What is the right age for a kid to have a cell phone? My nephews and niece have had cell phones for several years now, and I think that a cell phone is a big responsibility. Children should be mature enough before they get a phone—especially a smartphone.
My husband and I had different points of view about when my daughter should have a cell phone, and there was, of course, the peer pressure—my daughter didn’t have a cell phone, but most of her friends did.
The Turning Point
When did I agree to a cell phone? Fifth grade was the turning point for me. I didn’t necessarily think my daughter was ready for a cell phone, but she had a couple out-of-city trips with the school coming up, and I knew she had to have a cell phone for a trip to Washington DC. At that point, it was a safety and peace of mind issue, and I knew she had to have a cell phone with her.
My problem with young kids having a cell phone is not the phone itself but the fact that a phone nowadays is basically a portable computer. Kids have access to too much information, some of which is not exactly beneficial.
Keeping Track of Your Kid’s Cell Phone
Texting is just one of the many different things that kids can do with their cell phones, and while that can be an issue by itself, there are also the different apps and websites that are available for kids that probably shouldn’t be.
There is an incredible amount of apps, websites, and channels that I would rather my 11-year-old not have access to, but as I parent, I have a hard time trying to keep up with all the new things that pop up every single day.
Set Some Rules
We made it clear to our daughter that if she wanted to have a cell phone, she needed to be responsible and take care of it. We bought her one of the many cute phone cases we found and sat her down to explain that phones have to be used with care. She was not allowed to download any apps without the consent from me or her dad, a rule that she has stuck to so far, even though I often hear the famous words, “Why? So-and-so has it.” She also has to turn in her phone by 8:00 p.m., and if we find her on it past that time, she will lose it for a couple of days.
She is not to use her phone while we are walking or doing some outdoor activities—I refuse to have my daughter become a phone zombie and walk around her phone in her hands without even looking at where she is going (which happens too often nowadays).
Do you have any young kids? At what age do you think they should have a phone? What are your house rules for the use of the phone, if you have any? Thanks.
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