what age do you give your child a phone?

Question

am thinking of givings my 6 yr old a mobile phone because i am not with her dad so i can get in touch with her better! dont know if she is to young?

Answer 1

I think that is a bit to young. Try and give her other responsibilities first, like feed a pet daily or giving her a charm to keep with t\her at all times. This will let you know if she is responsible enough to keep a cell phone in check. Otherwise she could loose it pretty fast. I waited until my son was 10

Answer 2

If she can use it then yes. Iremember when I was a kid, quite a long time ago, there was a big thing about children knowing how to use the phone to call the emergency services, this is just one better. Better now that leave it until she is 10 or 11 and runs up stupid bills phoning friends accross the street. If she starts this young she will be sensible with it. Get a cheap one though as kids loose and break things all too easily. Good idea, why can you phone dad though? surely he doesn't keep her completely out of touch when he has her?

I think it is a great 'just in case' idea, but it is still important to keep her close by

Answer 3

I feel a child under 10 is too young to have a mobile phone. Many still dont understand the importance of a phone and even how to use one. The chances are they could easily mis-use them running up contracted bills, and even forever using the talk-time credit on pointless phone calls to their mates or every single ringtone.

Its up to you if you do decide to buy a phone for your child. But as a parent myself, my children will not be having one until they understand the full responsibility of having and using a phone.

I wouldnt appreciate recieving a phone call from them, whilst in school.. telling me they want to come home because the teachers making them do that dreadful maths work again or the dinner is mushy peas and fish.

Answer 4

i personally think that giving a 6 year old a mobile phone is too younge, at that age they think it just some toy to mess about with a wouldnt take it serieously, as a mum to 4 kids, i too have a 5 year old i wpouldnt give her a phone, but my 10 year old im giving a mobile too, very soon, as a when shes out with ther m8s playing i can call her to come home and i know where she is safe and sound etc.


you could try giving you 6 year old a two way radio, they are very good and work wonders with my 5yr old and 10 year old when they go done the park, and you need them home for dinner etc.

Answer 5

I think 6 years old is too young for a child to have a mobile phone. Best wait till she is 9 or 10 when she will be able to have more experience and understanding of life. She needs to have a childhood without too much responsibility and decision making. It will cause her to be unstable in later life.

Answer 6

If I had children, my child would only have a phone when she is going out with friends all the time and not staying in their houses. If your daughter is with her father then trust that she is fine. She is 6! If anything happens to her then I'm sure her father would tell you straight away. At that age a phone can get stolen and dropped and that's alot of money to replace. When you start to let her out with friends to the park or somewhere on her own, that's when she should have a mobile.

Answer 7

8

Answer 8

well the way trends are you should buy it when shopping for a pram and baby grows and it should be amogst the first gifts a child should get!!

you can get her a really cheap, but not tacky, one and maybe you can use it to teach her responsibility. My little cousin had one since about the same age. But her father only lets her use it at home for games and tops up the minimum and teaches her to use it responsibly and in emergencies, like say when she goes shopping with her mum and mum needs to contact dad or things like that. She's not allowed yet to take it to school obviously or to friends house etc just places where she is with her parents so they can regulate the use and teach her some responsibility and what kind of calls and texts are allowed and what kinds are not. It can add towards her experience of money managment too as you can later teach her how the top up system works and teach her to regulate how much she spends.

And it would make her feel like an adult to be responsible and take charge of making important calls to mum or dad to tell them they are on the way, gone out or somthing etc. Like when she came here with her mum her mum said to her 'ring daddy and let him know we will be late home tonight'. and gradualy I suppose she'l be able to start taking it when shes out on her own. Maybe they'll let her take it to her friends and ask her friends parents to keep an eye on her with the phone.

Answer 9

OK, this may not be what you want to hear, but, I imagine that you are trusting her Dad to look after her when she visits. If you are doing this, then, it might be best to allow her to relax with him, rather than check up on her. It sounds like her Dad loves her and sees her, that is a brilliant thing you are encouraging. Its a big responsibility for someone as young as six to be having to think about having to keep in touch with Mum when with Dad. Make a plan with her Dad, set up how you will communicate, and your child will grow through your letting her go, and she will feel more independent through your example. Let her go with grace in your heart, its tough, but you are reslilent, you love her so, wait a while, let her grow into her having a mobile, but maybe not for those reasons, maybe when she starts going on trips with school or out with friends. Good luck.

Answer 10

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