy honest!)

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

i would say 11 minimum x

 

[highhopes19]

i think when they start secondary school would be the minimum age i would buy one x

 

[Seity]

Am I the only one old enough who could not have had a cell phone in high school because...... they didn't exist?

eeeek

Nope. I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 30 something and only because I ditched the home phone. Still never use the blasted thing.

 

[LeeBee]

My kids can have a phone as soon as their old enough to pay for it. If they want to earn money by doing chores around the house, then that's fine. But I'm not just going to hand my child a blackberry and say, here you go!

I think I got my first phone at 16. It was huge (like the size of a house phone) and had no caller ID and was a prepaid.

 

[Thaynes]

I haven't really thought about it but I will probably like pp get a phone when my child is out on his own some. I think though that the Childs phone needs to be check often and had limitation on who can call and text it. Like only allow family, close friends, and emergency calls. I am just overly afraid of creepers I guess. Little children don't always know who can be trusted and I wouldn't want that to be a tool to injure my son. Also yet again I many sound weird but I think a tracking device is a good idea. If your child was taken or if someone took the phone.

 

[lulu61388]

i don't have an LO but i didn't have a cell phone until i started driving when i was 16 and i survived just fine. most of my friends had phones so if i needed to get in contact with my parents i could use one of their's.

now, my neighbor's daughter is 8 and she has a phone but she isn't with her daughter's father anymore so she gave it to her daughter if she ever wants to call her dad when she is away from him/her mom when she's with her dad. i understand that.

 

[bky]

Am I the only one old enough who could not have had a cell phone in high school because...... they didn't exist?

eeeek

Nope. I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 30 something and only because I ditched the home phone. Still never use the blasted thing.

Me too. Though to be fair, when I was in my later teens I had several friends rockin' pagers. lol
My first one was when OH became employed by a cell phone company and had about a dozen extras for testing purposes. And that was a Nokia-brick

I think to answer that question I'll have to see what the technology is like in 5 or so years when LO is off to school. No reason for one before then, but if in that amount of time they become easier to use, cheaper etc I might consider it (stuffing one in her bag for emergencies that is). Otherwise, probably about 10.

 

[aragornlover8]

Am I the only one old enough who could not have had a cell phone in high school because...... they didn't exist?

eeeek

I had one but it was HUGE. And all it did was make calls - imagine that!!

 

[famof6]

My oldest 2 children have phones.DS14&DS12.I am no longer with their father.They spend a week at holidays at his house and a couple of weeks there during the summer.They asked for them and agreed to do extra chores to help pay for them.They do have a block for internet though.They use them mainly for texting friends and relatives who live out of town.I do check them when I find them laying around even their text messages but it's just kids talk what happened at school,have they finished their school project just normal stuff.Sometimes I think they are not used enough to justify paying for them monthly.

 

[annawrigley]

It depends. I had a phone when I was 8 (good old Nokia 3310 as I see a few others had It had a funky purple case) But I used to do a lot of shows (like 2 or 3 at a time usually, obsessed lol) and had rehearsals/performances most days of the week and the times we'd finish would be unpredictable and inconsistent so I needed to ring my mum when we finished for her to come get me. I also played Snake. None of my friends had them til I was around 11, and then I'd text them. When I was 16 I got an iPhone, and my little brother also got one who was 11 at the time, I think that's a bit young for an iPhone. He's now almost 14 and an absolute computer genius, he can hack and all sorts, its crazy.

I would say the same as the majority, once he's going out on his own with his friends and stuff he can have a cheap phone. I'll probably top it up with credit so he can't spend more than I say, but put the 0800 Reverse & the mobile one (MumDad) in his phone in case of emergencies.

Oh and I know alot of people's mobile numbers by heart but I have a freakish memory! I also still remember all my childhood friends' home numbers, and all my old mobile numbers! (my fave was 0 double 7 double 9 double 5 double 7 9 3. Felt so cool saying it )