If your 11 or 12 y.o. has a phone, what kind?

[Anonymous]

DC will need a phone next school year due to logistics. Do we get DC a burner or a smartphone? We have a number of old iPhones and our DCs currently use them as iTouches. Concerned that a smartphone sends the wrong signal.

[Anonymous]

Well my DH got 12 y.o. an iphone 6 for Xmas. I don't think it was a good idea. She is glued to it.

[Anonymous]

I'd give an old iPhone as if they lose it, it will not be as costly to replace.

[Anonymous]

When DS Started MS he got a burner/ pay as you go phone. We also gave him clear guidance on how to earn the privilege of having a smartphone (using the burner responsibly, good grades, being a reasonable member of the family, etc). He was not there at Christmas, but was consistently doing what we had asked of him when he turned 13 this spring, so he got one of our old iPhones for his birthday. But, it has strong parental controls and a limited number of apps installed (and he doesn't have the password, So a parent has to install new ones). We have the pin, and he knows we can, and do, spot check his phone, including things liKe browser history, email and texts. As he gets older, we plan to slowly back off the monitoring as he proves he is using the phone appropriately. It's a process, but we're big on the idea of privilege/ responsibility/ consequence, and it's worked well for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When DS Started MS he got a burner/ pay as you go phone. We also gave him clear guidance on how to earn the privilege of having a smartphone (using the burner responsibly, good grades, being a reasonable member of the family, etc). He was not there at Christmas, but was consistently doing what we had asked of him when he turned 13 this spring, so he got one of our old iPhones for his birthday. But, it has strong parental controls and a limited number of apps installed (and he doesn't have the password, So a parent has to install new ones). We have the pin, and he knows we can, and do, spot check his phone, including things liKe browser history, email and texts. As he gets older, we plan to slowly back off the monitoring as he proves he is using the phone appropriately. It's a process, but we're big on the idea of privilege/ responsibility/ consequence, and it's worked well for us.

Sounds great - I might do this as well once DS starts middle school!

[Anonymous]

IPhone 3. I had reservations about a smartphone, but since it was just laying around, it costs us nothing but the $10 add-on. DS is 11, but only carries it when we say it's okay...sleepover, all day trip out-of-town, etc.

[Anonymous]

We looked for a cheap non-smartphone with a keyboard for texting but couldn't find one, so ended up getting a cheap windows phone.

[Anonymous]

He has an iphone, and so so most of his friends. The ones who don't, have an iPad, so I don't see much difference.

I prefer the iphone because there are plenty of apps I can use to locate him and/ or his phone if need be.