What age would you allow your child a mobile phone?

[AP]

Alex has an iphone, helps us when going to hospital appointments and long waits in places - obviously not for calls but i dread to think of how young she will be when that day comes

My sister got one at like 6/7 and all she did was text me utter rubbish. More fool to my parents for filling it with credit. Needless to say she doesnt use it much either.

 

[sobersadie]

My eldest had a pay as you go mobile from age 8 and my 6 year old has one but it has no credit in it, no numbers and i only give him it when hes out playing so i can contact him at any time to see hes ok and where he is etc. The eldest is 11 now and he has a contract phone and uses free apps to chat to his pals etc or if hes at his sports clubs he can fone me and say come pick me up etc so i like them having them as it gives me peace of mind.

 

[motherofboys]

Reading over the thread I see there are lots of different circumstances which might call for a younger child to have a phone. ATM my sons don't go anywhere that either myself or their Dad isn't going too. We walk them to school, we take them and wait at their clubs, when my 6 year old went to friends houses a few times I had the mums number already anyway. Perhaps if he were like his Dad used to be at his age, going out after breakfast and coming back at 5pm with his Mum not knowing where he had been all day, then I'd get him a phone, but seems unnecessary atm. He can play the games on mine, and he'd just annoy people if he could text them LOL