What age did you get your child a phone?

[Anonymous]

11--When he started middle school (middle starts at 6th grade in our county). We hung on to one of our IPhone 4s when we upgraded last year, so we gave him that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8. She was on the adv swim team practicing 4 nights a week--1.5/2hr practices including dryland training. If anything happened at the pool and it needed to close, she could call me to come get her early. There are 60 or so kids practicing. Using the front desk phone wasn't practical.

Or the coaches's cell phone
Or another parent's cell phone
Or another child's phone
Or the front desk phone

How did you survive when you were a kid without a cell phone?

NP: Our lives were very different from our kids' lives. And public pay phones.

Public pay phones? I don't remember any public pay phones where I hung out. playgrounds, woods, neighborhood, parks... WTH. It is actually easier now because all you do is ask for someone's cell phone. What a lame ass excuse. The world was no different 20 years ago. Your perception of it is. Actually the world is MUCH safer than when we were kids.

child sexual abuse down 53 percent
physical abuse down 52 percent
aggravated assault down 69 percent
robbery down 62 percent
larceny down 54 percent

Do you know what is up? Internet bullying, sexting, porn watching by young kids, online dating/meeting, tween social media use, internet/social media/phone addictions, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, eyesight issues, ADD/ADHD, and sleep deprivation.

According to sharedhope.org, one in 20 children admitted to arranging a secret meeting with someone they met online. 95% of the time, your child will be the one pretending that he or she is older, and the person that they are meeting will have no idea.

A majority of teens (58%) do not think posting photos or other personal info on social networking sites is unsafe.
Nearly half of teens (47%) are not worried about others using their personal info in ways they do not want.
About half (49%) are unconcerned posting personal info online might negatively affect their future.
A majority of college students (67%) admitted they sexted in high school and (38%) admitted sexting in middle school.
Nearly half of teens under 18 (47%) admitted they sent nude photos to other people and (67%) did not realize it was considered child pornography


But yes PP, keep telling me how the missing superman phone booths are the real reason you gave your young child a phone. I am sure it keeps them safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours is in 8th grade & apparently only one w/out a phone.

What planet do you live on? A kid that age needs a phone to have a social life if anything.

My son has a friend (Asian) who is in ninth grade and still does not own a phone. DS is kind enough to invite him over to play xbox now and then (he lives close by), but for the most part, this boy has no other friends. His parents are ultra protective and too cheap to give him a phone. At some point it becomes unsafe to be without a phone.

Oh wow. I'm so glad you're DS I'd SO KIND to invite an Asian over to play once in a while. How so generous of you. You must be so proud

Actually DS likes him...it isn't a pity thing or anything. But I mentioned he was Asian because i think it might be a cultural thing. The parents are kind of strange.

[Anonymous]

Just got my 9th grader a flip phone for XMAS. He has never needed one before and still doesn't really need one. His school uses tablets for research and HW. He has 2 sports practices a week that I usually stay at since it isn't enough time to run errands. He doesn't drive so he isn't off by himself. He has no interest in social media right now. If he wants to google something, he uses his tablet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours is in 8th grade & apparently only one w/out a phone.

What planet do you live on? A kid that age needs a phone to have a social life if anything.

My son has a friend (Asian) who is in ninth grade and still does not own a phone. DS is kind enough to invite him over to play xbox now and then (he lives close by), but for the most part, this boy has no other friends. His parents are ultra protective and too cheap to give him a phone. At some point it becomes unsafe to be without a phone.

Oh wow. I'm so glad you're DS I'd SO KIND to invite an Asian over to play once in a while. How so generous of you. You must be so proud

Actually DS likes him...it isn't a pity thing or anything. But I mentioned he was Asian because i think it might be a cultural thing. The parents are kind of strange.

Wait, wait - so you are saying kids deserve smart phones by all parents because kids deserve a social life and won't have one without it? THAT is the actual reason all the parents cave. It has absolutely nothing to do with safety. You are all like little teens again succumbing to peer pressure. Making sure their kids are cool. I teach in a middle school and can assure you there are plenty of kids without a smart phone. If parents truly wanted the best interests of their kids, they wouldn't hand over a screened phone at such a young age. If you truly want a phone to reach them you get a tracphone with no screen and only calling capabilities. But I guess their social stock would plummet, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8. She was on the adv swim team practicing 4 nights a week--1.5/2hr practices including dryland training. If anything happened at the pool and it needed to close, she could call me to come get her early. There are 60 or so kids practicing. Using the front desk phone wasn't practical.

Or the coaches's cell phone
Or another parent's cell phone
Or another child's phone
Or the front desk phone

How did you survive when you were a kid without a cell phone?

NP: Our lives were very different from our kids' lives. And public pay phones.

Public pay phones? I don't remember any public pay phones where I hung out. playgrounds, woods, neighborhood, parks... WTH. It is actually easier now because all you do is ask for someone's cell phone. What a lame ass excuse. The world was no different 20 years ago. Your perception of it is. Actually the world is MUCH safer than when we were kids.

child sexual abuse down 53 percent
physical abuse down 52 percent
aggravated assault down 69 percent
robbery down 62 percent
larceny down 54 percent

Do you know what is up? Internet bullying, sexting, porn watching by young kids, online dating/meeting, tween social media use, internet/social media/phone addictions, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, eyesight issues, ADD/ADHD, and sleep deprivation.

According to sharedhope.org, one in 20 children admitted to arranging a secret meeting with someone they met online. 95% of the time, your child will be the one pretending that he or she is older, and the person that they are meeting will have no idea.

A majority of teens (58%) do not think posting photos or other personal info on social networking sites is unsafe.
Nearly half of teens (47%) are not worried about others using their personal info in ways they do not want.
About half (49%) are unconcerned posting personal info online might negatively affect their future.
A majority of college students (67%) admitted they sexted in high school and (38%) admitted sexting in middle school.
Nearly half of teens under 18 (47%) admitted they sent nude photos to other people and (67%) did not realize it was considered child pornography


But yes PP, keep telling me how the missing superman phone booths are the real reason you gave your young child a phone. I am sure it keeps them safe.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours is in 8th grade & apparently only one w/out a phone.

What planet do you live on? A kid that age needs a phone to have a social life if anything.

My son has a friend (Asian) who is in ninth grade and still does not own a phone. DS is kind enough to invite him over to play xbox now and then (he lives close by), but for the most part, this boy has no other friends. His parents are ultra protective and too cheap to give him a phone. At some point it becomes unsafe to be without a phone.

Oh wow. I'm so glad you're DS I'd SO KIND to invite an Asian over to play once in a while. How so generous of you. You must be so proud

Actually DS likes him...it isn't a pity thing or anything. But I mentioned he was Asian because i think it might be a cultural thing. The parents are kind of strange.

Wait, wait - so you are saying kids deserve smart phones by all parents because kids deserve a social life and won't have one without it? THAT is the actual reason all the parents cave. It has absolutely nothing to do with safety. You are all like little teens again succumbing to peer pressure. Making sure their kids are cool. I teach in a middle school and can assure you there are plenty of kids without a smart phone. If parents truly wanted the best interests of their kids, they wouldn't hand over a screened phone at such a young age. If you truly want a phone to reach them you get a tracphone with no screen and only calling capabilities. But I guess their social stock would plummet, correct?

Sorry, but you are wrong and also mistaken. I was not talking about a smart phone...I had gotten him a regular flip phone to start. You say you are a teacher, but do you actually have middle school aged kids? These kids communicate with each other using texting. The next level is social media, but I would wait until they are 13 for that and then give them a smart phone. This is how they make plans to get together. I waited until DS was 11 to get him a cell phone, and once he had it, his social life improved significantly. He is an introvert, so he needed that access to help him navigate the middle school social scene. With the improvement in his social life came more happiness. That alone was enough for me to know we made the right decision.

The Asian neighbor with no phone is also an introvert. He has NO social life. I guess that is ok for some, but it wasn't for my DS.

[Anonymous]

5th grade. DD knows that we check messages & other activity on it. She knows other parents will see her texts, too. And she knows this is monitored for safety & also to make sure there is no bullying. No electronics in bedroom at night. No taking to school yet (since most other kids don't have them & no real need for it). I can see for the next few years that close monitoring will really be needed. She understands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8. She was on the adv swim team practicing 4 nights a week--1.5/2hr practices including dryland training. If anything happened at the pool and it needed to close, she could call me to come get her early. There are 60 or so kids practicing. Using the front desk phone wasn't practical.

Or the coaches's cell phone
Or another parent's cell phone
Or another child's phone
Or the front desk phone

How did you survive when you were a kid without a cell phone?

NP: Our lives were very different from our kids' lives. And public pay phones.

Public pay phones? I don't remember any public pay phones where I hung out. playgrounds, woods, neighborhood, parks... WTH. It is actually easier now because all you do is ask for someone's cell phone. What a lame ass excuse. The world was no different 20 years ago. Your perception of it is. Actually the world is MUCH safer than when we were kids.

child sexual abuse down 53 percent
physical abuse down 52 percent
aggravated assault down 69 percent
robbery down 62 percent
larceny down 54 percent

Do you know what is up? Internet bullying, sexting, porn watching by young kids, online dating/meeting, tween social media use, internet/social media/phone addictions, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, eyesight issues, ADD/ADHD, and sleep deprivation. Reductio ad absurdem. ADHD was one the rise way before social media, carpal tunnel originally began with word processing, sleep deprivation can also be contributed to over scheduling and too much homework, as well. The addiction thing has been debunked several times as being an overhyped concern.

According to sharedhope.org, one in 20 children admitted to arranging a secret meeting with someone they met online. 95% of the time, your child will be the one pretending that he or she is older, and the person that they are meeting will have no idea.5% is not a huge number--and they do not need a phone to do this.

A majority of teens (58%) do not think posting photos or other personal info on social networking sites is unsafe.In most cases it is not. We need to teach our teens how to navigate very real parts of their lives-not pretend these parts do not exist.
Nearly half of teens (47%) are not worried about others using their personal info in ways they do not want. Life lesson. Teach your kids how to use the media
About half (49%) are unconcerned posting personal info online might negatively affect their future.It probably won't. No employers is going to scroll through a candidate's 7th 12th grade Facebook page.
A majority of college students (67%) admitted they sexted in high school and (38%) admitted sexting in middle school. So?
Nearly half of teens under 18 (47%) admitted they sent nude photos to other people and (67%) did not realize it was considered child pornography :[b]That's because it shouldn't be. When I was a kid, we used polaroids.


But yes PP, keep telling me how the missing superman phone booths are the real reason you gave your young child a phone. I am sure it keeps them safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5th grade. DD knows that we check messages & other activity on it. She knows other parents will see her texts, too. And she knows this is monitored for safety & also to make sure there is no bullying. No electronics in bedroom at night. No taking to school yet (since most other kids don't have them & no real need for it). I can see for the next few years that close monitoring will really be needed. She understands.

Of course she does. And this is a sensible and sane approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5th grade. DD knows that we check messages & other activity on it. She knows other parents will see her texts, too. And she knows this is monitored for safety & also to make sure there is no bullying. No electronics in bedroom at night. No taking to school yet (since most other kids don't have them & no real need for it). I can see for the next few years that close monitoring will really be needed. She understands.

So you admit no real need yet but yet she has one?

Also, kids send texts and immediately delete them once sent or seen. You cannot look up deleted texts. Kids are always smarter than the parents. Hope you have them set up thru iTunes or third part app. Kids also delete history too

[Anonymous]

Older kids were in 6th grade, as they got involved in more activities. Currently have a 7th grader with absolutely no interest in having a phone and a 4th grader who's been begging for one for 3 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8. She was on the adv swim team practicing 4 nights a week--1.5/2hr practices including dryland training. If anything happened at the pool and it needed to close, she could call me to come get her early. There are 60 or so kids practicing. Using the front desk phone wasn't practical.

Or the coaches's cell phone
Or another parent's cell phone
Or another child's phone
Or the front desk phone

How did you survive when you were a kid without a cell phone?

NP: Our lives were very different from our kids' lives. And public pay phones.

Public pay phones? I don't remember any public pay phones where I hung out. playgrounds, woods, neighborhood, parks... WTH. It is actually easier now because all you do is ask for someone's cell phone. What a lame ass excuse. The world was no different 20 years ago. Your perception of it is. Actually the world is MUCH safer than when we were kids.

child sexual abuse down 53 percent
physical abuse down 52 percent
aggravated assault down 69 percent
robbery down 62 percent
larceny down 54 percent

Do you know what is up? Internet bullying, sexting, porn watching by young kids, online dating/meeting, tween social media use, internet/social media/phone addictions, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, eyesight issues, ADD/ADHD, and sleep deprivation. Reductio ad absurdem. ADHD was one the rise way before social media, carpal tunnel originally began with word processing, sleep deprivation can also be contributed to over scheduling and too much homework, as well. The addiction thing has been debunked several times as being an overhyped concern.

According to sharedhope.org, one in 20 children admitted to arranging a secret meeting with someone they met online. 95% of the time, your child will be the one pretending that he or she is older, and the person that they are meeting will have no idea.5% is not a huge number--and they do not need a phone to do this.

A majority of teens (58%) do not think posting photos or other personal info on social networking sites is unsafe.In most cases it is not. We need to teach our teens how to navigate very real parts of their lives-not pretend these parts do not exist.
Nearly half of teens (47%) are not worried about others using their personal info in ways they do not want. Life lesson. Teach your kids how to use the media
About half (49%) are unconcerned posting personal info online might negatively affect their future.It probably won't. No employers is going to scroll through a candidate's 7th 12th grade Facebook page.
A majority of college students (67%) admitted they sexted in high school and (38%) admitted sexting in middle school. So?
Nearly half of teens under 18 (47%) admitted they sent nude photos to other people and (67%) did not realize it was considered child pornography :[b]That's because it shouldn't be. When I was a kid, we used polaroids.


But yes PP, keep telling me how the missing superman phone booths are the real reason you gave your young child a phone. I am sure it keeps them safe.

#cluelessmom

[Anonymous]

In 6th grade. An old smart phone with texting only plan, no data. In 7th and pining for newer phone and data.

[Anonymous]

15:32, it may actually be #cluelessdad. That post reeks of mansplaining.