Is It Time To Buy Your Child A Phone?

*This is a collaborative post

Mobile phones are an essential part of daily life for a lot of people. Your children are probably used to seeing other people glued to their phones, and even young children might be asking you for a phone of their own. It can be hard as a parent to decide if your child is ready for the responsibility of owning a phone.

To decide if they’re ready, ask yourself these important questions first. 

Why do they want a phone?

Think about why they might need or want a phone. If it’s just to keep up with their friends and use social media, then the time might not be right. Maybe you could compromise and start with a basic phone for emergencies. This could be especially useful for children who get public transport to and from school or who take part in a lot of after-school activities. If the phone is for emergencies only, make sure you set clear rules about phone use. 

Do they respect your rules? 

Is your child responsible and good at following your rules? If you’re already always having arguments about chores or curfews, then they likely won’t follow your rules about when and how they can use their phone either. This article answers how to track some of their phone use, but this should be a precaution, not the only way to get them to play by your rules. 

What are their social skills like? 

Think about how your child currently communicates. Are they good at maintaining a conversation? Are they confident in social situations or do they find them tough? A lack of social skills can be made worse by a phone. They could find it harder to make real-life contact if they can hide in group chats or social media, so think carefully before buying them a phone. 

Are they responsible with their belongings? 

Phones aren’t cheap, especially if you’re opting for the latest upgrades, so your child must be able to take care of theirs. Do they look after their belongings? Are they prone to losing, forgetting, or dropping things? Before buying a child a phone make sure they know how to look after for their belongings so you don’t have to replace it all the time after they’ve dropped it or left it at school

Giving your child their first mobile phone is a big decision. It can be hard to say no if they’re asking. Talk the decision through together so they understand if they need to change their behaviour to be allowed a phone, for example by showing you that they can be more responsible with their possessions. Talk to them about their phone use, and how to use it safely, and make sure you don’t just hand over the phone and leave them to get on with it. Make sure they’re using it in a way that you are happy with and they can use the phone to show you how grown up they can be.