Kid's almost 12 and about half his class has phones. We've been letting him use an old iPad for FaceTime with relatives but he wants his own phone so bad. I'm not ready yet but I also don't want him to feel like an outsider. What age did you guys bite the bullet? And what phone/plan did you go with?
12 seems reasonable to me. iPad works until it doesn't, and honestly most of his classmates probably do have phones by then. I'd say get him one but have a serious conversation about what the expectations are. Not a toy, it's a tool with responsibility.
This is the question keeping me up at night. Half my son's class has phones too and the parent group chat is basically everyone asking the same thing. I'm leaning toward waiting until high school but who knows.
We let our oldest get a phone at 12 but with some hard rules about screen time and what apps he could download. The iPad transition is smart - gives you time to figure out what actually works for your family before jumping to a full phone.
My kid's the same age and half his class has phones too. I went with a basic one and made it clear that if the novelty wears off or he can't handle it responsibly, it goes away. Set those expectations upfront and you'll be fine.
We got my oldest one at 12 after he started middle school. Thought it was too early but honestly it made pickup logistics way easier and he's responsible with it. Set screen time limits though. Don't just hand it over without rules.
I'd say get him a phone before high school if you haven't by then. Middle school is when it becomes harder to manage without one. Just make sure you're clear on expectations around usage.
We got our oldest a basic phone at 12 and honestly it's been fine. More important thing is having the conversations about what's appropriate and checking in sometimes. The iPad is smart first step.
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My son got his at 11 and the adjustment period was rough. First month he was glued to it. But with time limits enforced consistently it got better. The key is being clear about it from day one. Once you set the boundary, stick with it.
Did the iPad not cut it for him? My kid's that age and I'm trying to delay the phone thing. Curious if he was actually asking for a phone or if you felt like it was time.