When our oldest we're 12 & 14 we got one phone to use as a "family phone". They

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Sep 18, 2024
8:23:32am

TailgateU All-American

When our oldest we're 12 & 14 we got one phone to use as a "family phone". They

could both use it, but any messages sent could just add easily be seen by the other.

It's been a couple of years and the only difference I'd make is maybe getting them flip phones for communication only. Sometimes we wish there was a phone with everyone.

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TailgateU

Bio page: TailgateU
Joined: Aug 16, 2017
Last login: Sep 19, 2024
Total posts: 11,079 (6 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

About what age did your kids get cell phones, and why that age?

Future_Tacos

Sep 17, 10:51am

Troomi at 13 and in Jr High

Ted Lasso

Sep 17, 10:53am

14. Seemed easier to manage high school stuff.

OrsoNero

Sep 17, 10:55am

14-15. Because they needed to communicate with us

RobAdams

Sep 17, 10:55am

iPhones are easier to lock down I think

Sep 17, 2:13pm

For some things, this may be true. Friends of ours seem to have done a good

RobAdams

Sep 17, 3:08pm

12

cheezedawg

Sep 17, 10:56am

18,18,17,16---Smart phones are drugs...wait as long as you can

Don_Juan_El_Guapo

Sep 17, 10:56am

You got soft lol

palangi

Sep 17, 11:10am

Yeah..plus my son's friend literally gifted him an iPhone...I still used every

Don_Juan_El_Guapo

Sep 17, 11:16am

Gabb phone in 6th grade. IPhone with no browsing or social media in 8th grade.

pinolero

Sep 17, 10:57am

14ish/summer before HS. With Family Link & Bark. Learned lesson: Android > Apple

Dataguy

Sep 17, 10:59am

I got a dumb phone at age 15 and a smartphone at age 18

BaseCoug

Sep 17, 10:59am

The phone I had at 15.

Jeffacka

Sep 17, 11:06am

Calling to ask a girl out and praying her dad wouldn't answer. Good times.

Sep 17, 11:26am

18.

Sep 17, 11:02am

12--and we went through some growing pains

Carnac

Sep 17, 11:02am

I just checked the screen time report for my kids. My 16 year old averages 3 hours per day on her phone. My 12 year old

cheezedawg

Sep 17, 11:08am

No social media for our kids.

Carnac

Sep 17, 11:19am

Anyone have thoughts on Be Real? My kid pushed to get it. We finally said ok.

pinolero

Sep 17, 11:40am

It’s less bad than the others. Limits you to only contacts

BaseCoug

Sep 17, 12:17pm

We got him one once he hit Jr. High. We have it locked down to where we have to

cougarfan84

Sep 17, 11:03am

13. And if I could do it over again I would wait until they are 16 or 17

DataMouth

Sep 17, 11:03am

13 - iPhone. Dont want them thinking Android is the best their life will be.

Longseason

Sep 17, 11:04am

15...not having a phone started causing issues in school. All teachers

WhirleyPop

Sep 17, 11:07am

💀

goblin

Sep 17, 1:39pm

10. Got them for free and my wife wants to be able to see where they are,

SoCalCoug

Sep 17, 11:07am

Strongly recommend reading The Anxious Generation for anyone thinking about

Nakedbootleg

Sep 17, 11:10am

Is the problem the smart phone or social media on the smart phone?

cheezedawg

Sep 17, 11:11am

Both can be a problem, but social is the rabbit hole

Carnac

Sep 17, 11:21am

For girls it’s mostly SM. For boys it’s more games and porn. Phone app designers

Nakedbootleg

Sep 17, 11:33am

My kid plays brawl stars a lot. We probably should monitor more closely

pinolero

Sep 17, 11:45am

Computers have already taken over their lives. They only go on their phones when

SoCalCoug

Sep 17, 11:44am

It really is a fantastic book. I can't recommend it enough.

KingDave

Sep 17, 12:46pm

Too early. Yes we are doing it differently with our younger kids.

Squirt

Sep 17, 11:14am

Another thought - RE security

DataMouth

Sep 17, 11:15am

I get pretty angry just thinking about this.

RobAdams

Sep 17, 11:22am

Plenty are concerned about the free speech rights of human traffickers.

BaseCoug

Sep 17, 12:24pm

It doesn’t seem complicated to me, here’s what I think

BaseCoug

Sep 17, 12:31pm

Dumb flip phone to the rescue.

Sep 18, 12:05pm

First was 15

jxncoog

Sep 17, 11:20am

My oldest got a cell phone when he went into Middle School

RockyBalboa

Sep 17, 11:29am

Flip for middle school Pinwheel phone for high school, smartphone at 16 or 17

runnincoug

Sep 17, 11:30am

10th grade. Why? Peer pressure? Did not want them to be a nerd....

BYU Grounds

Sep 17, 12:07pm

One thing we did do was, we collected the phone at 8pm each night.

BYU Grounds

Sep 17, 12:08pm

Ban them from every website except cougarboard

BaseCoug

Sep 17, 12:16pm

That's like making a kid drink the whole bottle, or smoke the whole pack

RobAdams

Sep 17, 12:24pm

Age 11, so they could contact us easily for rides after activities. It was a mistake.

KingDave

Sep 17, 12:45pm

When they are intelligent enough to know that social media is a scourge on

stoils

Sep 17, 1:04pm

13. But no browser only a few apps

DC12

Sep 17, 1:16pm

Haven't gotten any of my kids phones yet but I am thinking about getting my oldest ( 9 ) a smart watch. My Sis..

greatbam

Sep 17, 1:25pm

I'd suggest not doing that for two big reasons:

runnincoug

Sep 17, 1:44pm

I'd also add that tech can be a big distraction in the classroom and in social situations

KingDave

Sep 17, 1:51pm

100%. I'm even regretting the flip phone for my 8th grader so we now keep it

runnincoug

Sep 17, 1:59pm

RE: "WE want them because WE are anxious." : No, not really. I really don't need to know where my kids are at all..

greatbam

Sep 17, 2:28pm

Our kids tried that argument with us. The response, "Well everyone else has a phone borrow theirs to call us"

BYU Grounds

Sep 17, 2:46pm

Perhaps, but read The Anxious Generation---he shares the research there on this.

runnincoug

Sep 17, 2:59pm

Interesting insight that seems spot on. Had not considered the connection betwee

Big Daddy D

Sep 18, 8:42am

Isn’t this for parents who don’t care to watch their kids and need to find them?

Bin01015

Sep 17, 7:48pm

Man y'all parents need to learn how to use real parental controls.

goblin

Sep 17, 1:38pm

The best parental control system is to teach them how stupid and dangerous

stoils

Sep 17, 3:08pm

When my oldest hit 15, we got a phone for all three kids to share. No apps, no

chivo

Sep 17, 2:11pm

When our oldest we're 12 & 14 we got one phone to use as a "family phone". They

TailgateU

Sep 18, 8:23am

High School for Phone. Senior Year for Social Media...

tehjunction

Sep 18, 10:10am

We make our kids buy their own phones and pay for service

Cletus the Fetus

7:39am

Watch out for a motivated child. We did the same thing and my 14 year old worked

pinolero

7:55am

Sounds like you’ve raised a good kid! Well done! does he also pay for service?

Cletus the Fetus

8:03am

thats what we do...we provide the flip phone, they pay for smartphone/service

runnincoug

8:48am

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