Hey, Mom and Dad. When Should Kids Get Their First Cell Phone?
Parents, Patch wants to hear from you on the questions that get families talking.
Welcome to "Hey, Mom and Dad"—a weekly feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on parenting. Every week we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked parents the week before on Patch Facebook pages from around the area:
Your child is 10 years old and insists he needs a cell phone in his life to keep him safe and in constant contact with his friends. What do you do? Run out and put him on the family plan? Or, tell him to wait until he can get a job and pay for it himself? That leads us to this week's question:
What is the appropriate age for kids to have their first cell phone?
Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the Comments section.
Wendy F. I can see very basic (and durable) phones for kids once they are in very late grade school or junior high - largely to communicate with their parents. In high school - I can see a more sophisticated phone - but I really don't think kids should be given top-of-the-line cell phones (like iPhones) until they are out of high school. They are very rough on them - and they don't need all the bells/whistles. It drives me nuts when you go out and see kids 7 and 8 years old - with iPhones (which they don't put down even at meals out with their families). Today's kids are way TOO wired. They need to learn to communicate other than by texting or Facebook updates! via Woodridge Patch Facebook page
Debbie A. It all depends on the use. Latch key kids should have them. via Downers Grove Patch Facebook page
Paul J. I believe it depends on the maturity level of the kid, not so much the age. My wife and I got our a son a cellphone when he was nine. He's eleven now. Nothing fancy, just a simple phone for calling and texting. No Internet connection either. The phone was free and it's $10 a month on our plan. Makes me feel better knowing he has it when he goes out. via Darien Patch Facebook page
Gavin Q. Our rule was no phone until college unless you paid for it yourself. As far as for safety when going places, I got to borrow Mom's phone. lol. I thought it sucked at the time, but I'm glad they did it. It made me appreciate the phone a lot more when I finally got one. via Lemont Patch Facebook page
Chris H. When they can pay towards the bill! via Western Springs Patch Facebook page
Jordan
7:07 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Yes i think its a good to get your kids a phone before they can pay for it themselves...I got my highschooler an iPhone recently to help keep him organized and remember appointments . ...it's good to be able to contact your children when you need to or if they need to contact you.
Jordan G.
1:09 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I recently just got my first smartphone at the age of 17. I think it's a good way to keep in touch with people who need to contact you (Ex. My Mom in the hospital). I don't think a smartphone is necessary, but a phone is. Everything else is a perk, and if you trust your child with the distractions of a smartphone, than by all means go for it, even if they can't pay for it themselves.
Anapat
1:24 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I got a cell phone for my son to use in 5th grade, he does not take it to school but does take it with to sports practices I drop him off at...and also to his friends house in case he needs to reach me for anything. I feel I can give him more independence now that he has one, he feels confident knowing I am just a phone call away.
Craig Kraus
1:45 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
My eleven year old (6th grade) has a cell phone and an ipod. Many of her friends already have smartphones.
Ben Dover
8:29 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
That horrifies me.
Vegasdog.
3:33 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
This will draw ire (if you have to look that word up-please do not read any further) from anyone under say, 40....There's a saying: just because you can, does not always mean you should. This really goes beyond necessity and more into consumerism. I'm not an intellectual snob nor someone who starts sentences with "remember when" but seriously, beyond the safety issue ("mom come get me I'm kidnapped") does a kid really need a smart phone? The jury is still out how on the merits of social networking (besides the well know bullying and posting of fights, murders, etc). How 'bout teaching a child self reliance? How to figure things out? How to communicate? How to write a sentence? I can’t help but think an Iphone, along with Ugs, Juicy Coture and so on is just another way of saying "look what my kid has!". Remember…Honey BooBoo has an Iphone too!
Marissa Modesto
5:07 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I've been struggling with this... my eight year old has started asking when he will be able to get his first phone. As we no longer maintain a land line and as pay phones disappear the appropriate age for cell phone use will go down. I remember calling my Mom to pick me up from afterschool activities starting in the 5/6th grade from the pay phone... now you can hardly find one! It amazes me when children have smartphones, even the adults in our household do not own smart phones.
Matthew Hendrickson
5:07 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
My favorite comment was on the Oak Park Patch Facebook which basically said, they can have one when they pay for it.
Tom Koz
9:37 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
HEY, you don't have to be able to pay for a cell phone!! Actual tax payers and others will pay for it for you??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAOwJvTOio&feature=player_embedded
Do you think other people should pay for your things?? Do you teach your kids that they should not work for what they get?? Do you teach your kids that others owe them?? Do you have no shame???
Sooner or later, probably sooner, the Socialist will run out of other peoples' money!!
Joseph R. Martan
10:46 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
No cell phones until college. Children need to learn how to speak and write intelligent English, not the garbage they use on their phones and IPods. Likewise, they need face-to-face interaction with their peers instead of hiding behind an electronic device. The trouble is that the current generation of parents lacks the ability (or willingness) to simply say "no" when Buffy or Chad whine that everyone else has one.