how old
By drkimble05
@drkimble05 (191)
United States
January 21, 2008 8:47am CST
now a days kids have cell phones at an early age. how young would you let your kids get a cell phone.
while i am not a parent, i still dont beleive a ten year old needs a cell phone.
i know to many children with cell phone that parents have to put minutes on for them to talk to who? personally i feel this is making todays kids to fast. i think this has a part in kids doing a lot of adult things at a young age.
what do you think? how old is old enough to give your kids cell phones?
heck! i was 18 with my own job and out of high school before i got my first cell phone.
11 people like this
45 responses
@saigonwarrior (1331)
• United States
21 Jan 08
I got a cell phone for my son when he around 13.
He is 16 now and I am glad that I did.
If he is out, he is told he better answer that phone when I call and he does!
So, if he is late, all I have to do is call his cell and find out where he is and why he is late.
It is a good way to stay connected to your children, it is a worrisome thing to have your child out in the world without anyway to reach them.
That was my sole reason for the phone, not for a toy for him to chat with his friends with.
But, yes, when he starts working, he will then have to take the responsibility of paying his own cell phone bill.
@saigonwarrior (1331)
• United States
23 Jan 08
Ah, see that is a common mistake that we all make. We don't think about children with challenges and problems that hinders them from using the same products as other children their own age.
I wish that your daughter could use one, too!
In answer to you question, actually the first phone was a pre-paid phone and the cost of the minutes (what little you receive) were not worth it because he was always running out of minutes on the third week and left without a phone for a week. Which kind of defeated the purpose. So, I just finally broke down and went with a calling plan with free minutes with-in his calling circle. Most of his friends have the same service, afterwards, we have never had a problem with running out.
He has unlimited weekends and that is when he mostly talks on the phone. He has so much school work through the week that he really doesn't have time to chat.
No, he doesn't download or text on his cell.
He uses his computer for that.
2 people like this
@thedogshrink (1266)
• United States
22 Jan 08
I think this is a good idea, too. My daughter is only 8, and is autistic -- I only wish I could give her a cell phone and she could use it! But I wonder -- did you have any trouble with your son running up the minutes or trying to download things or send messages to pay services? If you did, how were you able to curb this?
3 people like this
@drkimble05 (191)
• United States
22 Jan 08
i think in some cases a phone may be necessary, but just to have im not to sure on
3 people like this
@lightningd (1039)
• United States
21 Jan 08
I thought long and hard about this when my children were younger. What I ended up doing was more for my peace of mind than anything else. I live in a rural area in Kansas, and my kids were able to get their farm permits to drive to and from work or school or for farm related work at the age of 14. The logical thing for my family was to get them cell phones when they got their farm permits. It was more of a safety issue than anything. Should they have problems on the road, I wanted them to be able to get in touch with me. When my oldest got his farm permit, my youngest was only 11, and thought he should have one as well. He tried reasoning with me, ect, but I didn't cave in. He eventually bought one of those prepaid cell phones with his own money, it ate his minutes, and learned a lesson. When he got his farm permit, I added a phone to my cellular package for him. This is just what I did, it may not be right for everyone. When my oldest graduated high school, we were able to remove his phone from my plan and place that line in his name. It helped him build a credit rating as well.
Hope that helps.
3 people like this
@thedogshrink (1266)
• United States
22 Jan 08
That seems like a very reasonable and logical way to do it. I Particularly like that your younger son bought his own prepaid with his own money and learned a very valuable lesson!
2 people like this
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
21 Jan 08
My kids won't have a cell phone until they are old enough to help pay for it or pay for it completly on their own. Now, I might give my kid my cell phone to use when they are going out with friends so they have a phone for emergencies, but I wouldn't let them have their own.
3 people like this
@drkimble05 (191)
• United States
22 Jan 08
well she may need it because of how far the school is, but im not a teen and im almost alway on mt cell, so its normal.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
21 Jan 08
I was in Junior High when I had my first pager. But that was due to extenuating circumstances with my Great-Great Grandmother, and it still got taken away!!! But I agree with you, unless they have a specific purpose, a teenager should not have a cell phone unless they can pay for it themselves.
If parents are worried about their young ones and want them to have some sort of contact, they have a cell phone called a firefly. This phone has only four buttons that the numbers are programmed to by the parents. This way you don't have to worry about who the child is calling. Also it doesn't have a text feature, so worries about that are gone too.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
24 Jan 08
Talking about this made me download my favorite song from Smackdown VS Raw. I know you remember it lol. "Firefly, could you shine your light..."Ahem, I went and got some information about the Firefly cell phone, here is what I got from JR.com
Help keep children connected/ Small, sturdy, ergonomically designed for a child's hand/ Parents can control whose calls the phone will receive/ Prepaid
You want your child to be safe. Keep in touch at school, at play, or anywhere with the Firefly mobile-phone. As an alternative to FRS walkie-talkies, Firefly offers a Cell Phone and service specifically designed for kids and the parents who love them. Mobility is the name of the game. Parent s can pre-program easy access phone numbers to help child contact each parent, guardian, or emergency contact. Parents can also control what calls the phone will receive to prevent any invading intruders.
Parents can choose whether to pay for service by monthly contract or on a per-call basis (prepaid plan). As sold, phone is on a prepaid plan but you've the Option to Upgrade service. Firefly mobile service is available throughout the continental United States in most areas where cellular service is currently provided. Kids'll love the features. Parents will appreciate the ease and ability of keeping in touch.
As far as getting the kids one, well... Dominic would have to show a lot more responsibility. He's lost two hats and a shirt at school already. I would be pissed if he lost a $50 phone plus whatever minutes I put on there!!! Harmonie may be better. I don't know, its too soon to tell. They may have something better by the time they are old enough for the phone.
@drkimble05 (191)
• United States
21 Jan 08
yes i like the idea of the firefly. parents can get intouch with there kids and they wont have to worry about who they are talking to or texting. at least until the child can pay for it themselves.
will my niece and nephew be getting those kida phones?
2 people like this
@wolfewatcher (191)
• Canada
21 Jan 08
my 7 yr old is bugging for a cell phone cause some of her lil friends (6-8 yrs old) have one. in my opinion thats too young. what do they need a cell phone for? they are usually at school, a friends house or a club and well school and clubs have phones in the building and 99% of the friends parents have a house phone and even if they don't have a house phone the parents have a cell phone just incase. i talked to my daughter about it i told her when she turns 16 i will get her a pay as you go phone, only if she was either baby sitting or had a part time job after school to help pay for it and only as long as she stayed in school. if she drops outta school i take the phone back
2 people like this
@buster14 (121)
• Fiji
22 Jan 08
Thanks for the comment. i have a 7yr old daughter also but she has not asked for a cell fone yet but I think she will in the very near future maybe because of peer pressure. I have been thinking about this and your comment was really good and gave me more insight into the subject... i agree that 7 - 15 year olds do not need cell fone and by giving her a fone @ 16 and for her to work for it will make her more responsible..
thanks
2 people like this
@kelzuk (21)
•
22 Jan 08
Hi Ya
My 9 year old daughter has a mobile of her own, i got it for her christmas just gone as i was sooooo fedup with her keep knicking my fone to text her friends and giving my number out and of course playing my games and running my battery flat all the time... BUT SHE HAS RULES....
I dont let her take the fone to bed at night, i take her fone up when i go to bed and shes asleep as she uses it for her alarm in the mornings.
She is not allowed to take it to school with her under no circumstances lol she has tried but ive caught her....
she goes to my mum pretty often most weekends and i let her take the fone with her there to contact me in case of emergencys. (my mum is getting on abit) if she wants credit then she must earn it by cleaning her room which she hates and ive still not topped her credit till she does that lol the fone she has was free from asda and all u did to buy this fone was pay £20 top up for it and once activated you get £5 every 2wks till you recieve all that £20 which i think is really good, since christmas ive not topped it up and she still has £5 left which i think is very good for a 9 year old, before december i would never have agreed for a 9 year old to have a mobile fone of there own but i think now its worth a go, it gives them responsibility also its brilliant to take away if they are naughty...
kelz
@raijin (10345)
• Philippines
21 Jan 08
It really depends, on my case, I am still not a parent as well. But there are cellphones that are simply made for children, I believe. They were made for kids, just in-case something happens their parents would easily find and contact them. Like getting lost, in malls and other crowded places.
I myself got my cellphone during my teens, I use them to communicate with friends and helped me in my job as well..
@storm96723 (84)
• United States
22 Jan 08
My 7 year old daughter has a cell phone that I gave her when she was six. The reason I got it for her is to keep track of her when she goes out to play with her friends. There are so many kids in our neighborhood, that when she would go out to play with one friend, if that friend couldn't play she'd go to another friend's house. At least with her having a phone, she could call me and let me know where she is at, or if I needed her to come home I could call her. It gives me the peace of mind know where she is at. And knowing if there is some kind of emergency she can call me. The phone also has GPS Tracking so if she were to get lost somewhere as long as she has her phone the police could track her. The phone I gave her can only call the people I have programed into it, so I don't have to worry about her making unauthorized calls. And it doesn't have text messaging so I don't have to worry about that either. It's only an extra $10 a month on our family phone plan, which to me is worth it for the peace of mind.
The other nice thing about it is she can call her grandma, that lives far away from us, with it on the weekends. And she can call her dad,who is a truck driver, anytime she wants. She has proven to be very responsible with it, using it only for the purpose it was intended. And I feel it has helped to teach her responsibility, because if she gets her phone taken away then she doesn't get to go anywhere.
1 person likes this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
21 Jan 08
I have 2 kids, ages 7 & 10. Even if my oldest wasn't autistic I would never dream of getting him a cell phone at this age. I can see why some parents may allow it, especially for emergencies, but I just don't think it's a necessity my kids need at this age.
At what age should a child be allowed to have a cell phone? Well, I guess it would depend on the individual child and how responsible they are. I think 16 years of age is the youngest anyone should be allowed to have one though. A lot of kids at this age go to school and work a job, and if they can juggle both well, then they are responsible enough to have a cell phone. Though I think they should be the ones to pay for it as well as the bill. It is THEIR cell phone, after all. :P
2 people like this
@retrac1324 (227)
• United States
21 Jan 08
I would say probably 8th grade is the minimum. Anything earlier is just a waste and they'll probably lose it.
2 people like this
@monochrome_lie (407)
• Canada
21 Jan 08
I work in the cell phone industry and I get phone calls from 8 year olds every day about their cell phones, it really disturbs me. Why does a young child need a cell phone (except, and this is a big except, if you get your kid one of those phones that just dials 911, and up to 10 #s that the parents can code in the phone). And why does a young child need a plan with 1000 minutes!
I don't think it'd let my child have a cell phone until they started high school, and even then I think I would make them earn the money for it themselves.
1 person likes this
@thedogshrink (1266)
• United States
22 Jan 08
wow! Even is there might be some reason an 8 yr old could need a cell phone =-- why on earth would THEY be the one to be calling the cell phone company about their phone!?!?!?!?
I'm encouraged by all the great answers on this question, because it seems every parent has made conscientious decisions about their kids' use of and need for cell phones, whether they allow them or don't. But obviously there are plenty of parents out there, as your note indicates, that just hand over the reigns of daily life to their kids!
1 person likes this
@drkimble05 (191)
• United States
21 Jan 08
wow really, i didnt know they got that young. and they are calling asking about there minutes.
1 person likes this
@tcfinc (17)
• United States
22 Jan 08
i gave cell phone to my kids so i can keep in touch with them and no matter where there at they can call me a safety isssue.the way i see it in todays world i felt i had no choice. with all the goings on in the world. plus its not like it used to be when there was a pay phone on every corner just about. i want my kids if they need me our i need them to be able to comunicate
1 person likes this
@heavenschild (4777)
• Canada
22 Jan 08
Really sorry about this!! I am really embarassed now...What is wrong with my keyboard!?
"Your children...how old are they?"
1 person likes this
@heavenschild (4777)
• Canada
21 Jan 08
O.K...Ten is definitely too young and I did not realize that they had them that young!!!
My son is four and I certainly don't think that he needs one until he is at least 15 years old!
I did not have one until after I graduated college and I really don't think I needed one prior to that! The land line is enough!
~Heavens~
1 person likes this
@phillygirl606 (1112)
• United States
22 Jan 08
my 6 year old has one. It's one of those firefly ones. We keep it in his book bag and he knows it is only for emergencies, we have never had any problems with him taking it out and playing with it. He knows he is only to use it unless he really needs to. The phone only has like 4 buttons. One of the buttons is set up to call our hourse, one to call my cell. One to call my parents, and one to call my sister. Yes he may be young, and yes some may call me way over protective, but at least I know that if he would ever need to get a hold of me or a family member for an emergency that he will be able to right away. The phone also has one of those tracking devices on it,so if god forbid anything every happened the police would be able to track him through the cell phone
1 person likes this
@faeriellen (8)
• United States
22 Jan 08
My daughter was 10 when I got her first cell phone. This way I was able to reach her at all times, and if she got into a sticky situation, she was able to reach me. Back then, she really only called me cos not many of her friends had cell phones. She's not allowed to use it at her Dad and stepmom's, although I don't don't why as the step mom's kids have cells. Now everyone in the house has a cell and we disconnected our home phone. I think that the cel phone is the greatest invention ever and it is the piece of modern technology I would hold on to, if I could only keep one.
As for making the child too adult cos they have a cell phone, what doesn't? I grew up faster than my Mother, and my children grow up faster than me, it goes on. The sooner you learn to harness and use the technology the better, cause the rest of the world is not going to wait while you catch up.
1 person likes this
@passnk0214 (14)
• China
22 Jan 08
I strongly believe that kids should not have phone too.
there are 2 kids in my village.their house were nearly.It's about 20 metres away.they can hear each other very easily.but they take a telephone to each other instead of saing loundly.It's a fun.
It wasted their father's many money after one month
1 person likes this
@TramellHolt (19)
• United States
22 Jan 08
U see i want to know how long cell phones is,and how old is Tracy McGrady,and how old is god. I want to know how old is lil bowwow,and i want to know how old is lil romeo,and i want to know how old is lil wayne
1 person likes this
