Peach Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 ..says everyone in his class has one - which I know is a lie. But at what age did you give your kids mobile phones? Did you give them a basic model -- or straight to the latest Apple? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 I was even younger when I had my first mobile phone! And I was the last in my class to get one too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest241083 Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 ........a hard one ........I would be speaking to the other parents ........see what they do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 ..But at what age did you give your kids mobile phones? Did you give them a basic model -- or straight to the latest Apple? Our daughter got one at 14 yrs old, when she was old enough to work and pay for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 My daughter was 11 because she was walking to and from high school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 We've told our son not before high school. And then it will be a PAYG and we'll put a set amount of $$ on it each month and when its used up, its used up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 We gave ours a cheap $50 pay as you go one for the first year. I'm so glad we did because each of my kids lost them. Once they had gone 12 months without damaging or misplacing it we then upgraded them. Just watch out if you put them on a contract as every one of my sons ended up going over by between $200 - $600. It soon stopped when I made them pay it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernbird Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 When they started walking to and from school on their own, about 11 years old. They had a hand me down phone. 8 is far too young IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 My 8 yo wants one too. No way. But in high school, he will probably get my old one. Calls only, payg, he can link to wifi for internet at school or home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Same as the others, ours had them when they were walking to and from school alone at 11. Basic and PAYG. Even now they have new phones for birthdays or Christmas, unless they want to buy them themselves, and we top them up £10 a month which is all they need. If they want them, they can have contracts when they're paying for them themselves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wa7 Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Its crazy the way things have changed so fast since I was a kid, even a teenager. I didn't get my first mobile until I was 22 lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misstatt Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 My eight year old has just bought an Alcatel Pixie, basic smart phone with his birthday money from his uncle. He hasn't got a sim in it and just uses it with wifi at home. He's quite happy strutting around the house pretending he's all grown up. When he's older and going to school independently I'll do PAYG as others have already recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croft Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 I teach Year 3, 7-8 years old (8-9 years old later in the year). Not one has a phone. The only time I've come across phones in Primary was in a Year 7 class, who are now High School anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 My grandson has just got his first at 13. Glad he has it as the other day we had to pick him up after school. He isn't that comfortable with it yet- is that a 'boy' thing? My granddaughter took to hers like a duck to water, couldn't get her off it, really inane conversations with people she had only just said goodbye to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 FWIW, my son's school (and others I know of) don't allow kids under a certain year group to have a mobile phone at school (unless with permission from principal possibly??). And they can only use them before and after school and not during it. They have to go away during school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 ..says everyone in his class has one - which I know is a lie. But at what age did you give your kids mobile phones? Did you give them a basic model -- or straight to the latest Apple? Something with Street cred, but it won't break the bank if they break it, lose it or wash it, and they won't get mugged for it. But eight is too young. We gave ours mobiles when they started going down the shops by themselves. Tbh ours hardly use their mobiles. Maybe they would be happier with an iPod or tablet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 My daughter was 11 when we got her one. The plan is $30 a month and she is supposed to do chores to get the credit each month, although the chores dont always happen ! lol Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 My eldest was probably about 11 when he got his first. It was just a really cheap dumb pre paid phone that we got him because we were leaving him in th city on his own (at a store for a trading card game) and then later he would go in by himself. He got a cheap one to start with to reduce the chances of him getting mugged for it or in case he lost it, although he is a really sensible kid so loss was less of a concern. We got him an I-phone 5 (can't remember which one but it's the cheaper one) on a contract for his 14th birthday as he didn't really want anything else and lots of his friends have smart phones and he was feeling a bit left behind. He had also proven to be a responsible phone owner with the cheap phone. We went for a contract rather than pre paid partly for the data and partly so we didn't have to fork out for the cost of he phone up front. Although he hardly uses the data or the call allowance so I do wonder why we bothered sometimes. My youngest is now 11 and has been asking for a phone for ages. He doesn't need one as he will barely even walk to the end of the road on his own never mind anywhere else (although he does walk to and from school on his own but it's not far). As far as I can tell he mostly wanted it for playing games on and he has stopped asking for one since we bought him an I-pod touch for his birthday. We did give him his brother's old dumb phone when he started walking home from school by himself but it never left his bag and spent most of the time not charged so we've taken it off him again. When he gets to a stage where he wants to start going places by himself, or with friends, then we might get him a phone then, although probably just a cheap smart phone to start with as he is likely to loose/destroy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjlawton73 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 12yo Daughter - Yes as she takes herself to and from high school on the bus - Old iPhone 4S screen broken (by her) 10yo Daughter - Yes as she takes herself to and from ballet (walking distance from home) - Old iPhone 5S 8yo Daughter - No 8mo Son - Yes - Fisher Price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommy Jimbo Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 only do it when they start traveling to school by themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 My son is 12 and has my old iPhone 4 with a SIM for incoming calls only. He can use it for imessage and internet with wifi. I passed it on last year after a couple of school bus problems when he was left on his own and there was no way to contact him - of course my parents had to cope in such circumstances but it makes me feel better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Neither of my girls have mentioned wanting a phone, and I've not heard of any of their friends/kids at school with them either. Eldest is 10 (year 5), youngest is 8 (year 3). I guess I'd consider it when eldest goes to high school, because she will either have to get the bus back to home from the further away school, or walk to meet me at the primary school from the closer school (depending on which she gets placed), and I think I'd worry if she didn't have a way to contact me/for me to contact her. I'd probably give her an old iPhone or something with just a pay as you go sim for a basic calling/text allowance. I don't think I'd like her to have unsupervised access to the internet or anything like that at that age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 My eldest got a phone (my old 4s) when she went to high school - as she started to get the bus and be more independant. she was 11 when she first had it and is 13 now. All her friends have a phone. I did have all kinds of hassles topping her phone up, so i just her an Amaysim sim only deal, which is $20 or $30 a month - loads of data etc Then when she got better handset my 10 yo daughter had her old handset too, because she walks home from school some days too. She just gets a bit of credit here and there. We get peace of mind that they are ok My 6 yo has had an iPod touch for the last couple of years. He play all the games and facetimes his grandmas. and they are all quiet when we have a long drive! In a perfect world we wouldn't need to have them, but we live in this world, and they suit our needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Our eldest got one when he was earning enough to get one. Our youngest is 21 and we had to talk him into buying one. Even then he hardly uses it. He has autism though so he's different to most. He works in a cafe and I know he can't get his head round why so many people are out with their mates but all sit there staring at their mobiles not talking to each other. When the eldest comes round from his rental he hardly takes it out of his hand. Winds us up as it's an addiction that's getting as bad as drugs. Fortunately he works FIFO up North and they are strict on them not using mobiles at work, so he gets a break there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 My daughter was 11 when we got her one. The plan is $30 a month and she is supposed to do chores to get the credit each month, although the chores dont always happen ! lol Cal x Wow, that's nearly $400 a year! Ours are payg. We top them if they are going on school trips and such, otherwise they top them themselves. Using kick and stuff on WiFi, they don't really use the phone balance much. Be lucky if they use tenner a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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