Let my son have one at 12, within a week he lost that privilege until 16.

12 for our kids. Helps getting in contact with school activities. In JH cell phone stays out of room at night. They have it pretty ingrained that they are not to live on it/consume their life. They mow our place to pay for the bill. After hearing several times "Give that thing a rest or break." they know my feelings about it and are pretty good about regulating their time and not living on it. They also save and buy their own phone. Phone breaks=start saving.

And a lot of negatives. Porn, predators, the ability to buy anything including drugs. Try doing that with a pocket knife

All the other kids have them, so mine dont need one. Can just borrow one to make a call. . My kids have to have a job and pay for it. Cell phones weren't even around when we we kids and we made it just fine.

Once they got their DL.

my teenage male cousin was hanging out with me for a couple weeks this summer, from that experience I would highly recommend you do not get your kids especially daughters phones with cameras.

I never gave them one. It is how they learn responsibility. Pay for what you want.

I'd say no at under 12 even if they wanted to buy their own.
At that point they can buy their own and pay for the service.

I think going without can be a real character builder.
Just cause everyone else has one doesn't mean you have to have one.
Need a ride home, figure it out on your own. Ride your bike to school, bum a ride from friend or even, (gasp) walk.


vast majority of social media is a sewer. My kids have all been on and now they are off it cause they figured out it.

I don't see anything positive giving one to a kid under 12.

I haven't read every post here, but our oldest (daughter) turned 14 in December. We got one in January (behind my back, I might add). She was currently in eighth grade, we always said when they get into high school. Our kids go to a small school, and it's awful hard when everyone but them has one. Side note, we didn't let her take it to school or in her room, also we mandated that we have access to it at any time we choose. There are many sites kids use that can be pretty scary, and text messages can be very disturbing also. Best of luck!

When they can pay for it. Same with a car. Teaches them responsibility.

If you do get one I would suggest adding message guardian we used that it monitors their activity and sends you reports. I trust my kids just not other people

My daughter is 13 and she doesn't have one. She get compliments about everywhere we go about how she sure is polite and not on her phone all the time. I may let her have on when she gets close to 16 maybe.

Never as there is absolutely no reason for a child to have a phone. If they need to call home from school, the school has a phone. If they need to call home because they got into trouble, then they should not have been in that place to begin with. Make children responsible and they know things are required of them. They can borrow my vehicle, if they treat it right, they can borrow my guns if they clean them, they can borrow my phone if they do not betray the privilege of trust.
I don't know of any child in this world which is worth 70 dollars a month, 840 dollars a year, with a 300 to 1000 dollar phone, when it comes to it is my work they are wasting for their vanity. Children get told NO, and when they go out and earn the money, the get told NO again as they are not wasting that money on frills. The government tells me NO like everyone else all the time. Prepare children for reality and put morals into them and most of the time they turn out ok.

Thanks for all the replies. It will a few more years. I am leaning towards the 16 mark when they are driving. That way if they do find themselves in a bad situation they can call and I can get them out of it. I also like the part of making them pay for it.



I had this happen a little while back with my boy. It wasn't a cell phone. I think it is an mp4 player. I was told it was for playing music. Turns out you can text and call on the thing if you have wifi.

If I don't need one why does my kid need one ?

When they started jr high and afterschool sports, the x wasn't the most reliable communicator about events and i wanted my kids to always be able to reach me. In fact the only thing I covered during college was cell and insurance with road hazard. Make sure they were safe

I got over it...we had talked about it, but didn't actually decide, decision got made, lol.

Thirty-five or when they left home and could pay for it. My son was on his own before cell phones came out... so didn't have to make that decision.

Garry-

When they can afford one themselves.

My oldest daughter just got her phone when she turned 12. Straight A's and middle school is what it takes at my house to get a phone. There are some good kids plans from Verizon. The only numbers she can call or be called from are programmed in my phone. Like someone else said, it's not that I don't trust her, its everyone else I dont trust. Plus for her to download any apps she has to come to me for a password. Absolutely no social media whatsoever.
I will say I was leery at first. But that first Good morning Daddy text I got at work and then everyday since has kinda made it worth it.