Kids and phones.
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We started my son with one of those gizmo watches (could only call or text with like 3 preset people and emergency) when he was maybe 8 or so? He had that for a couple years then a flip phone. We got him a smart phone when he turned 15. He's 16 now and we haven't really had any issues other than him trying to stay up all night talking to his friends.
My daughter has type 1 diabetes so I will get her a phone much younger than I would normally consider. But I feel like 15 /16 when they start learning how to drive would be a good age.
Will see when friends start getting phones. Maybe flip phone in middle school, smartphone at 16, parental controls and the expectation that I can search the phone at any time until I stop paying the phone bill
I’ll probably start with a watch and then a phone in middleschool with very heavy parental controls
No idea, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
My parents never gave me a phone and now that I’m older I realize it was the best decision they did. I had to work and pay for my own phone bc it was not a necessity. I got myself my own phone And when I did , all I did was stupid shit maybe it was better for me not to have one lol
My kids can have cell phones when they have jobs to pay for the bill (16+)
I’m a school bus driver and all middle schoolers on my bus have a phone, I have one fifth grader with a phone and all my high schoolers have phones. I will probably in 6th grade with monitoring.
When she starts walking to school by herself but just something she can contact us on I’m not sure yet for a smart phone probably see when she starts asking because her friends have one ect. My 7 year old sister has one that she talks to her friends from school on (was originally bought so she could contact my mum because she stays with my dad)
13/14 is when we plan to get them phones. It won’t be a free for all, there will be rules and restrictions though
I think 13-15 but not a smart phone.
I got my first phone at 15 only because I had to ride the school bus but it was a flip phone with minutes in case of emergencies and I had to show that I was responsible
They’ll have smart watches for approved contacts not personal phones likely until they’re very close to being adults who are responsible for themselves
With how schools have been I'd like to do when they start school but only one that you make calls on or whatever, that way if something happens they can call me if they need, but we don't know for sure
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I’ll probably get my daughter like a flip phone once she starts going places without me or her dad, other than that a smartphone probably high school age
High school in the uk is age 11 turning 12 so will be getting one then when she walks to school. We also don’t have a landline so it’s something to consider if she’s left home alone for a short time.
When they start secondary at 11 when they will be going out by themselves/travelling to school x
I got mine when I was 12 so planning on the same for my girls
Probably when my son turns 12 because that’s when he will be at high school
We gave my son one at the start of last year when he first caught the bus to school, so he was 14 he had no internet/data, so he was pre paid, so he could only send texts and phone calls we update his phone and got him the transport app then turned the data off again. My son is 15, and now he isn't interested in any social media or anything, so I'm just keeping it as it is he loves his phone as a camera more than anything. At the moment, he only catches the bus to school, which sends me a quick message saying he got to school safely, then it's put in a security pouch they have a school.
I think that as soon as my child starts getting the bus to school, et cetera, I will introduce a phone, but it will be one that we monitor and has parental controls until they are probably 15 - at around this age I would like to introduce more free freedom, but still monitor Internet use et cetera
I got mine at 12 when I started middle school! Which is a good age to teach them responsibility but definitely extreme parental controls on the phone or just not a smartphone and get them a flip to call/text bcs social media is a no no
I got mine at like age 13 but I was also riding the bus to school with my mom working so she wanted me to be able to contact, in case I needed it. It was also not a smart phone, just texting and calling, but I agree with your opinion