Saturday my son received his birthday present (a little late but worth waiting for) from his grandmother and grandfather (my in laws). It was money and together with the money he already had on his piggy he discovered that he could buy what he has been asking for for a long time, and we have been denying for a long time: a cell phone.
Since the age of 6 that my nephews have cell phone but I always refused to give one to my son. I didn’t think it was something essential for his daily life and he was too young to know the real purpose of a cell phone, that for me is essential calls, emergency calls and 
little more.
Now he’s 9 years old and he has enough money to buy the cell phone he wants
At the age of 9 he already has the notion that the cell phone is not a toy but on the other hand:
- It has games
- It has radio
- It has MP3 player
- It has camera
- It has video
- It has more than I have.
I have a very basic cell phone and right now it’s enough for me. My son now has, and this is my point of view, an excellent cell phone and I truly hope he treats it well. If he loses it or damages it he knows that for a few long years he won’t have another one.
The question is: Does a 9 year old boy needs a cell phone?
Negative points of view:
No he doesn’t. It spoils him, makes him a show off. I’m going to have problems with cash control, he’s going to call all his friends (I hope I’m wrong), he’s going to receive messages with those abbreviated words that I sometimes have difficulty in understanding; he’s going to call me everyday just to use the phone.
Positive points of view:
I don’t have to go to school on my lunch break to know if he’s better from his tooth ache;
If he forgets something at home I can send him a message saying I will bring him that at school, so that he isn’t worried about it.
OK…I need more positive points of view…
The reality is that I still think he’s too young for a cell phone. He already has internet at home, friends in MSN messenger, PS2
Oh more positive points of view:
Now I can take pictures and make digital videos with his cell phone ( I don’t have a video digital camera).
I can use his calendar for birthday reminders
I’m really afraid that he will ruin the cell phone by taking it to school and daycare. The first day is going to be critical because he’s going to show it to everybody. I know…I should trust more on his care for his things. I hope he can prove that to me with the cell phone, because with other stuff he’s a “head in the wind”, he never knows where he leaves his stuff.
My boy is growing and I have to let him grow. He’s not my baby anymore and although a pleasure seeing him growing it scares me.
Here is an article about this subject: Talk to Your Kids About Cell Phone Use
Did you let your children have a cell phone at what age? Or when do you think you will let your children have a cell phone?
. My son only now is having contact with text messages and MSN messenger so it’s all new for him. He’s really happy with all this.
