what age for first cell phone?

[wasilvers]

My oldest has been begging for a cell phone for a while now, but she is 11 years old. What is your opinion of how old a kid should be before they are privledged to have their own cell?

And part 2 if they get one, should it be a basic phone? With texting? with data?

Right now she uses an old prepaid one we had from years ago, it is emergency only and she forgets it half the time. I don't even know the number! When I was a kid, we didn't even have cell phones :roll:

 

[Jim]

same dilema as you, Son is 10 years old.

IF you asked me this a couple of years ago I would of said 14-15, but times are changing.

 

[Ictalurus]

IF you asked me this a couple of years ago I would of said 14-15, but times are changing.

Same here, we just put our 11 year old daughter on the cell plan. Mostly due to her attending various afterschool activities and the fact that we have no land line, only cell. We chose to get the small text package (which is now 1,000, mine is 250 but no longer available) and no data. It went against everything i thought I believed in, but had to compromise with the wife :? It'll hurt, but you'll be in the same boat soon :LOL2:

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

I couldn't get one until I was old enough to have a job to pay for it, so my kids will be the same. 16

 

[V8_TITAN]

I was in the 6th grade when I got mine, so I would have been around 11. I hated it. All it did, was give my mom a reason to call me and find out what i was doing. so yeah, I say go for it. why shouldn't you want something that will help you keep track of your kids ?

 

[Jdholmes]

In this day and age, yeah I would be giving my child a cell phone by the age of 11. Use it as an opportunity to teach her/him some responsibility and not just as a gift.

 

[DocWatson]

I think most of the guys missed that she already has an "old prepaid" phone and "forgets it half the time". Seems she already has a phone. Just not the one she wants. She has all the phone you need her to have right now.

I'd make a deal with her that if she carries the phone she already has - keeps it charged, turned on and answers it when you call - for 6 months, you will get her a better phone with a limited text plan and see how she does. A cell phone is a responsibility, like a driver's licence, and should come to a kid with certain rules that suit your family. It's one of the first keys we give our kids to our adult world. They should earn the right to have it as well as to keep it.

Not the popular answer, but..... :wink:

 

[fender66]

Both of my girls have to graduate from 8th grade before they get a cell. My oldest got one last year after graduation. So far, not a problem....except between incoming and outgoing texts...they total in the 8-10 thousand a month. :shock: I have no idea how she does that, but.....thank God I have unlimited texting.

I text about 3 messages a month....and that's a chore for me.

I also won't pay for a data plan. That's why I have internet service at home. I don't need it everywhere I go.

 

[Live2fish]

Mine had to be 13, I still want them to be able to speak to a person!!!!!

 

[Jay415]

My 4 year old got his when he was 3!! :lol: Well actually it's my old iPhone 3G with no cellular service. He uses it like an iPod Touch for games, movies, and music.

 

[bcbouy]

a guy at work got slammed for using 780 min. in one month on a company phone(not work related).do the math on that one,and we're talking full grown man,who should know better..

 

[kycolonel138th]

:USA1: I was 50 but things have changed. 10 years old is Ok with rules. #-o

 

[LOWEBIGJON]

get her one if you can afford it..but set the rules..

 

[gouran01]

all i gotta wander, why the heck everything cost so much more nowadays?!!! I'm pretty set on the "when you have a job and flip half the bill rule" but wives do have the arm to twist.

 

[Hanr3]

I think age is the wrong question.

Does she have a need for a cell phone, and I don't mean to talk to her friends?

Back in teh day, there was a public phone on every corner and in every business. Today you can't find a public phone anywhere.

Is she going to be in places by herself? Will she be traveling to friends houses by herself, will she be away from home for extended periods of time? I view a cell phone as a safety device, their safety and my sanity. A cell phone is a perfect tool to teach responsibility and trust. Trust will go a long way the older she gets.


My nephew is 11 and has had a cell phone for several years now.

 

[nomowork]

a guy at work got slammed for using 780 min. in one month on a company phone(not work related).do the math on that one,and we're talking full grown man,who should know better..

Ha, I knew someone like that. We had a company cell phone for work related calls because sometimes we were at locations with no land lines. We were told to keep the minutes to a minimum but one guy always had high usage. So when asked by management, he said that what does it matter if it was personal or work related, as long as he kept the minutes to a minimum. He is a product of a retired company supervisor!

As for the topic, I got my first cell phone when I was in my forties! I also allowed my son to take it with him when he went out so he could call me if he needed to. I didn't get a cell phone for my son until he went to college!

 

[Jay415]

I think age is the wrong question.

Does she have a need for a cell phone, and I don't mean to talk to her friends?

Back in teh day, there was a public phone on every corner and in every business. Today you can't find a public phone anywhere.

Is she going to be in places by herself? Will she be traveling to friends houses by herself, will she be away from home for extended periods of time? I view a cell phone as a safety device, their safety and my sanity. A cell phone is a perfect tool to teach responsibility and trust. Trust will go a long way the older she gets.


My nephew is 11 and has had a cell phone for several years now.

+1
You can also track her location with some cell phones.

 

[fender66]

I think most of the guys missed that she already has an "old prepaid" phone and "forgets it half the time". Seems she already has a phone. Just not the one she wants. She has all the phone you need her to have right now.

I'd make a deal with her that if she carries the phone she already has - keeps it charged, turned on and answers it when you call - for 6 months, you will get her a better phone with a limited text plan and see how she does. A cell phone is a responsibility, like a driver's licence, and should come to a kid with certain rules that suit your family. It's one of the first keys we give our kids to our adult world. They should earn the right to have it as well as to keep it.

Not the popular answer, but..... :wink:

My favorite answer so far. :wink:

 

[wasilvers]

The cell she uses now is still considered owned by my wife. So she is generally told when to take it. I guess it's not entirely her fault for forgetting it as it is my wifes not telling her to take it along. I don't doubt she has the responsibility and character to own one, keep one safe, and use it wisely. We started teaching that with cheap mp3 players, then got them more expensive ones. They have not lost them and always seem to have them handy when they need them.

I asked around the office and one single lady said 13 -her kids are 12 and 15. 13 was because it was a big birthday, the teen years, and before then, she never planned to leave the kids alone anywhere. I suppose I might consider it earlier as we have 3 kids to transport around and invariably one is waiting an extra 5-10 somewhere. If there was an accident while my wife was driving to pick one up, I can't always get to my kids (or even know exaclty where each one is at any given hour of afternoon. Or if one got hurt or practice was cancelled (happened once) and the kid was dropped off. I'd hate to leave them without adult supervision.

I'm thinking seriously about getting one for the older kid. I don't feel they should have one till they can pay half the bill or at the earliest 13 BUT, I also feel it is a good safety device. I do the best to protect myself and be covered in any situation. But leaving my kids without one of us at a location doesn't even give them an opportunity to call for help if anything goes wrong. I pay extra for gas to drive big cars to protect them in case of an accident. I send them to private school to protect them from some of the evil of the world. I teach them how to protect themselves should the need to. I feel I should give the oldest this tool as well. But it still feels too early in life.

 

[shamoo]

I agree with the Doc. :mrgreen: