"Older" Kids & Cell Phones...

bethforeman · August 2015

I know this is not related to our pregnancies but I would like some advice from moms.

we are moving this weekend to a new (slower paced) city, over an hr away from our family, & my son will be attending a new school and they CAN take school buses home, one of the routes drops him off down the street from our house. I will be meeting him everyday at the drop off location. We only have 1 car at the moment, & with a newborn due in 8 weeks, our 2 year old, caring for my 3 year old niece a few days a week & my husband needing the car for work until we get a new one, it seems like the bus is the best option.

However, I'm a super paranoid mom (I watch the news) & we've been considering getting our 8 year old a super cheap cellphone just to let me know when he is safely on the bus everyday. The thought sounds crazy, he's 8! But the phone (which would be $10 extra added onto our bill a month) would give me peace of mind, tremendously.

I am not the mom that uses electronics as the only form of entertainment... We have designated rules/monitoring/timing to our family iPad & he is responsible in that sense. Do you think it's over the top to consider having a cheap phone for after school purposes only, yet limiting his usage of it? I feel so overly protective of my little ones... And now I'm feeling overbearing lol

millereliz13 · August 2015

My friend's son got a cell phone at that age that could only call certain numbers, like mom and dad, and would only accept calls from preauthorized numbers. It didn't text or anything fancy, it was just for calling.

sdnyc99 · August 2015

I gave my daughter her first cell phone at age 8 (she's 17 now) for similar reasons. She was starting at a new school, we were carpooling so she wasn't always with me, and she was also starting some more after-school activities where I was dropping her off and not necessarily staying with her. So I wanted her to be able to reach me at all times, and vice-versa.

It's not like it was an iPhone, it was just a very basic phone for voice calls if she needed it. And she almost never used it or even looked at it when she was that young. But it still gave me peace of mind - and the very rare times her rehearsal ended early or she needed something she forgot, she was able to call me.

We initially got her one of those "just
for kids" phones (I think it was called a Firefly at the time), but that ended up more expensive and was pointless. It was easier and cheaper just to get her a cheapie regular phone on my plan.

To this day, 9 years later, she has never lost or broken a phone and has always been very responsible with them. (Of course, as a 17-yo, she's now as addicted to her iPhone as any teen...but that's a different story!)

Kristyhana · August 2015

My daughter just turned 12 and I got her a phone. For me it was mostly so I can keep tabs on her via GPS and because next year at middle school she'll be coming home from school by herself. Of course she wanted it to text with her friends and Instagram and all of that so I guess win/win. She is super responsible though and there are many rules in place so I guess it also depends on the kid.

naka92 · August 2015

My parents got me a cellphone as soon as they were a thing. They'd load up €10 a month so I could call them if needed, it was most definitely a safety thing. We lived in a very small town (300 people) but it gave my mom a lot more peace of mind. I dont remember exactly how old I was, but it was between 8-10. I actually liked being able to call my mom at that age if something came up, and vice versa. I wasnt allowed to use it for any other means (though I definitely snuck in the occaisional snake game) and mostly, that was fine.

If it helps your peace of mind, I dont see why you should refrain from getting her a phone. If youre worried about the entertainment aspect, just get an oldschool dumbphone. I'm personally not a fan of seeing children with hypermodern smartphones worth $600+, but thats a whole different discussion :P

1stComesLove421 · August 2015

They make cellphones designed for children. I actually just saw one advertised the other day. It didn't have texting, had a gps tracker, and the child could only call #1 or #2 which had the parent/gaurdian number preprogrammed in.

I don't like seeing small children with smartphones, but for saftey reasons I think it's perfectly ok to get a basic phone.

mommy_wife_nurse · August 2015

I think that's a perfectly fine reason for wanting your 8 year old to have a cell phone! I had one when I turned 13 and even then, I had to prove responsibility with it before I had texting added to it/unlocked.

Kristyhana · August 2015

MelMel92 said:
My parents got me a cellphone as soon as they were a thing. They'd load up €10 a month so I could call them if needed, it was most definitely a safety thing. We lived in a very small town (300 people) but it gave my mom a lot more peace of mind. I dont remember exactly how old I was, but it was between 8-10. I actually liked being able to call my mom at that age if something came up, and vice versa. I wasnt allowed to use it for any other means (though I definitely snuck in the occaisional snake game) and mostly, that was fine.

If it helps your peace of mind, I dont see why you should refrain from getting her a phone. If youre worried about the entertainment aspect, just get an oldschool dumbphone. I'm personally not a fan of seeing children with hypermodern smartphones worth $600+, but thats a whole different discussion :P

This makes me feel SO OLD. Cell phones weren't a thing until I was in college!!

naka92 · August 2015

Kristyhana said:

My parents got me a cellphone as soon as they were a thing. They'd load up €10 a month so I could call them if needed, it was most definitely a safety thing. We lived in a very small town (300 people) but it gave my mom a lot more peace of mind. I dont remember exactly how old I was, but it was between 8-10. I actually liked being able to call my mom at that age if something came up, and vice versa. I wasnt allowed to use it for any other means (though I definitely snuck in the occaisional snake game) and mostly, that was fine.

If it helps your peace of mind, I dont see why you should refrain from getting her a phone. If youre worried about the entertainment aspect, just get an oldschool dumbphone. I'm personally not a fan of seeing children with hypermodern smartphones worth $600+, but thats a whole different discussion :P
This makes me feel SO OLD. Cell phones weren't a thing until I was in college!!

Haha, sorry! ^^ I'm 23, so definitely part of the younger crowd on here. Mobile phone (and most other) technology has grown so much so quickly..

loveleighmami · August 2015

I say go for it. I'm the same way with the bus. If the technology is there to keep a better eye on your child, then why not?

bethforeman · August 2015

Thank you all so much! I'm no longer feeling as crazy as I thought my idea was lol

komorebi · August 2015

My dd just got a phone at 10 but it's only for when she's away. It's an older iPhone and she can't have Facebook or instagram or any other social media. No way. We got it for the same reason as the op. She's out on her own more and i want her to be able to contact me.

MamaBear345 · August 2015

I think if it would help you sleep better, then to do it:) you need to feel comfortable, so getting your son a phone would be okay. However, I would not get a smart phone that has games and Internet. Just a phone for calling or texting. Just explain to him the rules and teach him not to call random numbers. Plus I'm guessing most of his friends don't have phones yet so he probably won't be on it much because he won't have anyone else to talk to but you.

J1D · August 2015

I'll be getting my kiddo a phone early on. Payphones aren't really around anymore so it seems more like something he may need. Way back in the day we could have made him always carry 50cents to call if there was an emergency... but yeah, that doesn't work so much these days. And maybe starting really young with a super boring basic phone might help develop good habits for later in life. Like actually calling people instead of just texting for one thing. Or leaving the phone on the charger at dinner time and not taking into the bedroom at night. Stuff like that.