Has any one got this problem.
My 8 year old son is pestering me and his dad for a mobile phone so far i keep saying no.
He often gets picked on so dont want to alienate him from us or make him feel different to his peers. the reasons i say no are
1 i think he is too young for the responsibility
2 he might get it stolen
3 he has no one to phone (his friends live in same street)
4 he only wants one cos others have one
am i being old fashioned
Any advice welcome
Mandy

I agree with you. My son pestered me for on from being about 9, I told him he could have one on his 13th birthday. He now has one and never uses it

I think 8 is far too young to have a mobile phone.

hi


we have only just bought our son a phone for his 13th birthday

jan xx

We had the same thing too when our daughter was 9, we told her she was too young for a mobile - guess what the in-laws got her for her Xmas Have to say that she has been really good with it (once the initial novelty wore off) and it does come in handy when she is out playing as I make her check in and let me know exactly where she is and who she is with.

My then 13 year old (he is now 15) saved up and bought himself a mobile phone - in less than 6 months he wasn't even charging it up and now i doubt he could find it in his room even if he was looking for it!!

Adele

Thanks for the replies makes me feel better knowing that im not old fashioned in saying no. i have told him he can have one when we go to oz (when he is 11) so he can keep in contact with his friends and family.
I also told him i didn't get a mobile untill he was a baby.
Mandy

A bit off topic but just wondering where in CoDurham you are hubby is from Spennymoor (in laws now in Bishop Auckland though)

Just out of Durham it self (3mile)
Mandy

I do like Durham - lovely part of the country!

i agree it is just too expensive to live in the nice area.
Mandy

My 2 eldest sons (12 and 10) also want mobiles. I told them when they actually go places without us then I'll think about it! At present, we live rural area and if they want to go to sports clubs, etc, we have to take them and collect them anyway!
Have actually done a deal with eldest to see just how much he wants one...have told him if he stops biting his nails I'll get him a mobile. So far my money's safe!

Our daughter got one once she started secondary school.

My 14 yr old took over his sisters contract phone with a ten pound bar on it all was going well until he started to receive jokes ringtones etc he text stop which is apparently how to stop them coming through but that didn't work, when he eventually told me the problem he had built up a bill of £587.00 which I am fighting against right now. You are not old fashioned children are vunerable to this type of theft. Added to that have you ever suffered a long phonecall and ended up with earburn it cant be good. Hold out as long as you can.

Bloody hell thats awful :scared: - good luck with sorting it out .