When to have children pay for own phones

[Anonymous]

If you paid/pay for children's phones, at what age did you or will you stop. When kids get 1st job in high school? When kid goes to college? First job after college? Right from the start? Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Do you mean for the line or for the actual device?

[Anonymous]

I pay for the service and actual devices for my high school and my college kid. They will take over when they graduate from college. They pay other expenses on their own, mostly entertainment and food that isn't at home.

[Anonymous]

I’m 35 and I have an MD and my parents still pay for my phone because we’ve been on a family plan for years and no one has bothered to change it. I’ve offered to pay them of my share but taking a few hundred bucks a year from me seems petty to them.

So to answer your question, maybe never.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean for the line or for the actual device?

OP answering - I did mean for the line and not device, but guess it applies to both if say the phone breaks during high school or college.... thanks for replies.

[Anonymous]

When they are no longer our dependent. We have explained to our children that if they are actively perusing a degree then they can remain on our health insurance and we will pay for their phone line. This ends when they graduate in the planned # of years (bachelors=4 yr). For our son who plans to enlist in the military after high school we will pay for his phone line until he is settled into his new path (probably 6 months) While we are paying for the devices we are allowed full access to them. We don't often feel the need to look at them but our children know and agree that this is part of the deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean for the line or for the actual device?

OP answering - I did mean for the line and not device, but guess it applies to both if say the phone breaks during high school or college.... thanks for replies.

This is what we did when they got their first phone at 11.

Caveat: they get an allowance, $ gifts.

- $150 allowance for a phone. They pay the difference for whatever phone they want
- We pay for up to x gig. If they go over, they have to pay for it. They are careful using data outside wifi connection. It was a learning experience for them.

Older DC in HS has a PT job, and told me that I can stop giving DC allowance now.

This will continue into college. They are expected to get a PT job in college.

[Anonymous]

I’m still paying for my 29 year old daughter’s phone so you tell me! Lol

[Anonymous]

My 19 (almost 20) pays for his own device. We have him part of our five lines for unlimited text and calls for one price. Don’t plan on ever kicking him off the plan. I assume when he enters into a serious, long term, adult relationship they would get on a plan together. Until then, it’s an easy cost to absorb. Our bill will not decrease by him leaving the plan.

[Anonymous]

My young adult kids are still on our plan. They do pay for new phones themselves.

[Anonymous]

When they can afford them?

[Anonymous]

Well my very employed, home owning, married with their own kids siblings are cresting 40 and still on my parents plan, so... idk. My parents like doing it and say the cost is nominal. It is a big joke around the holidays. (Work pays my bill or i'd probably be living the good life, too)

[Anonymous]

My kids are too young for phones, but my parents kicked me off a few months after I started my first adult job after college. My Dad gave me a heads up that I had a few months to get settled and set up my post college budget before I had to be on my own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 35 and I have an MD and my parents still pay for my phone because we’ve been on a family plan for years and no one has bothered to change it. I’ve offered to pay them of my share but taking a few hundred bucks a year from me seems petty to them.

So to answer your question, maybe never.

This. We get a good deal on 4 lines with tmobile so we are covering kid and one parent. Why give the mobile cos more money to prove a point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 35 and I have an MD and my parents still pay for my phone because we’ve been on a family plan for years and no one has bothered to change it. I’ve offered to pay them of my share but taking a few hundred bucks a year from me seems petty to them.

So to answer your question, maybe never.

This. We get a good deal on 4 lines with tmobile so we are covering kid and one parent. Why give the mobile cos more money to prove a point?

This.