blonde poker forum

I've just found out that my missus has bought my 8-y-o daughter a mobile phone for Christmas.

I have always thought that 8 is too young to have a mobile.
I am not quite sure why I think this, and, having thought about it, I am not sure what the right age is.

The added complication is that the wife has got her mum+dad to pay for this and is therefore a present from them (i.e. if we take it back we will need to explain this to the out-laws).

Would like some views / advice, particularly if you have kids or young relatives (with or without phones!!).

Jak.

I don't like them for children.  You hear stories about crime revolving around mobiles which would worry me a bit.  Also, why does a child that young need to be making calls from a mobile?  They hardly need to be making calls at all surely?

On the plus side, if they ever do need it in an emergency, they are very handy.

My little girl is only two so I don't have to worry about it yet thankfully.  Ideally, I'd like to see her wait until she was in her teens at least.

I think the right age for children to have moble phones is whatever age you allow them to go out without your supervision. My yougest was 13 when she got her first phone.

i'm against phones for children that young.

but am aware of the pressure from children to get what they want.

if you google 'parental mobile phone guides' there are services that can add a lot more control to it.

Seems mad to me

My daughter was allowed to have a mobile this year when she started secondary school, shes allowed me to pay her monthly bills  :D its worth it for that extra peace of mind.

I'm currently having the same "discussion" with my sister who wants to get a mobile for her 9 year old son. He in turn has told my daughter that hes getting a mobile and now my 6 year old wants a mobile too  ;grr; ;frustrated;

I'm firmly in the "don't be so silly" camp.

Got to agree with RED -DOG,  once they are going out without supervision, then they might need one. Until then they don't need a mobile.  

8 and 9 seems way to young to me , bought my 14 yr old his first mobile for his birthday in November , he may not have credit all the time but atleast i can shout down the phone when he's 5 minutes late getting in  ;D

My 8 year old son wants one and i've told him no.

Finally gave in to my daughter last year and let her have one when she was 12 which I still think is too young.

She misplaces it all the while and I've found it down the back of the couch a couple of times.

I bet your nipper will loose it within two months, who wants to give me odds.

we have just had a major row - my missus was writing cards, and asked me how to spell part of an address - Mungo. I replied that FFS surely you know how to spell Mungo, its only got 5 letters. So as a joke I said "M-O-N-G-O". Then when I went into the lounge, saw she had actually written that. I fell about the place laughing, but she didnt see the funny side....

tune in tomorrow for more domestic comedy....

Me and Paul are betting on how long it takes son William (15)  to sell/swap his , he's getting one for christmas  ;bat;

 rotflmfao

;popcorn; rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao

Same here, When my daughter started secondary school she got a mobile, and when my son starts this September he'll get one too. Mainly because that is when the usually start getting a little bit of freedom (and I mean a LITTLE) and also they both walk to and from school.

IMO, 8 is just way too young

Thanks for the replies so far people.

The night is still young.

 ;popcorn; ;popcorn; on sale at the front door................wish me luck!!

Jak

Cant you wife just explain to mum and dad how strongly you feel ???
As long as your Daughter doesnt know she has a phone i cant see the harm in getting her something else .

Remembering my track record as an 8 year old (and beyond) with items such as nice pens, gloves, hats, jumpers, coats, etc a mobile phone would just be another item I could add to the list of things I lost within the first week.

She will want to watch Eastenders omnibus edition, I will want to watch the Christmas Lectures. (they will be great this year, all about numbers and the theory of probability)

She will get her way....

Thank you for reminding me - the Christmas lectures are great.

I do often wonder how many of the 'eternally interested' kids in the audience are secretly comparing ASBO's with each other though.  Its kind of like seeing Songs of Praise where you know for a fact that 95% of the congregation will be asleep/silent/not there the following week.

I must remember to watch them - only decent thing on TV over christmas!

We have agreed to take the damn thing back to where she bought it from!! (Hoo-bloody-ray).

Having tried every rational angle (and some irrational ones!!) I read some of the replies to this post to the good lady.
The swinging factor was that the female point of view was strongly against (thanks Charmaine, Ginger and any other secret Girlies).

The most interesting conversation of the night was whether women poker players are normal women - hmmmm....

Thanks for your help. Got to go, got my 4-y-o boys mini-moto and air rifle to wrap up............

Jak.

I really don't mind my kids having mobiles, firstly the peace of mind aspect, Jade is 13 and Danielle is 10 and play out a hell of a lot hanging round with their mates etc.
Ellie-Anne is 6 so is never out of her mothers sight but i still gave her an old one of mine cuz her sisters have one.
Secondly i no longer live with them so i can get in touch with them whenever i want without having to speak to the dragon :D

We cheated slightly on this subject we got an old phone on pay as you go and we keep it as a spare but when my daughter who is 10 walks to friends houses round the corner, she takes it with her as her phone, but she knows it's only to call us if she's going to be late or she's going to go to another friends. When she comes back home it is switched off and stays in the kitchen drawer. So we get piece of mind and she gets to have a phone. All happy.

Can see this is a different situation which justifies a different approach.

Got a friend in the same situation and it was a battle for him to get to talk to his kids until he got them mobiles.
(Interestingly, he has the same name for his ex. You weren't married to a woman in Derbyshire were you.......).

Jak.

;iagree;


Regards

M

Good for you mate...I am with you..a mobile at 8 is ridiculous.

ON the "most interesting point"...no they are not... ;)

 :goodpost: ;iagree;

Also I find it intresting that noone has considered the potential health risks, especially to still growing, vulnerable tissues in children (only intresting as it has received a lot of publicity).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1436543,00.html
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/MPABD.php

IMO the juries still out.... for the record my 2 sons were allowed a mobile aged 12- they are allowed more freedom and independance now.... my 11 year old daughter is pushing for one- but I have been strong..!!