Anonymous wrote:I would get it for her, for her 13th birthday. My son had two classmates in 1st grade last year who had iphones. Almost all kids I know have them in middle school. So to me, you've held out really long. And that's impressive.
This all assumes it's not too expensive for you. I got my step daughters iphone 4s for $1 each last year (the kids were 14 and 17). And we have a family plan through ATT where we share data. It didn't cost too much extra to add them.
Better to do it now, IMO, and help teach her to use it responsibly, than to wait until high school where you have less oversight of her.
I don't know about parental control apps, but I drilled it into my step kids' heads that you don't use your phone for anything you wouldn't want the 4 Ps to see:
1) Parents
2) Police
3) Principal
4) Pedophile
Because they "will" see it.
You are oblivious if you don't have parent controls on it. There are so many apps that hides things on their phone and snapchat is a pic that only lasts 30 seconds after you send it. Most of the middle school kids use it to sext. It is amazing working at a school and what you hear. If you have no parent control all you did was give in earlier than high school. You aren't teaching her responsibility.