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What's the right age for a kid to have a cell phone?
- Thread starter grizzer
- Start date
When they can pay for it themselves from money they earned working (not allowance).
Hi Grizzer 
I'd say 13 is a little young, but I know she wants to be part of the in crowd.
Seems like every kid you look at nowdays are on the cell, standing there texting or with a phone to their ear.
It's almost become ridiculous.
I went to my niece's choir concert last week, and there were a line of girls sitting there in the front row, cell phones in hand, texting.
If I had a daughter, she wouldn't have one until she was either 16, and/or had a job.
Why does a 13 year old need a cell phone for anyway??
Just my opinion dear
I'd say 13 is a little young, but I know she wants to be part of the in crowd.
Seems like every kid you look at nowdays are on the cell, standing there texting or with a phone to their ear.
It's almost become ridiculous.
I went to my niece's choir concert last week, and there were a line of girls sitting there in the front row, cell phones in hand, texting.
If I had a daughter, she wouldn't have one until she was either 16, and/or had a job.
Why does a 13 year old need a cell phone for anyway??
Just my opinion dear
My feeling is when they can afford to pay the bills.
That said my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and needs insulin injections 4 to 5 times a day so I bought one for her. She does not abuse her phone. She is 12. Her school does not allow the phone to be "on" at school. I have an arrangement with the principle for her to have the phone, she is allowed to call me from the nurse's office.
My daughter has a 13 year old friend who spent the night last night, at midnight she was on her cell phone with a boy (who was on his cell phone). Today she told me that her cell phone & charger is kept in her bedroom and she often makes calls to her friends late at night.
My niece is 13 and has a cell phone. My brother told me that "texting" caused their cell phone bill to 'explode' and he had to upgrade his daughter to an 'unlimited' plan. You pay for both outbound & inbound text messages. He could control his daughter's outgoing text messages but not the inbound messages.
When I got my daughter her phone I put the charger in our "mud room" and made a rule that the phone doesn't go into her bedroom.
That said my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and needs insulin injections 4 to 5 times a day so I bought one for her. She does not abuse her phone. She is 12. Her school does not allow the phone to be "on" at school. I have an arrangement with the principle for her to have the phone, she is allowed to call me from the nurse's office.
My daughter has a 13 year old friend who spent the night last night, at midnight she was on her cell phone with a boy (who was on his cell phone). Today she told me that her cell phone & charger is kept in her bedroom and she often makes calls to her friends late at night.
My niece is 13 and has a cell phone. My brother told me that "texting" caused their cell phone bill to 'explode' and he had to upgrade his daughter to an 'unlimited' plan. You pay for both outbound & inbound text messages. He could control his daughter's outgoing text messages but not the inbound messages.
When I got my daughter her phone I put the charger in our "mud room" and made a rule that the phone doesn't go into her bedroom.
thcri
Gone But Not Forgotten
Yes when they can afford it on their own. There is exceptions such as in Bob's case. When our oldest daughter was 16 and our second daughter was 14 we got one for them to share. Our youngest would use at school functions to call us to come and pick her up. The oldest because her car was not the best she has it with her with the car.
murph
Bob ,I think your situation is the exception to the standard rule . Of course Mary Ellen should have one .
Anyone else can have one when they move out and pay their own way .
Emergency situations, of course make sense.
For a kid to have one just because everyone else does so they can be part of the crowd, I wouldn't go along with-not at such a young age.
For a kid to have one just because everyone else does so they can be part of the crowd, I wouldn't go along with-not at such a young age.
I'm with Dave and believe 22 is the correct age.
Cityboy
Banned
Both my kids have them, ages 12 & 16.
Why? So the family can communicate when necessary. Things happen fast in the world today and I want the ability to communicate with my family immediately if I so need or desire.
They both know better than to use them for any other purpose than family to family communication, and mobile to mobile calling is free on our plan.
So I'd say it depends on the reason for the phone. Bullshitting with friends is not a reason I would pay for.
Why? So the family can communicate when necessary. Things happen fast in the world today and I want the ability to communicate with my family immediately if I so need or desire.
They both know better than to use them for any other purpose than family to family communication, and mobile to mobile calling is free on our plan.
So I'd say it depends on the reason for the phone. Bullshitting with friends is not a reason I would pay for.
Cityboy
Banned
Damnifiknow?
I didn't have air conditioning when I was a child either. Do we really need it?
How did we all survive childhood without a lot of things kids have these days?
Oh silly me, of course- those were simpler times.
We actually played outside, got exercise-ate relatively healthy (remember when treats and going to McDonald's for dinner was a rare thing? I do)
It was cool to have a certain type of bike for example.
Getting back to the matter at hand.
If a young kid wants a cell phone for emergencies, of course it's a good idea.
They are a Godsend for that purpose only.
There is a phone called the FIREFLY that is designed SPECIFICALLY for young kids. No texting abilities. It has a 20 number memory, and a pictogram button set with a MOM button and a DAD button. I gave her the "original" Firefly.
I bought one for my niece a couple years ago (after clearing it with my brother & his wife). It worked out well for her for a while, but it did not have the "cool" factor of the flip phones, nor the expense, nor the features like "texting." It is a good "safety" phone. It also prevents callers from calling the phone unless the parent programs the phone to accept calls from a number that is in the authorized phone list. The parents MUST program the phone before giving it to the child, but if the phone is a "lifeline" type phone, its great. If the phone is a gift so the kid can be "cool at school" then it is not the phone the child will want.
They have recently expanded their product line so now they have a few different options. One thing I like about the Firefly phones is they are a pay as you go, no contract phone. It can teach the child how to budget without saddling the parents with a contract. They now have Firefly phones with built in MP3 players, texting, etc. Still a good option.
http://www.fireflymobile.com/
In the case of my daughter, I simply gave her one of my corporate telephones because it was easiest for me to do it that way. If I did not have a bunch of other phones under a corporate rate contract, I probably would have given my daughter a Firefly phone.
I bought one for my niece a couple years ago (after clearing it with my brother & his wife). It worked out well for her for a while, but it did not have the "cool" factor of the flip phones, nor the expense, nor the features like "texting." It is a good "safety" phone. It also prevents callers from calling the phone unless the parent programs the phone to accept calls from a number that is in the authorized phone list. The parents MUST program the phone before giving it to the child, but if the phone is a "lifeline" type phone, its great. If the phone is a gift so the kid can be "cool at school" then it is not the phone the child will want.
They have recently expanded their product line so now they have a few different options. One thing I like about the Firefly phones is they are a pay as you go, no contract phone. It can teach the child how to budget without saddling the parents with a contract. They now have Firefly phones with built in MP3 players, texting, etc. Still a good option.
http://www.fireflymobile.com/
In the case of my daughter, I simply gave her one of my corporate telephones because it was easiest for me to do it that way. If I did not have a bunch of other phones under a corporate rate contract, I probably would have given my daughter a Firefly phone.
Cityboy
Banned
I am still wondering how I survived childhood without an indoor toilet.
Now that was funny, Old Dog...err..Red Dog.
I am still wondering how I survived childhood without an indoor toilet.
Got one yet?
I remember when I was very young, using my granny's outhouse in southern Indiana.
Fun times! lol
Fun times! lol
Hell, I was using an outhouse just three months ago!
yeah, one of those portable ones provided by sanitation services, I bet.
Gatorboy
Active member
That's just an answer to help convince yourself to buy one. If an emergency arises, there are plenty of people around with a cell phone, or a house nearby to use their phone, etc.
Tell a child who gets abducted by some pervert that.
Or a kid who gets beat to a pulp by a bully and left alone crying.
GB, By today's yardstick, How did we all survive childhood at all?
bacon, seat belts, rare burgers, fries, car seats, candy bars, Hohos, BB guns, pea shooters etc etc
Come on PG, "excuse me mr pervert can you wait a minute so I can make a call."