I have no idea!! I want to hold of for as long as possible! Probably not until their teenagers!
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I got a cell phone when I got a car! Ideally I'll do the same with my kids, but if there's a reason for them to have one sooner, then I'll do that. But I probably won't let them have the latest and greatest, and I'm not paying for their data plans unless it just happens to be part of the family plan we already have! They can suck it up with the basics of pay for it themselves when I eventually DO allow them to have a phone!
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Probably around 14ish for a full smart phone. I may get my kid one of those child phones that only has like 3 functions so they can call home.
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Definitely not at 9 and 10 years old like my students!
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Not sure. Maybe 13 (middle school since their middle school is far away from home) but only for emergencies so something like a trac phone to use when they're out with friends. Or to let us know they got to school safely or will be late getting home, etc. It'll definitely be a privilege and taken away if abused.
That's if my brother doesn't get them the newest phone on the market before then!
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I didn't get one until I was 18 and living on my own, DH was 16 or 17? Probably somewhere around there, when they are able to pay for it on their own.
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@swedishfish: that blows my mind!! I see kids that have more expensive phones then me!
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@stargal: @swedishfish: my niece & nephews had iPad minis at 9!!! My brother is a gadget whore. LOL
But they definitely are stored away during the week and get taken away for bad behavior/grades, etc. -
@stargal: @swedishfish: @locavore_mama: I have a 3-year-old nephew with his own iPad. Gross.
I would say probably 14/15. When he starst having plans after school (like practice for sports). Or when he has friends who are driving. But it won't be a full smart phone. And he will be responsible for some of the bill, especially if he makes us go over our data plan. And it will get taken away at family meal time and bedtime.
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High school ideally. MAYBE middle school, depending. But they will not have an expensive smart phone until high school, at minimum.
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Probably sooner than I'd really like to. They're going to be responsible for getting themselves to/from school, so I will need for them to be able to contact me or DH if/when they need to. I'd like to think it won't be a smart phone, but I have always loved my phone, and I'll probably give in. It won't be unlimited data though, and it will come with responsibilities and punishments for taking advantage of the freedom I'm giving them.
So, if I'm guessing... late Elementary School/Early Middle School?
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I think it will depend on where she goes to school and the hours I am working when she's in school/after school. Elementary school will be walking distance but she could go to a middle school that is not close to home, so I'd probably get her a cell phone just in case, so probably 11ish?
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Probably 6th grade. Not a smartphone at that age. But she'll probably be taking the bus to/from school and staying home alone for an hour or two after school so I'd like her to have a cell phone.
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@mrsjazz: @lawbee11: @swurlygurl: yeah, my niece is starting middle school next year at barely 11. She will have to take the MTA Bus so I can imagine my brother getting her a cell phone before the next school year. Especially being in NYC I can totally understand why and probably would too. I also watched way too much SVU! LOL
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I got a cell phone when I started driving. That being said, I'll probably let her get one when she starts high school- her elementary school will be 30 seconds from the house. Although, that's just me guessing - she very well might get one sooner, because DH is an electronics junkie.
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I don't know but probably earlier than I think.
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I have a cousin who has basically no parenting (ugh don't even get me started) and his parents gave him an iphone when he was 8. He's 12 now and ALL he cares about is electronics. It's seriously so sad. He made a Vine (I had no clue what that was lol) and put really bad videos online (him humping his bed naked...). His parents had NO idea until my sister and I showed them. They took his phone away for 2 days and then had got it right back. He listens to horrible music with awful language on his phone with our grandmother in the same room. He's 12 in the 4th grade because he's been held back twice,. He doesn't care about school, just about getting home to stare at his phone/tablet. I'm getting pissed just thinking about it.
ANYWAY, I will def. not take that approach
I got a phone at 15 and it was def not a smart phone. I think little kids walking around with phones glued to their hands is insanely ridiculous.
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@locavore_mama: Yeah, I definitely think it's different when LOs have to take public transportation or are responsible for getting themselves to and/or from school.
I once got stranded and lost in Brooklyn when I was younger, a cell phone would've been great!
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@lawbee11: same! It's a lot earlier than I'd like, but I'm trying to be realistic. I isn't going to be the same as when I was a child.
My step kids mother got them EACH their very own tablets. They are 6 and 9. In my opinion, that is CRAZY. Especially for the 6 year old!
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High school for a full-on smart phone, and a basic grandma phone for emergencies in jr high. Nothing in elementary.
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@.twist.: LOL! Same re: the tablets...so crazy! I honestly think it's a mom trying to buy their love thing. We didn't get them any electronics at all for Christmas and I'm pretty sure they still love us a lot
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@swedishfish: My 7 and 8 year old students have them as well!!!
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Probably around 14ish.
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High school!
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i didn't get a phone until well after i started driving, but i know that's not the realities of today. DH said not until then (he didn't get a phone until college!) but i think we'll re-evaluate in middle school and then HS. for the fancy phones, she'll have to pay her own way for the extras.
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I'm thinking when she starts driving, but maybe high school. Currently undecided.
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I also have friends who have gotten iPad minis for their 2 year olds. I can't even....
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Probably earlier than the norm but we live in an area where kids walk to school and some activities on their own or with friends around third grade or so. A bit older than that and parents let the kids walk to get ice cream or to the park to hang out with friends.
A friend had a good compromise on wanting that safety feature and limiting exposure to electronics all the time, her plan is to get a "house" phone that belongs to the family and not to one child exclusively and require it be plugged in in the kitchen when not in use. We will probably use a similar plan.
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Probably around 16-17 years old. I got one when I could drive too. I have a horrible sense of direction so much so that my brother thought my parents were crazy to let me drive by myself at that time. Cell phone helped a lot. One of my coworkers gave her 9 year old a cell phone because the iPhone was free on their plan. That seems so young to me.
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@.twist.: @lawbee11: we have tablets in our pre-k class and I hate it! At this age, kids shouldn't WANT to be staring at a screen all the time. I have about 5 kids who are OBSESSED with the tablets. That's the only thing they want to play with. Then, when I say their time is up, they go to the computer, then the iPod. Drives me nuts. We have a classroom full of toys and other children, but they would rather sit still and play on the tablet by themselves.
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@lawbee11: I was SO angry about it. We got the eldest an iPod for xmas because he BEGGED us and we were getting pressure from grandparents (!!!) and we felt bad. He had limited time and if he misbehaved it was taken away. It was also CRAZY restricted. to the point where he tried to buy something from the app store and "create" his own password and it locked itself. We didn't know how to unlock it so he went without for like... 3 months! Then she goes and does this. UGH. unlimited time at their house. Don't even get me started with how she afforded that for them on welfare while she "can't even afford lunch meat". *grumble*
eta: whooooops, kinda went on a bit of a rant! /rant
@lilteacherbee: ugh. I'm actually trying to get L into a school that doesn't use tablets.
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I'm always shocked when I go to the aquarium and see elementary kids with smart phones.
I think my future kids will probably get one in middle school. I'd like to say high school because that is when I got mine, but I bet it will be sooner. Its not like there are pay phones anymore. I won't get them a smart phone because I think that is over the top. If they want to pay for it then I might reconsider.
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Pretty soon, cell phones, even smartphones won't be the in thing, so I am not worried about when my son will get one.
What's more worrying is wearable technology, like google glasses or even smartphone watches.
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When they can drive.
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I can't imagine what will be the newest technology in 10 years but I'd probably let lo have a cell phone or whatever it's equivalent in middle school. It's a question of safety and being able to contact me whenever she needs to. I was one of the first of my friends to have a cell and everyone wanted to borrow it to call for rides etc . It's such a normal part of every day life now, I feel like you can't compare it to our childhood.
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Not sure! I have this hope that we are sort of in a technological deadzone for parental oversight and things will get better. Like the whole sexting thing scares the crap out of me. But it seems like it's really just the last 5ish years where there has been all these new capabilities widely available to kids. I'm hoping in another decade there will be more mainstream ways to lock those sorts of things down.
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Probably when I start leaving them places other than school. Like piano lessons or sports or whenever. But it will be one of those locked down pre-programmed ones!
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Probably earlier than later - especially because iPhones let you track where they are.
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I'll probably give it to them earlier when they're in grade school or have after school/weekend activities, but can only be used in emergencies and will be quite restricted. They can have a cell phone in high school but there's no way i'm buying them a smart phone unless they can pay for the additional fees associated with a data plan.
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This is so hard, I got one at 14 becuase I started to drive. I would love to say this is when LO will get one, but kids get them so much earlier these days. I think it will 100% depend on whether we have a house phone or not, I do not want to have my cell phone being called by LOs friends! We might have to have a joint cell phone for our kids? I have plenty of time to think about this
I got a phone at 15 and it was def not a smart phone. I think little kids walking around with phones glued to their hands is insanely ridiculous.
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