Mobile phones for kids.

Redhog14

At what age do those of you who have them, think is ok for kids to get their first mobile and how do your work it...PAYG or contract?

My daughter will be 10 this year I think too early but some classmates already have them.

CiB

We did elder boy when he went to secondary school at 11, and the other will have the same treatment. At primary school age I reckon that's a bit too soon.

Prob worth getting them cheap ones to start with as it's v likely that they'll mange to lose the first 2 or 3.

Smokin Joe

25 is soon enough, and only then if they are used under adult supervision and limited to two calls and one text per day. Users should have to pass an exam before the SIM card is activated, making sure they understand things such as people just about to strike the cue-ball when trying to pot a tricky black do not want to listen to you shouting "Oh my God" or whatever innane phrases you use when talking to people you see every day anyway down your bloody phone.

Pross

Our eldest had a PAYG at about 10 or 11 as she was often out at clubs or riding with older people so we wanted her to be able to be contactable / contact us whenever needed. We moved her to a contract when she was 12 or 13.

Our youngest is nearly 9 and keeps asking for a phone but she doesn't go anywhere far from us so we don't feel she'll benefit from one.

I think you are the only ones who can assess if a phone would be beneficial for peace of mind but don't let anyone put you off if you feel it would be (you'll always have someone who says they're too young / don't need one). Equally, don't feel pressured into getting one just because "all my friends have got one".

greg66_tri_v2.0

When they start at secondary school. Not because that creates a need, but more because it's going to happen at some point, that is an obvious "changeover" point at which to do it, and it's when a lot of their mates (at least in London) will.

Buy cheap, and expect it to be lost or stolen.

Pep

My daughter's parents haven't got mobiles yet, they both passed secondary school age decades ago.

rick_chasey

Was 16 for me.

rick_chasey

Greg66 wrote:

Buy cheap, and expect it to be lost or stolen.

This.

Aggieboy

I think it depends on the surrounding circumstances tbh. Got mine one last year when she was 10. On the mornings she's not swimming early she's used it a few times to tell us the school bus has been delayed/broken down or she'd forgotten something for school or after school training. Also got her contract with unlimited internet, as she can literally sit for ages at galas between races, and lots of texts as they all seem to text rather than speak the young'uns.

dannc

I kinda agree with most that secondary school is the obvious time and that was what we had planned for my boys, bit saying that.....we just bought him a cheap phone from tesco(payg) because he now goes to scout camp and badminton tournaments without us and thought it was better for his mums sanity if he/she could keep on touch.

mallorcajeff

I was against it but the Mrs gave in. first phone at 14 PAYG and within two years on 5th phone as all the others broke (of course never her fault) Now got a blackberry at 16 PAYG? I dont pay for it the mrs does as I dont think its necessary not here in spain anyway. So far its 3 months old been dropped so many time so its probably not got long to live. as said before buy cheap PAYG will teach them one thing that when the credits gone its gone then they have to budget. I got my first one at 21 when i could afford it.

super_prestige

Same as the majority above, we gave my son a phoone when he moved up tp secondary school at 11.It is a blackberry from an old contract and just put a payg sim in.

shouldbeinbed

same here, we got 2 free phones as part of an upgrade when they were 10 & 9 so gave 'em one each for if we went out for the day. TBH neither were at all bothered about them until they went to secondary then things changed quite quickly. They've both spent their own Christmas money on better ones now but I've trained them to moderation by limiting them to £10-15 top up once a month. I'm not going for a contract yet unless I sort one with cut off limits

Eldest son 21 is the one for losing and breaking them.

alihisgreat

Don't forget that mobile phones are social tools.. you are depriving them of a developed social life if you don't get them a phone

veronese68

My son got one in the last year of primary school as that was when h would start to go out on his own. It wasn't officially his, it was an old one of mine I would "lend" him if he went out. Got his own when he started secondary school. PAYG but with a family add on from my bill so calls and texts between him, the Mrs and me are no extra cost.
We'll do the same with my daughter when she starts year 6 in September.

mouth

My boy was 9 when he got his. he's had it nearly two years and has spent the grand total of about 20 quid on credit. I know that come September when he gets to secondary school it will all change and he'll become a monster within 11 minutes of setting foot in the place. When I asked him about it the other day he said he couldn't remember what he'd done with it so he won't be having anything expensive any time soon.

Start 'em off with PAYG (no chance of a massive bill anytime soon) and use it as a reward/punishment tool.

izza

The elder of my two boys is getting close.

I was thinking of an iphone as it has the Find Friends app. That way I can track where he or the phone is at anytime. Do any other phones have anything similar?

rick_chasey

izza wrote:

The elder of my two boys is getting close.

I was thinking of an iphone as it has the Find Friends app. That way I can track where he or the phone is at anytime. Do any other phones have anything similar?

WTF?

Been reading too much 1984?

Frank the tank

I would say secondary school, and a cheap/cheerful one 'cos you can bet ya bottom dollar it'l get lost/broken or possibly stolen.

Pay for what you say tarriff.

Aggieboy

Rick Chasey wrote:

izza wrote:

The elder of my two boys is getting close.

I was thinking of an iphone as it has the Find Friends app. That way I can track where he or the phone is at anytime. Do any other phones have anything similar?

WTF?

Been reading too much 1984?

No. It's called 'Find My Friends' - not sure how reliable it is though.

rick_chasey

Surely if you don't trust your kid to be where they say they'll be, why are you trusting them with a smartphone?

izza

Aggieboy wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

izza wrote:

The elder of my two boys is getting close.

I was thinking of an iphone as it has the Find Friends app. That way I can track where he or the phone is at anytime. Do any other phones have anything similar?

WTF?

Been reading too much 1984?

No. It's called 'Find My Friends' - not sure how reliable it is though.

Wife has been saved once leaving her iphone in shop. Called me via friends phone and went back to shop and regained it quickly.

In terms of checking up on older children the children prefer not to be hassled by parental calls anyway.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Surely if you don't trust your kid to be where they say they'll be, why are you trusting them with a smartphone?

I trust them but don't intend trusting everyone else.

Redhog14

there are a variety of systems that work on the phone location - Find my Friends is just one, there is another web based system that works on the cell location of the phone and does not need to be a smartphone to work it gives the location as the receiving base station. Not as accurate as GPS as cells differ in size in accordance with population density/phone traffic, so in the city there can be hundreds and subsequently more accurate, in the country there tend to be larger areas covered by less base stations.

rick_chasey

izza wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Surely if you don't trust your kid to be where they say they'll be, why are you trusting them with a smartphone?

I trust them but don't intend trusting everyone else.

Then why give him a flashy phone worth £300-400?

izza

Rick Chasey wrote:

izza wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Surely if you don't trust your kid to be where they say they'll be, why are you trusting them with a smartphone?

I trust them but don't intend trusting everyone else.

Then why give him a flashy phone worth £300-400?

izza wrote:

The elder of my two boys is getting close.

I was thinking of an iphone as it has the Find Friends app. That way I can track where he or the phone is at anytime. Do any other phones have anything similar?

See my original post - because I can track kids/phone, remotely clear phone should it get nicked via app mentioned above. Plus I can get iphones under a co. deal cheaper than you quote as part of a package.

However, if another even cheaper phone has similar apps then I'd widen search.

SickAsAParrot

Don't get them a Blackberry like I made the mistake of buying for my daughter (11). Turns them into stroppy mood-wads pretty damn quick if they can't be tappity-tapping on it 24/7. and the amount of 18+ garbage that's broadcast onto it will make your skin crawl.

sheffsimon

Both my kids have cheap tesco payg phones, had em since they were 9 i think.

They spend their life playing football or in park/woods, and roam far and wide. So I dont have to go looking for them at mealtimes I just ring em up and tell them to come home, easy life

They sometimes text their mates to arrange to meet up but thats about it..

fossyant

Half my 11 year old son's class mates have I-phones...

We let him have one of my old SE phones a couple of years ago - it got wrecked in the washer, so let him have my old Android phone. It's on an old contract of mine that's been reduced to £10 per month. He's not using it much now, but that will change in high school.

alihisgreat

you can get really cheap android smartphones now... we're talking less than £100 -> which is pretty amazing when you look at the phone that £100 got me for my first.

Some options:

- Huawei Blaze
-Orange San Francisco
etc. etc.

So you won't have to give your 10y/o an Iphone if you want to use a tracker app.