Kindergarten kids with cell phone?
- Thread starter Boorstin
- Start date
How else are they supposed to contact their drug dealers?
Tracfones are basically disposable so if that's the case I suppose I could see it but only for calling certain numbers. My 1st grader still wouldn't have a need for a cell phone, at that age he's never off by himself without an adult anyways. In a few years though, maybe.
Tracfones are basically disposable so if that's the case I suppose I could see it but only for calling certain numbers. My 1st grader still wouldn't have a need for a cell phone, at that age he's never off by himself without an adult anyways. In a few years though, maybe.
Kids could be riding bikes to the pool or wherever long before they have a car, not a smartphone, but a phone to check in with their parents or whatever I could see when they're maybe 12+.
Just because the technology wasn't around/wasn't as affordable when we were growing up, doesn't mean today's kids should be deprived of it. I didn't get a cell phone until I was 16 (2004), and I only got one because my brother (17 at the time) was in a single-car accident the day before and didn't have a phone to contact anyone on a pretty isolated stretch of highway. I was left at school waiting for my ride home for a couple hours, wondering where he was the entire time. We got the most basic of phones, something Nokia and the only game on it was Snake.
Kindergarten is too young IMO for reasons pointed out above -- at that age, they should always be with a trusted adult(s) who have the parent's phone number. Around the 10-12 range, when kids seem to start being left alone at home or allowed to bike across town to a friend's house or pool, get them a basic phone so they can call mom, dad, grandma, and emergency services.
Kindergarten is too young IMO for reasons pointed out above -- at that age, they should always be with a trusted adult(s) who have the parent's phone number. Around the 10-12 range, when kids seem to start being left alone at home or allowed to bike across town to a friend's house or pool, get them a basic phone so they can call mom, dad, grandma, and emergency services.
I don't have any problem with a kid having a basic cell phone to make phone calls to parents, etc. But, when kids that young have smartphones, they have access to a lot of things they shouldn't have. (Snap chat to name a big one)
There was a huge sexting scandal at New Trier High School (North Shore Chicago area) back in 2012 that led to quite a few guys getting into trouble with the law and one girl who is now very popular, since the north side of Chicagoland has seen her completely nude. It's just a matter of time before I hear about a sexting scandal at some elementary school.
There was a huge sexting scandal at New Trier High School (North Shore Chicago area) back in 2012 that led to quite a few guys getting into trouble with the law and one girl who is now very popular, since the north side of Chicagoland has seen her completely nude. It's just a matter of time before I hear about a sexting scandal at some elementary school.
I think my son was 12 or 13 when he got his. About the time some of the extracurricular activities started. Before that, as others have said, he was not ever in a place where there wasn't an adult present.
One of my co-workers had a son who's friend had a phone in kindergarten. It was for emergency calling of his parents. I think they worked opposite shifts and may have had to deal with a rotating schedule.
For the most part, I don't think elementary kids need even a basic phone. Yet, there may be circumstances that make it a possibility.
For the most part, I don't think elementary kids need even a basic phone. Yet, there may be circumstances that make it a possibility.
a friend of ours is a kindergarten teacher and last year had a kid with an iphone in class who stumbled upon his parents nudie photos
Every day I have less and less desire to raise children in the world with how it's changed. I graduated high school 10 years ago, and since then it's crazy how over sexualized kids have become at a younger and younger age. I'm sure I would have loved rainbow parties, snapchat, and girls trying to out ***** each other as their measurement of worth as a teen, but as a parent, I can't even imagine having a daughter in this environment.
You're scaring me! My 4 year old better not ask for one. 
Sure, she knows how to run mine and all, but no real need at this point.
I do often think what age it makes sense. Of course I am practical, but I know that doesn't always mesh with "keeping up with the Jones'" I've always thought I could get a cheap phone with the reload cards and say "the first 500 minutes should cover all the calls you'd need to make to me, etc, beyond that you can buy your own cards to reload."
Sure, she knows how to run mine and all, but no real need at this point.I do often think what age it makes sense. Of course I am practical, but I know that doesn't always mesh with "keeping up with the Jones'" I've always thought I could get a cheap phone with the reload cards and say "the first 500 minutes should cover all the calls you'd need to make to me, etc, beyond that you can buy your own cards to reload."
IMO Kindergarten is too young. For us it was when we felt comfortable with them walking home from school and they got involved in after school activities. One thing I like about them having phones is using the Footprints app, we can see exactly where they (well their phones technically) are at all times which is really nice.
Same here. With my oldest we waited until middle school, when she'd be walking home and also participating in before and after school activities.
There are no reasons for a child to have a cell phone at school...regardless of age.
I remember about five years back I heard that they had a couple of different models of phones that were for young kids just for emergencies - I think they had, like, four programmable buttons so you could call these 4 numbers. (Probably mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or something.) Six years old seems a little too young to be anywhere that an adult wouldn't be able to call the parents, but I can see it a few years after that if it's VERY limited in scope (like the programmable numbers and limited talk time).
