Age??? > A kid gets a cell phone?

I got my first cell when I was 16 mainly because I was dating a boy and it was all long-distance calls. That racked up the phone bill big time on our landline. They tried the "phone card" but I would use up all the minutes in one night on the phone. I think 16 is an OK age for cells but I disapprove of elementary school kids having them. If they need to call home, that's what pay phones are for or even going down to the office and using that.
 
I plan on getting our son as soon he is little more independent. So I can text him instead calling parents where he is.
 
i didnt got my own cell phone till i was in my 20's

mostly parents knew about kids are not ready for cell phone till teenagers says OK or not..
 
i got my first cell phone when i was in 7th or 8th grade, so ages 12-14.
 
I got my first cell phone when I was 62. My wife wants to text me lists of things to buy on the way home.
 
I got my first mobile phone when I was 8 or 9. This was only because I am a horse rider and if I was riding out, my mum wanted me to be able to call for help if I ever needed it. I think now though, a mobile is more of a fashion statement than a means of communication for younger children. I do agree though, that it is the choice of the parents and should be based on the maturity of the child.
 
i got my 1st cell phone when i went to secondary school, so i was 11 and i felt that was the first time i really needed it because i was getting to and from school on my own and it was useful in emergencies and socializing with people who were not in my local area.
 
Bottesini said:
Most kids calls, in my opinion, should be home to mom or dad. So how about when the child is able to read and write well enough to sent text?
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We plan to give one to my daughter when she is old enough to text. Since she is deaf she can't just call from anywhere, so we want her to be able to text us if she needs us.
 
True, when the kid is mature enough to responsibly handle a cell/texting. Too many times my teachers mention their youngest racked up the phone bill from texting every little tidbit of their day to their friends. I don't know, maybe it's because I just didn't get out that often as a kid. We rode bikes and played in the creek, not always going out to the arcades, movies and malls. We only went shopping for things like Christmas on our own and even then, we had a set time to be back by. *shrugs* I guess it's different now :lol:
 
:shock: Wow, kids are getting cellphone at very young age. I didn't get my first cellphone until when I was 21 years old. :shock:
 
I am deaf father of four kids, my oldest one is 12, I got him his own cellphone at 11 since he is A Straight student, he wonders around the place a lot, had trouble finding him and he kept getting invited to friends parties and such so I got him one so he can contact me when to pick him up or emergency comes up even ask for permissions to be granted. It is really helpful if the kids are like that or real good with the rules the parent gives out. My kid knows once he gets in trouble or disobey the rule of any kind, his cellphone will be taken away until the punishment is up. WARNING: Be sure the kid does not have a habit of losing things or forgetting where it is. My kid does that few times, so I taught him lessons at same time I am relieved his cellphone was returned and found.... so he has the same cellphone for little over a year now. I have him on kids package which gives him limit of minutes. If he improves his responsibilities and control his minutes better, I add more time to his phone. He got lots lots of friends and girlfriends and he loves to talk... so there. :)

Thinking about getting my daughter one next year when she turns 10 because she is more responsible then my boys. She is the 3rd kid of four. If she learns to be good at managing then she can have one after all.. reason.. her protection.
 
~SG~ said:
:shock: Wow, kids are getting cellphone at very young age. I didn't get my first cellphone until when I was 21 years old. :shock:
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I didn't get one until I was about 45 years old!

I had to wait for them to be invented first. :giggle:
 
Reba said:
I didn't get one until I was about 45 years old!

I had to wait for them to be invented first. :giggle:
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I am with you..didnt get mine until I was 30 years old..lol
 
Reba said:
How did kids survive before cell phones were invented?
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We played outside and exposed ourselves to the risks of being kidnapped! :roll:

Serious..we had no parental supervision playing outside on the streets. Wow!
 
Reba said:
How did kids survive before cell phones were invented?
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Me and my brothers, when we were kids, we always go away from home all day and only came home for lunch or get snacks then go outside again, riding bikes around the streets, school playground or going swimming in school pool, and take dog for a long walk and run around at the school ground during school/summer vacation breaks and weekends.

I guess my mom wasn't so worry about us three as she knows we will be back home later for dinner.

Reba said:
I didn't get one until I was about 45 years old!

I had to wait for them to be invented first. :giggle:
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LOL, good point, actually I have seen cellphone when I was around 17 to 18 years old but then I wasn't interested of having a cellphone and plus the texting weren't cheap back in the days or probably didn't exist at the time.

Until when I was 21, my friends in New Zealand keep asking me when am I going to get a cellphone so that they can keep in touch with me, as I used to send an email or fax to contact my friends in New Zealand to catch up with them. So for that 21 years old is when I first own my first cellphone. :giggle:
 
shel90 said:
We played outside and exposed ourselves to the risks of being kidnapped! :roll:

Serious..we had no parental supervision playing outside on the streets. Wow!
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If we were home by dark, that was good enough.
 
Reba said:
If we were home by dark, that was good enough.
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Yea, that was what my hubby said. My mom always told us to be home by 4PM whether it was dark or not.

We sure lived in dangerous times! lol
 
I am not going to let my children to have cellphone until they are working and willing to pay for the bill every month same thing the insurance for the car too. I will not pay for it. I want my children to learn their responsible! LOL.
 
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