https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:58:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982372 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 13:48:55 +0000 Anya 1982372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine aren't even born yet, so I have no idea what kind of dilemma I'll be facing in another 12-15 years! i'm not patently opposed to the idea, but I don't want fascination with technology to interfere with learning to be entertained by reading, playing outside and other activities. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982350 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 13:41:43 +0000 LuLu Mom 1982350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a struggle because I doubt we will have a landline, and I really don't' want my phone to become my daughters' phone. </p> <p>They will not be getting a smartphone until they can pay for it, but we will get them a phone to call/text on around 12 I think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982216 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 12:44:31 +0000 shinymama 1982216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were previously opposed to our oldest (13 next month) even having a phone, much less a smart phone, and of course now he has one. We changed our mind because:<br /> - We don't have a landline. (He was sharing my cell number with his friends and they were calling and texting me.)<br /> - We needed to reach him when he's at non-school events.<br /> - We switched our plan,so his phone was free and our monthly bill even went down.<br /> - It was a gift/reward for his 6th grade promotion (he was the student of the year!).<br /> - Anticipated that it would be a great threat/deterent for bad behavior and OMG is it ever!</p> <p>Having said that, we have strict phone rules.<br /> - It's understood that it's "our" phone that we allow him to use so we can take/inspect whenever we want.<br /> - He's not allowed to take it to school.<br /> - No Facebook/Instagram<br /> - He doesn't know the Apple password so he can't download apps without our approval.<br /> - He can use it freely on the weekends, and M-F once his homework is done.<br /> - Not allowed at dinner table (includes restaurants) or when visiting with friends and family.</p> <p>All this makes us sound like dictators, but we want whats best for him. Sorry for the novel. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982149 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:56:58 +0000 pui 1982149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think by the time my kid is getting a proper cell phone, they will all be "smart" (aka little computers). Or maybe there will be something completely different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982142 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:55:43 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 1982142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's so hard to say because the times change so quickly. I'm positive that when cell phones first came out not a single parent could imagine why they would need to give one to their child and yet it's kind of the norm now. I just hope that with whatever is available to and/or needed by my family when the time comes, we strike a good balance between allowing freedom and cultivating trust without just giving them free reign and doing who knows what. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982068 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:21:17 +0000 regberadaisy 1982068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It totally depends. My niece and nephew are 11 and got their first phones this school year. They live in NYC and take the bus to school. To me it's a safety reasons in NYC. My niece has a smartphone with parental controls and no data. There's no using during school hours and until homework is done. She still loves loves to read and requested books for her birthday present last month! So I think the two is irrelevant. </p> <p>Once our kids are at the age where they're on the bus and at after school activities I think we will give them whatever the communication device is at that point. But it'll definitely be a privilege. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982059 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:18:16 +0000 Eko 1982059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got my first phone at 16 because that was when I started driving. I think it is hard to see where cell phones are in 15ish years, but I am sure my kid will have one by that point. They'll probably have one out of necessity and not because their friends have one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982056 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:17:04 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1982056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: yeah, that's why my mom has allowed it for my brother. I had a lot of trouble with friends at his age and she wants him to fit in. He is very popular, but I don't know if that's good or bad! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982042 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:13:20 +0000 Mamaof2 1982042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my DSS's the rule was we provided a phone - if they wanted the data plan (aka: smartphone) they had to pay the extra $$ for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982040 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:12:19 +0000 mrbee 1982040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. tictactoe: I read an article about a teenaged girl who didn't have an iPhone... all of her friends did though, so they ended up kind of cutting her out. Not on purposes, but she just wasn't up on what was going on over iMessage, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. The article ended with the girl getting a smartphone, and being reaccepted by her friends.</p> <p>Kind of depressing reading! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982034 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:10:23 +0000 Adira 1982034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't even have a smartphone, so I just can't imagine getting them for my kids!! But by the time they are teens, maybe. I'll certainly want them to have a phone at some point so I can get a hold of them, but do they really need a data plan? I doubt it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982032 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:10:09 +0000 mrsjyw 1982032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to try and hold out until he's driving. That's when I got a cell phone. He already has a tablet, so that's my hard line. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982031 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:09:44 +0000 looch 1982031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't see why not, as long as they are controlled and monitored. As an example, it is not to be used during school, unless it is used as a teaching tool.</p> <p>I got my first cellphone in 1997 when I got my first full time job after graduating college. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982027 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:09:23 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1982027@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My brother is 13 and has had an iphone for at least 2 years. I'm not a fan. He's totally addicted and I see a big difference between him and our niece who is only a year younger, but who doesn't have her own phone. She reads so much, likes to play outside, etc. He seems so much older, even though he's not.</p> <p>I hope to wait as long as we can to go there. I know him having a phone will be more convenient for us, but I'd like to really restrict his social media usage and stuff until he's much older. But who knows. Things change... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982020 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:04:41 +0000 mrbee 1982020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: Yup, lots of people have them! The monthly charges are a lot lot lower. Plus there's less temptation to use your phone when you're out with friends and family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982016 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:03:22 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1982016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you even get a non-smart phone anymore?</p> <p>I imagine our kids will have phones in the future.. We don't have a home phone, so once the girls are old enough to stay home alone I would want them to have phones!</p> <p>ETA: we just got a new router and discovered that it has parental controls. Oops! The internet "breaks" at 9pm at our house. Kind of like AOL parent controls we had as kids HAHAHAH! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1982003 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 10:58:37 +0000 yoursilverlining 1982003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I imagine she will have her own smartphone at some point....don't know when, and certainly not for a number of years! When she does, that thing will be on parental lock-down for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1981993 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 10:55:54 +0000 travelingnanny 1981993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My future children will not own one unless they can pay for it themselves. I do think teens need cellphones since pay phones are no longer available but I do not think they need a smart phone.</p> <p>My younger brothers and sisters all have smart phones and I just do not see why they NEED them. Ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-your-kids-get-their-own-smartphones-at-some-point#post-1981956 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 10:30:07 +0000 mrbee 1981956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I see a lot of younger kids at my local cafe sitting together while they're glued to their smartphones. Usually they take pictures of each other and their food, and then announce to everyone/no one that they're going to post the picture to Instagram/Snapchat/etc. Not so different from how us older folks use our phones, now that I think about it!</p> <p>It gets me wondering how we're going to handle this stuff in the future. I've heard of some parents giving locked down versions of their phones (that work only over wifi, or that have parental controls installed on them). And some parents give out phones that can only receive calls and messages from certain people. But most parents seem to give out unrestricted smartphones to their kids, and have talks with them about how to use them responsibly.</p> <p>What's your plan... will your kids get their own smartphones at some point? </p>