Spinoff from Dana's post - about cell phones

MyBabeMaddie wrote: Dana's post got me thinking... How old were you/were your kids when you let them get a cell phone?

My mom said I could have one when I got my drivers license (16.5years old). I ended up getting it around my 16th Bday because I was one of the youngest of my friends and they started driving first so she wanted me to be able to have it for emergencies - I also had a part time job and had to give her $20 a month to help pay for it.

I was at the Verizon store the other day and there was this kid, he had to have been between the ages of 8-10 picking out a cell phone with his mom. She bought him a blackberry. What does an 8 year old need a cell phone for, let alone a $400 phone? Maybe I'm just jealous because a Blackberry isn't exactly in my budget and I just have a regular old phone , but still this kid didn't look old enough to even be home alone yet.

PrairieMom replied: Okay, I am obviously way older than you, but i didn't get my first cell phone until ben was born. I was 26.
I don't see a point in giving my child a phone, today, my answer is he can have a cell phone when he can buy one himself.
Ask me again in 5 years.

I survived just fine with out one, and I really think that people use them way to much. (myself included) . All his friends will probably have them (since I am a mean mean mommy and every one else gets what ever they want... ) so he can just borrow theirs if he needs to get a hold of me.

lisar replied: Lexi wants one but I have told her that she cant have one until she goes to middle school. Although my sisters son has one and he is 9. But he walks to and from school so I can understand in that situation. Other than that I dont think kids should have one. Thats just my opinion though.

stella6979 replied: Well I wasn't allowed to have one until I could pay for it myself and I wasn't allowed to get a job until after H.S., so I got my first phone when I was around 18 or 19.

BAC'sMom replied: He was 11 and I was 29

luvbug00 replied: I refuse to get one for mya until she is 16 at least!

mckayleesmom replied: I was 18 and I bought and paid for it myself.

jcc64 replied: The kids around here get cellphones in middle school- around age 13. For me, that was the earliest age at which I could reasonably expect my kid not to lose it. There are a lot of dark, deserted roads in the middle of nowhere around here- it's not like there's always a house to run to for help, kwim? My kids don't use their phones for socializing- they're boys and not big talkers to begin with. The phones are for making plans and checking in, and I don't worry about texting during school b/c there's no cell service where our h.s. is.

Danalana replied: My nephew has one and he is almost 9--he has had one for a few years though. He doesn't really take it anywhere exept to ballgames, because his parents let him play with his friends and run around. They want to be able to contact him and vice versa. He doesn't take it to school or anything like that. And, as far as I know, he just uses a free phone from his father's cell plan. No idea what we'll do with Kade. For the most part, I don't see any reason for a kid to have one (unless they wanlk to school or live in the middle of nowhere).

Maddie&EthansMom replied: It's definitely a personal decision for each family to make. There are circumstances in some families where the kids might need them earlier. Maddie probably won't get one until she is 13. That's in less than 5 years.

I had my first cell phone at 18. Scotty bought it for me when we were dating.

lovemy2 replied: I would get Olivia the cell phones that only allow her to call numbers you preset - like one of those emergency Disney phones? Has anyone seen those - but even that wouldn't be until she goes to middle school - right now in her little life there isn't anywhere that she SHOULD be without an adult present

stella6979 replied:
I have seen those and they are actually pretty cool. Definitely the only phone I'd consider for a young child. I believe they even come with the GPS tracking which I think is a awesome.

3xsthefun replied: Kaitlynn has asked us for a cell phone. But we are not going let her have one until she is at least 15/16 years old.

I got my first one when I was 22.

Kaitlin'smom replied: me personaly did not have one until what 1996 or something like that so I dunno how old I was but I was married so I bought and paid for it myself. As for kaitlin she will get one when I say she can, I wont put a age or anythign like that on it cause its going to depend. right now NO way does she need one sure she wants one but no way, I am guessing we might be considering them when she gets to middle school....however does not mean she will have one then either. We will see.

A&A'smommy replied: i was 19 when I got my first cell phone

A&A'smommy replied:
I see nothing wrong with that this day in age you HAVE to be careful!!

holley79 replied: I got my first cell phone after I was 18 nad paid for it myself. We didn't get Brandon a phone his mother did. He was 17 and he ran her bill threw the roof. Annika won't get one till she gets a J O B.

My2Beauties replied: I had my own job and I was out of my house, so I'd say I was 18 or 19 before I got one, it wasn't the norm when I was in h.s. we had pagers though Des got hers when she was 10 I think, going into middle school, maybe she was 11 - I can't remember now. I think Hanna will be either in the 6th or 7th grade before I can even fathom thinking abou it to be honest. I just think kids get them way too young. OMG Des falls asleep with hers right next to her ear like it's her baby or something. When it dies and we're not home for her to put in on a charger (which is often because she talks on it sooo much) she has a panic attack

luvmykids replied: Nikka got hers when she was 11. Mostly because her mom doesn't have a landline and her phone was always dead, we could never get ahold of Nikka. She's been great with it for the most part, we've had to revisit the rules and crack down here and there but she knows it's a privilege, so she's not tough to deal with.

The other kids, I don't know. I envision them being 13 or so, but of course that could change.

redchief replied: I got my first cell phone when I was... oh who cares?

Our kids got theirs at: 16, 16, 15, 14 respectively. They were all Christmas presents from my mother except for Katie, who got hers from John when he bought a new one.





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If you followed... I was 32 and my "cell phone" was a bag phone; a grandfather of the brick, and I'm pretty sure it had some dinosaur slime on it.

jem0622 replied: I did not have a cell phone until...um...gosh...I was out of college...how about that? LOL.

I don't really want my kids to have them until at least high school, and I don't want them to have the freedom to call whomever they wish. I've heard many a horror story from parents who get bills they never expected. No thanks!