Audrey Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 do you allow your 12 year old to have a cell phone? Or, for those who have older kids, did you allow them to have one when they were 12 years old? Why or why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No, not at this time. Truly, she is with me or her/our friends all.of.the.time. So, there is not the need. Also, she is not responsible enough, yet! :001_smile: :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We just gave our ds one for Christmas. He is 13. He's been grounded from it for about a week now...:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 the only reason my 12 yo has a phone is because we gave him my mom's when she died in May. we all lived together and were on the same cell plan. it was just an easy thing to do, and he wanted it. having said that, under normal circumstances my answer would be no. my older 2 didn't get phones until they were older and/or needed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Our older boys didn't have phones until they were driving. Our youngest daughter got one at 8 because she was 45 minutes away from us for hours a day at gymnastics. If something was "off" or she didn't want to ask to use the phone, she could still call us at any time. My dh didn't think it was fair for her to get one and her older two siblings to have to wait, so he went and got all three of them one. So my youngest three all had a phone by 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, because she started ps this year for middle school and she walks home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We allowed our older children to have a cell phone at 12 because they attended ps, and they walked/biked to and from. For our family, it's more needs-based than age-based. Ds11will get a cell phone when he needs to be able to call us or when he can pay for it himself. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12 year old shares a prepaid phone with her 11 and 13 year old brothers for when she's out and might need to call us. She has an iTouch that she can text on if she has wifi (bought by her uncle for her). If she (or our 13 year old) wanted to buy her own phone with prepaid access, we'd probably let her at this point, but it's not NEEDED enough for us to justify us investing in a phone or plan for her. (I think that my 13 year old is considering this option at the moment but hasn't decided to make the investment yet.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12 year old doesn't have one, and I'm not sure what he'd do with one. He has no interest in owning one, either. If there was a reason or he was interested and could give me a compelling reason, I would consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Before my kids got them, I was shocked that so many of their peers already had them. But . . . We got dd's at 11 right before dh deployed b/c I knew I would be dropping her off places w/o me and it gave me a huge sense of relief knowing she could get in touch w/me and vice versa. She is very responsible. DS got his at 12 b/c he too was being dropped off at places w/o me. He is not responsible, but hasn't lost his yet. I also have a sense of comfort when they walk the dogs around the neighborhood or are spending the night w/friends. If you're worried, skip internet access. Laura Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My kids can have one at any age, provided they can pay for it. None of my kids have a cell phone. DD, 15 will be driving soon and will need to get herself a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes. We have it b/c she babysits the other kids sometimes and we have no landline. Very basic, no internet or texting. Just a phone. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in MI Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Mine did, only because I wanted a direct contact with them whenever, I didn't want them to rely on their friends. My girls we're 11 & 12 and son was 15. Dss12 has a cell phone that he got when he was 10, only because of the distance from dh and so that dh could talk to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauranc Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I answered no. I have a 17 yr old who just got a cell phone in the past 6 mths. It's one of our old ones. Before he leaves for univ. we'll probably get him a smart phone. I have a 12 yr old and also an 11 yr old. Neither one have a cell phone. When my oldest got a part time (volunteer) job last fall we felt he would benefit from having a phone to get in touch if he needed to. He also needed it for the job as he had to make and receive phone calls from parents (he was a stage manager in a theatre) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Neither DD had one at twelve. If they were going somewhere that a phone might be useful, I lent them mine. DD 15 got a phone about a year and a half ago because she travels a lot by herself. DD 13 borrows a phone if she needs one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) I did because dh was deployed, we were living in Germany, and ds and I were not always together. ETA: We did not have home phone service either. Edited January 10, 2012 by PentecostalMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Mine doesn't, but she does need one. She is at the ballet studio daily, plus performances, and there are too many hours when I can't be with her. The only reason she doesn't yet have one is because we are 1. Too Cheap. 2. Too not on the ball. IMO, cell phones can be one of a number of safety tools, if you will. Maybe Opie never had one, but walkie-talkies were pretty popular back I. The day. I'm guessing Andy would be pro cell phone, but asking that it not get dropped in the crick. I really need to get this done. She can't have mine, because I need the other kids to reach me. 12 yr old Dd used to take her sister's, yet her sister is now in college and needs hers. Edited January 10, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) My kids got their phones at age 10 and 12, when they had to walk /use public transportation to go to school by themselves. My 12y/o DS hardly uses his phone now; he takes it when he is out with his bike so he can contact me in an emergency. ETA: just two weeks ago, something came lose on his bike and he had to walk home from his ride; I probably would have been worried about the unexpected delay, had he not called me. My 14 y/o DD has been using her phone a lot since she was 13, mainly to coordinate transportation to her activities. She is texting several friends to arrange for a ride, texting me if she needs to be picked up, or if she wants to ask permission when plans change. She texts with her friend to arrange get-togethers. My kids have prepaid cell phones, so they could not accumulate huge bills; the phones themselves are cheap. I don't see why it should be a problem. I find it very convenient that I can text DD when she is out and about, and I find it safer for her to have a cell phone. Every day, she spends several hours away from me and away from home. Edited January 10, 2012 by regentrude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 do you allow your 12 year old to have a cell phone? Or, for those who have older kids, did you allow them to have one when they were 12 years old? Why or why not? I voted no...only because we have not had the need of a cell that young. When the kids are away from me, I make sure they take a phone with them. They do not need their own until they are either in school, or driving whichever is first...then God help them if they go anywhere without it. I would not hesitate to get my 12 year old a phone if they were in school all day...or were away from home for a good part of the day. FWIW, when my older kids were younger and played out in the woods a good part of the day, we had walkie talkies that we used...much like a cell...to tell them to get their tails home. My younger guys are not so adventurous.... Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12 year old doesn't have one, and I'm not sure what he'd do with one. He has no interest in owning one, either. If there was a reason or he was interested and could give me a compelling reason, I would consider it. :iagree: This is my son too, he's not the kind of kid that has or wants tons of friends and doesn't go anywhere that he'd need to have one anyway. He's never asked for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It depends. No, *my* teens didn't have phones at 12. They didn't need them. Could I think of some circumstances where it would be beneficial and/or okay? Sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Both dd and ds got a phone when they turned 11. DD was starting middle school and had various activities which made it helpful. DS could not wait until he was 11 to get one, and we were just discussing how he never uses it. They both have texting, but not internet. At first we were against texting. DD found herself in a situation, however, where she was uncomfortable about some choices some adults were making. She wanted to call us, but did not feel comfortable having those adults hear what she was saying. So, we decided that there were benefits to texting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hadassah Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 For our family, it's more needs-based than age-based. :iagree: My ds got a phone last year, when he was 12, because he started walking to/from Scouts. But my dd didn't get a phone until she was 14, when she went off to full-time residential college, because her dorm didn't have a landline and we wanted her to call home at least once a week to check in with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, she got one last year but only because I was dropping her off at horse riding and leaving her there for up to 4 hours to work. She needed some way to call me when she was ready to leave and there wasn't always someone around to let her into the office. If she hadn't had that need we wouldn't have gotten one for her. Right now I'm using it since she hasn't been going to the barn. (It's only a tracfone.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It has worked out that my dc have gotten them at 13 yo. That's sooner than we thought we would do, but it was helpful to us for them to have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Dd got a cell phone at 13 because we wanted her to be able to communicate with us about her blood sugar (she's diabetic), and she was starting to spend more time away from home. Ds12 is desperate for a cell phone─not because he actually needs one, but because all his buddies have one. Calling him home from across the street and locating him at church are really the only times him having one would be handy for us. We are holding out until he is at least as old as his sister was when she got one. If he had a true need, or he spent much time away from us, we would reconsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertDweller Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Dd was allowed to have one at 14. That's about the time she started high school and was more involved in things that were drop-off activities/events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My son is still 11, but he won't get a phone when he is 12...He doesn't need one...When he starts to drive, or has to take public transportation somewhere without us is probably when he will need one...I have one so DH can contact me whenever he wants to and because I drive and may need assistance while I am in my vehicle...Since he does not have a spouse and does not drive or take public transportation alone, he does not need a phone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Both of my older dc were involved with activities and doing things without me away from home at 12, so they had phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 He doesn't use it regularly -- it's a prepaid Go Phone, so we pay $2 for any day he uses it at all. In the past four months he has used it on four days (which probably means I'm going to have to give them another $20 before he uses it again...) Three of them were for a trip he and I took where I was going to be only semi-available (he was running around a college campus while I sat in the student union with my laptop all day) and the fourth was when I dropped him off at the movies with friends. He would have been fine without it in both cases, but especially for the trip I was happier with him having it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I need an "other." :001_smile: Our kids have access to a cell phone but not their own cell phones. We have a common "kid phone" that goes with whichever kid (or group of kids) is going to be away from us and/ or not have easy access to a phone for an extended period (usually at least a couple hours). When home, the phone is supposed to be plugged in in dh's office unless one of the kids is using it to call or text a friend (which only happens occasionally... they prefer to use my phone to call for some reason). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No, but we have extras they can use when they need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It depends. No, *my* teens didn't have phones at 12. They didn't need them. Could I think of some circumstances where it would be beneficial and/or okay? Sure. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I need an "other." :001_smile: Our kids have access to a cell phone but not their own cell phones. We have a common "kid phone" that goes with whichever kid (or group of kids) is going to be away from us and/ or not have easy access to a phone for an extended period (usually at least a couple hours). DH and I talked about doing something like this when the boys are older... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, because we have a contract for it for another year. :tongue_smilie: it was taken from her irresponsible brother. I like her to have one for when she's away from me. She calls me if she's not feeling well or if she needs something. All too often it's not charged for her when she needs it.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenneinCA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 She had one at 12 because it was easier for her to communicate with me when she wasn't with a parent. So far, she has been absolutely trustworthy with it. My son is 11 and he gets the use of a spare phone when he needs to be away from the adults. I don't expect to have issues with him and a phone either. If we have problems we will re-evaluate. So far it hasn't been a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My dd is 13 and has a prepaid phone. I wanted her to have the phone more than she wanted the phone. This past summer I would drop her off for softball practice and my other dd and I would go to the library less than a mile away. I wanted her to be able to call me if she need me. She also has a friend that lives 2 streets over and they ride bikes together. I call her a few times just to see where they are or to let her know I need her to come home earlier than planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiMomNP Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, my son has a cell phone. He is 12.5 and has had one since he was 10. He flies back and forth across the country (alone) to see his dad so he really needs a phone to reach us. We do not have a land line so we all rely on our cell phones pretty heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 DD12 will be 13 at the end of March -- she does not have a cell phone. Sometimes if 'dh and I drop her off at a practice or try out or something where we are leaving her there, I will give her my phone so she can call dh if she needs. Other times, I will check with an adult who is there and ask if she may use their cell phone to call me. I can see, however, that it is going to soon become necessary for us to buy another phone for her to use so that i am not giving up mine. I do see an issue with alot of her friends using their phones to text especially during their school days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, for safety reasons and the fact that there are no payphones where she swims... BUT... we have strict rules about using it. She is only to call home, my cell, dh's cell, or 911. We pay the bills on it (and will until she's an adult) therefore we call the shots regarding its use: no calling friends and no texting and no internet. We can see every call made or received on it and she has kept her end of the deal since she got it for her 12th birthday. Our dd is very honest and trustworthy so I don't expect her to abuse the rules... but I do expect her to one day say "hey, if I paid for it, then I should be able to text!" and to that, we'll say "when you're 18!" (or an adult, which is more vague and based on maturity level) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 do you allow your 12 year old to have a cell phone? Or, for those who have older kids, did you allow them to have one when they were 12 years old? Why or why not? No, ds did not. He happened to get my old phone (I replaced it with a better model) when he was about 15 and out and about on his own with his friends. It would depend though on your circumstances. Prepaid phones would prevent a huge bill. Straight Talk works pretty well and the lowest is $30.00 a month for 1000 talk minutes and 40KB texting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We gave our daughter a tracfone with 30 minutes/ month on it. She needs to call or text when she's ready to be picked up from certain activities. Also, she and my son take the dog for a walk in the development behind us. While it is a safe neighborhood, I always feel safer knowing they have the cell phone. With tracfone, 3 texts = 1 minute, so if she's pretty careful, we can make the minutes last a long time. You can be on the "protection plan," which is only $6/ month to carry your minutes over to the next. So that is $9.99 for the 30 minutes, then $6 for the next month. $16 for two months isn't bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Our son had one at 10 when he first went to residential summer camp. His first phone was one of those bare-bones versions for kids (it had a goofy name: Firefly? Fruitfly?). It couldn't make or receive calls except to already-programmed numbers. I wonder if they even make those anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbholly Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We got my son a cell phone when he was 11. It just seemed like right around then, we started dropping him off at more activities. He has food allergies and it took me until he was 10/11 to feel safe leaving him at activities without a parent staying. It made me feel much better knowing he could call me if something came up-even if it was just that he was getting out a few minutes early. He did not (and still does not) have a data plan but he is on our Verizon plan and does have a lot of minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, but they "had" to have them - in their case it was more of a necessity than a luxury. We spent a lot of time away from each other (as in, different countries, even different continents), and in some places they were quite independent already (quite free range), so it was a very wise idea to have them have a possibility of contacting other people at any moment. Of course that with time it has turned into a social thing more than anything else, but that is a side-effect I am ready to accept because I really need them available for any kind of emergency. They were already in some potentially awkward situations and even though they are never completely alone, without responsible adults somewhere, you never know what kind of a dangerous situation might happen. I am just not willing to risk it. If I had a child growing up in different, much less "exciting" circumstances, where a cell phone was merely a luxury and a social thing, I am not sure whether I would allow it already at that age, or somewhat later. Different kids, different circumstances, different needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) I voted no. BUT, My girls got phones at 13, when they started babysitting and doing more drop-off activities. Edited January 10, 2012 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I voted yes, but it really depends. The three of mine have to share a phone (15, 11 and 11) They ended up getting it because there were too many times that they were somewhere I wasn't and I just felt better knowing they had a way of contacting me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No, but only because there's no need for her to have one. She talks on our house phone with friends. A lot. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I needed an "Other". My oldest DS had a phone he was allowed to use when we needed to coordinate a pick up for him from baseball games. We had three kids playing that year and only one car. Once they started highschool, we got each of them a cell phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My big kids didn't get phones till there was a real reason: they were out of my care, at lessons or on the road. There had to be a reason, more than the phone being a cool toy. When the youngest hit 15 and is the ONLY kid without a phone in any group he gets around, I did feel social pressure. Yuck. So, got him a purchased phone and a cheap plan, to text mainly, and he's happy, and I don't have to walk all over the place looking for him anymore. Lazy mommy. He can communicate privately with is older sibs who are both at college, which is really a good thing. Its hard to figure this one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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