Reply to Who regrets getting phone for their child at that 12-13 yr age and wishes they waited?

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Reply to "Who regrets getting phone for their child at that 12-13 yr age and wishes they waited?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had a 12-year-old boy on a bike stop me on the street because he was lost (we live in a super safe community) and he wanted to call his mom. He asked if he could use my phone and of course I said yes, then waited with him while his mom drove to pick him up.

I thought it was so cool that this kid didn’t have a phone but felt empowered to approach a safe-looking stranger and problem-solve. So many kids are terrified of talking to strangers, don’t know how to judge “safe” from “unsafe” or sketchy looking, and wouldn’t have a clue how to get out of a jam without a personal cell phone.

Sharing as I think this is an unconventional reason to not get a phone too early. This kid was able to have a really nice conversation with me while we waited and was super polite and thankful. Those are the skills that kids should be developing.[/quote]

My kids are fine talking to strangers. They are super polite and thankful.  Those skills have nothing to do with whether they have a phone.

They are also able to use navigational tools to find their way home from places, so they don't need to be picked up.

I had specific reasons for giving my kids phones.  It's been fine, but I'm not sure I would have taken the risk of getting them one if I hadn't had those specific circumstances.  However, being able to problem solve how to get home when lost is a big plus to having a phone. [/quote]

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