Annie G 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: Ours had to wait until they turned 16 to get a cell. They didn't need one before then, but I can see where some kids might. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodhaven Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No even on our radar yet. My just turned 12 yo son has no need for a cell phone and no desire for one. However, there have been a few times when we dropped him off somewhere (chess camp for instance) and I gave him my phone. He has never used it when he had it, but knew he could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We just didn't need cell phones period until lately and none of us had cell phones until this year, er last year (2011). Dh and I each got one and one for our son who was 14 at the time. DS started taking classes part time at the high school so we got him a cell phone also. Definitely helps with picking him up. Also he can download audio books from the library onto his phone. DS 13 will probably get a phone next year when he starts taking classes part time at the high school as well. For now, there are few instances where he needs a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink 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? Yes, because her father is a whackadoodle and she needs to be able to get a hold of me at any time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12-15 year olds share a cell phone. It is to be used if they go somewhere where they might need to call home or Mom or Dad. They do also text on it as well as call friends every once in a while. At 16 my oldest got his own phone. And we plan to get our 15 year old a phone when she turns 16. I would think about getting a younger child a phone if they were away from home a lot for something and I felt that they needed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It came in quite handy if dc needed to call me from an event to say he was ready to be picked up. Or after dropping him off (like karate) having him call me to say he'd got in OK -- he had got dropped off at the curb and had to walk half a block and down into a basement level--I always felt more comfortable hearing he was with his teachers. Also for plane trips with dad. If God forbid he got separated from his father I'd want him to be able to call me. He was also trained, if he didn't have his cellphone with him, to borrow a cellphone *from a nice lady with kids*. He never used it for social calls, except for Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunt, and Parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Will it be used as a need or a distraction? Our 16 year old just got his phone bc he is starting to drive and has a need....at 12 no need existed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, but in our case by the time the boys were 12 they had paper rounds, would go down to the nearby lake with neighbour friends, etc... They needed to be able to contact me if something happened. Also handy when sports training finished early/went late, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm too cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy1k Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My kids all have phones. Probably my oldest was the only one who didn't have one by 12. They are fairly inexpensive and make my life easier. Sooo...they have them. My daughter got hers when she was 10, but it was because we confiscated our oldest son's phone when he turned 18 and didn't feel the need to follow rules or pay for his own phone. She's about to turn 11 and her social life is much enhanced by having a phone to text her friends with, so it makes me happy that she gets to have one. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 At twelve, Calvin was walking alone from Tae Kwon Do to Scouts and I wanted him to be able to contact me, so he had a phone for that. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, because there are no pay phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Moominmamma and The Snork Maiden share a phone. It doesn't have Internet access, and we gave it to them on the condition that a) they would be responsible with it and not phone/text in schooltime or in excess, and b) that it was subject to being spot checked at any time by DH or me. But basically I feel that I know them both really well and I trust them. If they broke that trust then we'd probably rethink their phone ownership (along with a bunch of other stuff!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, both my 11yo and 12yo have heir own cell phones so they can contact us. They don't use them for anything else since they're not exactly flashy phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 no, we cannot afford it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 DS12 has a cell phone. He can call me from school to let me know if he's staying for any unscheduled extra-curricular activities. I also like him to have one when he cycles alone to local sports events, 'just in case'. Best wishes Cassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Like others have said, it is need based for us. So far we've not given our oldest his own phone, but when he babysits the younger boys or we drop them off somewhere w/o us we do lend him one of ours. If phones were cheaper here, the way they are in the US, we would likely just get him his own but here you buy the phone (upwards of $50 US, closer to $100 US) and then either have a plan ($25 US/mo is the minimum) or pay as you go. So far, him using ours is fine. If he were more social and went more places w/o us or went out in the neighborhood more often, we would probably go ahead and give him his own. So far, he hasn't needed it and using mine as needed has been enough. We do not have internet browsing on our cell phones, so that has not been an issue. Overall I think 12 is an appropriate age, if the need is there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I voted no and it's mainly because of the cost. If we were to leave him home alone or when he goes to activities alone, we give him one of ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12 yo pays for her own bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooahwife 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? Yes. My child is allowed to go downtown and it is handy in case we need to contact each other. It is not fancy; it is a disposable phone. We use it for convenience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My 12 yo has one simply because it was his older brother's and he never used it. Ever. He's not a "phone talker". So they were sharing it for a few months before the older one said, "Just take it." ;) I do leave the boys alone when I run errands and I like to be able to reach them when I need them. My oldest son never remembered to turn it on or keep it charged. My 12yo carries it with him everywhere! His best friend goes to public school, though, so he doesn't text until the late afternoons / evenings and then just with this one boy. It's also just a plain phone. It does have a qwerty keyboard, but it's not a smart phone -- no internet access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 14yo is my age limit and will be unless there is a need...so far there hasn't been. Once my boys hit 14, they in school and doing things like staying after school for extra help or extracurriculars so needed to be able to contact me to pick them up, going to friends houses and being able to get in touch with them was more convenient for me. There are still rules...phone on counter until homework done after school, phone off at 10pm, no phone at dinner, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 There is really no need for my 12 yr. old to have a phone as she is with me all of the time and she doesn't have many friends at this time. Also, knowing her the way that I do, she would probably lose the phone or some such thing. When she is 16, she will get one then for safety purposes. When you are driving in the boonies of the Canadian Prairies, a phone is a must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 When ds1 was 12 or 13 (can't remember now) he had a cell phone. He bought it with his own money and we paid his airtime. The only reason we let him get one was he was working as a soccer ref for several hours at a time away from home. There were no pay phones at the field. Sometimes stuff came up--like being offered extra work--and we wanted him to have a good way to contact us. He's not a phone person, so it didn't get much use aside from that. He hasn't used his phone in a few years now. Ds2 is 13 and doesn't have a phone--he has no need nor interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Ours was really a grade level thing, and ds is young for his grade. He received a cell phone the summer before he started 7th grade. We wanted him to have one once he was in youth group at church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We generally got them for our kids on a basis of when we needed them to have one for communication purposes. Our youngest got his when he was 13, but he was not interested in one before that and we didn't need him to have one for communication with us. We find them useful for coordinating rides, contacting them when they are away from home, when we go different directions at the mall, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Ds has had one since he was 9 or 10. We have a family plan and it was cheap just to add a third line to our plan. We also got rid of our land line about the same time, and we were just starting to let him stay at home by himself. He started with a hand-me down phone and upgraded using his own money. He's saving for an I-phone now. He rarely uses it now. I have to remind him to keep it charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Dd has one. We have no landline so it makes it easier to just have her added to the cell plan. Now, she doesn't always keep it with her. She doesn't always keep it charged. But she has one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We got our dd11 a cell phone when she turned 11 because she started a babysitting job and we wanted her to be able to contact us if needed. It's also useful for those times when she's out doing something with friends or on her own, and we can always get in touch with her. For us, it's definitely a needs-based/maturity level thing. She's mature enough for it, and she needed one, so she has one. We turned off internet access on it, but she has texting. So far, she's been fine with it. Phones don't bother me as much as internet. She has a cell phone, but she doesn't have an email address yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) 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? We have had an extra cell phone that is issued out to our sons when they are at sports practice, games, scouting events, etc. It's purpose is to make them accessible to me, and to give them a way to contact me or other trusted adults. We've done this since they were about 10 and were getting on busses for soccer games hours away from where I had to be with their youngest brother. It was simply a safety item to hand them a phone. It's not for chatting. It's not for their personal texting on conversational use. It is pay as you go, so unless they are buying minutes on their own, overuse would show up quickly. It's not their phone. They are referred to as "The Away Phone" or "The Kid Phone" not by the name of one kid. We found to our dismay that our sons were not wise enough to resist all of the electronic temptation that is out there. Not without direct guidance. A personal phone would be part of that temptation. FWIW, neither DH nor I keep our cell phones in our bedrooms either. All phones have a dock in the family room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My oldest did by the time she was 12. I think she was actually younger than that. She spent every other week with her dad and wanted to be able to reach me without having to ask him to use the house phone. She also spends a lot of time at dance each night and it was easier for her to have a phone she could use to contact us if there was a change to the schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 EK got hers when she was 11 because I had to drop her off at rehearsals and other events. I loved knowing that she could get in touch with me any time. We got her a pay-as-you-go phone from Virgin Mobile for about $15 (very plain, no camera, no exterior screen) and we paid $20 every 3 months for minutes, which was the cheapest way to go and did not require a contract. She was very responsible with her phone, and after about 2 years, we got her a "regular" phone on our plan with Verizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My son had a cell phone before he was 12, but not when he actually WAS 12. He just didn't need it at that time. He does have one at 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmulcahy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yup. The small expense is worth the peace of mind. He rides his bike and skateboards all over the neighborhood with his friends. I like the fact that he can call me or I can call him for any reason at any time. He also has drop off football practice and if practice ends early he can call me. He has had the phone for a year and has been very responsible so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I voted no. There is no way I would have trusted my current 17 year old with a cell phone when she was 12. She would not have been able to stick to reasonable cell phone manners and etiquette, and as she got older she would not have been able to make good decisions about wise use of a cell phone. Just a few months ago she had an "issue" with not directly encouraging but certainly flirting with/not actively discouraging a boy who was texting her all kinds of s3xually inappropriate stuff. Dh ended up intervening with this boy. With my younger two, who are almost 10 and 9, I'm willing to consider having a cell phone available for them when they go out and about, but they will not have their own cell phones that they can always have with them at 12. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We don't have a home phone line and twelve is the age when I've felt comfortable leaving my older daughters to babysit younger siblings. I need a way to contact them when I'm out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I don't want my boys addicted to cell phones as I don't care for how screen technology is reprogramming human brains (literally). Therefore, not only did they not have them at 12, they never had or will get their own until they go to college. They can use one of our two family cell phones (no texting or internet) when they need one for contact. They have access to computers when they need the internet. It's worked very well for us so I see no need to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No for my older boys--they just weren't that common back then. Ds22 doesn't like communicating via phone. He has one now, tho. Ds20 went thru several phones (got him a cheapo one when he was 17) and we finally said "forget it" when he asked for another. He kept taking my phone, and then ruining it--once he swam with it, once he lost it, etc. Dd11 would love a phone. I asked her who she'd call, and she said she wants it for texting. Her friends at church have smart phones, and text all.the.time. Two of them spent the night here last year, and they texted during the party.:glare: I hate the "nose in the phone" behavior--I find it extremely rude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 None of my kids have needed a cell phone at 12. Right now our 17 yo and 15 yo share a phone. It basically goes with driving or being away at a job or at tutorial. It's not a right or rite of passage in our family, just a safety issue. We also do not get fancy phones, just the basics with texting but no data service. The phone docks in the den at night. My 19yo has his own phone, that he never bothered to keep on him or charged so we finally dropped him from our plan. Not in anger- just, well you can get your own plan when you'll use it sort of way. On the rare occassions 12 yo goes somewhere without anyone in the family she borrows sisters phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puma Mom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My boys did not have phones when they were 12, my dd did. First of all, for various reasons, we had an extra phone when she was 12. We let her use it, with the understanding that it was our phone, not hers. She was starting to babysit around then, and before that, was often left home alone. Our house phone is an internet phone, and I was more comfortable with her having a way to call us if the power went out. So she got a phone at that age because of our circumstances and wishes, not hers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My oldest is 11, but I would not let him have a cell phone next year. In fact, we've told the kids that we will not pay for cell phones for them. When they can pay the bill, then they can have one. We don't have a "plan", we have pre-pay, so it's not as easy as only paying an extra $10/month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No. She doesn't need one. Not that this matters, but she also wouldn't want one. We won't be buying our children cell phones. If and when they reach a point where they are needing one due to regular activities that don't involve the family, we will buy a 3rd cell phone to act as a loaner for whichever child is needing it at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Both of mine had cell phones before they were that age. In our case, it was a parentally-driven decision, based on the fact that they were both out and about being active in the community. For example, there was a time when my son was taking dance classes at a school 15 miles from our home. For several months, my daughter was attending rehearsals for a show that was 10 miles farther up the road from the dance school. I would take both kids in the car, drop my son for dance, drive my daughter to the theatre, come back to collect my son, drive back to wait for my daughter and then take both of them home. Sometimes, there was traffic, and I would have trouble making it from one site to another on time. For most of a year, the kids were in different choirs rehearsing the same evening in different locations. I did the same thing there that I did with dance and rehearsals, running back and forth. All of these activities took place in the evenings, after dark, in locations where there wasn't a lot going on outside and there were no pay phones. Without cell phones, neither of the kids could reliably reach me to tell me there were out early or running late. And I couldn't reach either of them to tell them I had run into traffic. So, each of mine had a cell phone -- which was used ONLY when they were out of the house -- from the time they were eight or nine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I wouldn't allow a 12yo to have a cell phone of his or her own, but if needed, I'd get an extra phone that the 12yo could use to contact me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 No cell phones here but the older 2 do have text free with voice apps on their iPods. The app only works when they have wi-fi access. They rarely used the phone feature but do text. I didn't feel that they needed phones because they're usually with me. When at a friend's, they can use their landline to call me if they need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida 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. That's the same one my son had at first. I love the idea of it, but we found the phone, itself, just didn't work very well. The quality of sound was so poor that I sometimes couldn't understand what he was saying. It was also so tiny that it was easily lost in a backpack. We moved him up to a regular pay-as-you-go phone after a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We finally caved this year for our 12 yo.- his older siblings were 13/14 when they got one. It's cheap and it has no data plan. Our two main reasons were 1.) we have no land line at one of our homes and I need to be able to contact him and vice versa when I'm running errands. 2.) he plays a lot of soccer and we leave him at practice/ private lessons. I need him to be able to call me if it's been rained out or there is some emergency or the parent he's to ride with is late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I don't object to them having one, but mine haven't had a need for one at that age. I don't see a reason for the expense at this point. Once they have one, it is way to hard to go back to them not having one if the budget gets tight. There is always a phone where ever they go, or a parent with them has a phone. I didn't get ds17 a phone until high school, when he was on a sports team and needed one to communicate pickup times. We are not restrictive on electronics, my 13 yo has her own laptop, iTouch (which she texts on) and various iPods, just not a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes. Molly had one at 11, I think. We are frequently at dog shows held in big arenas, and she goes off with her dog-show friends, roaming the (mostly indoor) show area. I wanted her to be able to contact us if she needed anything, and vice versa if her ring time was drawing close, etc. We never put any restrictions on what numbers she could call, though we do ask that she's respectful and moderate about it, which she always is. Most of her friends had phones by age 12, and I find that she talks on the phone MUCH less than I did at age 12. Of course, the texts fly, but dh and I keep a lid on that and Molly thinks we can read them via the AT&T website! :D It hasn't been a problem here. astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My ds got his first cell phone when he was 4, and we made sure he knew how to use it. That said, he didn't carry it around with him all the time -- it was used mainly when we were going somewhere like NYC, where we wanted to be sure that if we were ever accidentally separated, ds could call us immediately and we would know where he was. (Thankfully, nothing like that ever happened, but we thought it was better to be safe than sorry.) DS is almost 12 now, and still has a phone, although fortunately for us, he has little interest in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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