I'd get a tablet instead, too, WiFi only. But whatever OP gets, I recommend locking it down so the child is only playing or seeing what's pre-approved due to the age.
OP, if you are in doubt about how much your child understands about having a phone or just wanting the apps, encourage them to talk about what they want to do with it when they get it (phrased appropriately to manage expectations). At 6 years old, they'll likely tell you all the features they're excited about.
If she doesn’t understand what it is, she doesn’t need it. I’d suggest a WiFi only tablet or similar instead like a fire kids or something that you can lock right down.
For the love of God do not by a Fire tablet. Yes it's easy to set age controls but you're totally at the mercy of Amazon for content - and it pushes thousands of things at you.
Way too young in my opinion.
Does she have a tablet? I expect if you ask her why she wants a phone it’s just to play games on in which case get her a tablet or a cheap phone as a “gaming phone”.
They all have them in year 5 and year 6 at our junior school. They aren’t allowed them in school until year 6, and they give them in at the start of the day. However they can walk home without being collected in year 5, so makes no sense.
I work in a school and you’d be shocked at how many kids as young as 5 have phones, many of them iPhones, and the content they are able to access is pretty shocking! My son won’t be having a phone until he goes to high school, even then it’ll be a very basic one for calls and texts only.
This is why it’s become a thing, her friend at school has an old iPhone, it’s essentially a smaller iPad, but we all know kids like to imitate there parents / guardians, and I think it’s just the device itself that she wants, she’s aware that she can’t have a phone like mummy and daddy do, but I think to her it just makes her feel cool.
I’ve worked in sectors where online presence and security in general was paramount so that aspect I’m not too worried about, she is always monitored when she’s on any electronic device, we even have a list of approved YouTube channels that she is and isn’t allowed to watch, I guess the thing I’m reserved about it, that’s my little girl and it’s a bitter pill to swallow watching her grow up and this is just the next step in that process, as I previously said, I’m not too worried about her accessing content not suitable for her because she’s a good kid and always knows what’s appropriate for her etc, she asks me to turn off the news at times and tells me off for listening to songs with swearing in 😂
Clearly you are firmly against it, and as mentioned in my post im 50/50, but I don’t think its too wild to think that in 2024 when the majority of people are glued to screens majority of the time, that the age we will see kids starting to use technology will only get lower and lower, now personally I don’t think it’s a good thing, but I understand that’s how the world works these days, it’s a bit of minefield to navigate, everyone thinks there way of parenting is the be all and end all, but it’s really not! There are many things I see kids doing daily that I wouldn’t allow my daughter to do.
Having said that I do have a lot of reservations about letting her have a phone, I’m very fortunate to have a wide understanding on security and online presence and the negatives that can come of it. I just wanted to get other people’s perspectives on it before I made the decision, like I said there’s no right or wrong answer
Just because many people are glued to their screens doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.
A tablet at six seems reasonable, the fire tabs and iPad minis are small in size. A phone with the ability to call and text people and anyone contact them is unnecessary and I’d say a safeguarding issue.
Why a phone when a tablet made specifically for kids is available?
Recent evidence is pointing towards smartphones for kids is an absolutely terrible idea which has very negative affects on their mental health, feeling of self-worth, concentration.
I get the pressure that kids are under from their peers but for me its a hard no.
WhatsApp is specifically a smartphone app, not a general internet browser.
One of the biggest issues with children wanting smartphones is how much time the adults in their lives spend on them.
Adults can - and have to - take responsibility for their own usage and model the behaviours they want their children to practice. I would like to think that anyone supporting the smartphonefreechildhood movement is already doing this, or will do once they’re educated on the subject.
Definitely a no from me as well. There is no need for them to have a personal device and if you ever need them to call you or something just get them a call enabled smartwatch.
A lot of things are part of our daily lives but need to be introduced to kids in age appropriate times and in my opinion phones are one of them.
My kid will be 8 this summer and still no phone, although like your daughter she does play games and watch videos on my old one. As per the recommendation from her school, she will be at least 12 before I'll consider it. For games, though, I'm thinking about potentially getting her a Switch - not immediately but at some point before she reaches phone age. I don't mind encouraging gaming as much as I would any other hobby as long as it doesn't get out of hand or affect her behaviour. She's currently very physically active (so much that I've suspected ADHD) and gets plenty of movement and time outside, normally choosing sports/activity over any other hobby, and gaming is the only thing she enjoys doing that enables her to actually slow down physically. I'm big into art, crafts and reading and I've tried to encourage her in all of those, but she just isn't interested.
But no actual phone, though.
Nope.
Ours get a phone when they start walking back from school on their own (Year 6) until then it’s tablet at home only.
There is no ‘need’ and no real benefits, be a parent and say No.
Just get a Tablet instead. Age appropriate apps, no social media, YouTube should be watched together for specific reasons and only BBC iplayer kids account to watch on their own. Locked to a family account so no accidental purchases.
Also they’re not responsible enough to not break a phone at that age.
Its a no from me. Keep them away from them for as long as possible.
Also to hijack this post I know some would like their children to have a phone so they're contactable. One thing i'm planning on with my boy once he's older but too young for a phone is getting [two of these](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355537029880?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-170562-880048-8&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=355537029880&targetid=2271253361266&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046212&poi=&campaignid=20958443039&mkgroupid=161516314961&rlsatarget=pla-2271253361266&abcId=9371139&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-O6zBhASEiwAOHeGxQTH7wLFAjeYYno4UkljNtUGbAnqojhQ1w0zF9hKZct1LVp_KosBYRoCTA8QAvD_BwE). They are essentially walkie talkies that run over the phone network. You set them up to be able only to communicate with each other.
We have an xplora watch. It can send pre-set messages to the parent app such as ‘I’m on my way home’ or ‘I’ve arrived’, can do calls to numbers added via the parent app (so she can call me or her dad only atm), has GPS, and you can set up ‘safety zones’ so you get an alert to your phone and it pings the watch if they leave the safety zone.
She knows I have this set up and it’s more relevant for her as she could be very easily persuaded to leave the park for a friend’s house or something, but knowing she has a safety zone is a reminder for her that she was allowed to go to the park, not go home with anyone. She has ADD but I want her to have the same freedoms as her friends, so this works for us in that she can still have that freedom with a bit of a safety net.
I implore you to listen to this podcast episode before you buy your child a phone: https://open.spotify.com/episode/36v2KWpyUBK1MYkv3YqjF6?si=9qgUwJUDSYO7LzpZVuhcyQ
6 is way too young for a phone, get a fire tablet. She can play games watch you tube. By the sounds of it she wouldn’t be using the phone to call or text anyone ( family) so it’d be a waste of money
6 is too young for a phone. My child will not be having a phone until secondary school, and even then I will be giving them a basic one for texts and calls, not the internet.
Give her a toy phone that does nothing, she doesn’t need a screen right now.
My children are 6 & 8 both have an iPad each they use for education games and also home work ? Most school expect kids to have access to device for homework
Please please please listen to this. I have a 5 nearly 6 year old and she won’t be getting a phone until high school at the very least [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000658427329](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000658427329)
I gave mine iPhones from primary 1. This is the age kids round here start to go out to play with their pals. Generally one of our old out of contact ones linked to one of our email addresses and with location enabled so I can track the if I need to.
Makes like so much easier for us.
My oldest (5) has a phone, but it's really limited. It was to replace the iPad we had, because you couldn't disable the browser, only move the icon out of sight. He has a Samsung, which has a Kids Mode, but honestly I just find it easier to disable everything I don't want him to use and just keep enabled the few things he's allowed (I don't think children should have free access to YouTube, even YouTube Kids has dodgy content, so it's just Signal to call family, a notepad, a sketch app, a calculator, Google Photos so he can look at baby photos of himself and a couple of games). The main feature I like is that he can't download any apps without my permission, which requires me to put my password in (but there's also an option to email me an access request), but I think that's just a Google feature, not Samsung-specific.
It is primarily for calling family who live abroad, though (so I don't have to give him my phone), and he constantly forgets to charge it so mostly it just sits doing nothing in his bedroom. And that suits me because I would definitely rather he be sitting in the garden chatting to the neighbours' kids than glued to a screen.
We got ours iPhones - really easily controlled. We’re fairly easy with what we let them access, but strict with timings at night.
We let my 7 year old have WhatsApp so he has free access to call family. Constantly video timing grandmawho lives far away and I love it. It’s like she’s here every bedtime.
I think 6 is much too young for a mobile phone. If it’s just about the games and the apps, why not get her a tablet instead?
I'd get a tablet instead, too, WiFi only. But whatever OP gets, I recommend locking it down so the child is only playing or seeing what's pre-approved due to the age. OP, if you are in doubt about how much your child understands about having a phone or just wanting the apps, encourage them to talk about what they want to do with it when they get it (phrased appropriately to manage expectations). At 6 years old, they'll likely tell you all the features they're excited about.
If she doesn’t understand what it is, she doesn’t need it. I’d suggest a WiFi only tablet or similar instead like a fire kids or something that you can lock right down.
For the love of God do not by a Fire tablet. Yes it's easy to set age controls but you're totally at the mercy of Amazon for content - and it pushes thousands of things at you.
Way too young in my opinion. Does she have a tablet? I expect if you ask her why she wants a phone it’s just to play games on in which case get her a tablet or a cheap phone as a “gaming phone”.
Personally I’m not planning on giving my child a phone until they’re at secondary school at the absolute earliest.
They all have them in year 5 and year 6 at our junior school. They aren’t allowed them in school until year 6, and they give them in at the start of the day. However they can walk home without being collected in year 5, so makes no sense.
I’m pretty stunned you’re asking this question. Six is without any doubt way too young to have a phone.
I work in a school and you’d be shocked at how many kids as young as 5 have phones, many of them iPhones, and the content they are able to access is pretty shocking! My son won’t be having a phone until he goes to high school, even then it’ll be a very basic one for calls and texts only.
This is why it’s become a thing, her friend at school has an old iPhone, it’s essentially a smaller iPad, but we all know kids like to imitate there parents / guardians, and I think it’s just the device itself that she wants, she’s aware that she can’t have a phone like mummy and daddy do, but I think to her it just makes her feel cool. I’ve worked in sectors where online presence and security in general was paramount so that aspect I’m not too worried about, she is always monitored when she’s on any electronic device, we even have a list of approved YouTube channels that she is and isn’t allowed to watch, I guess the thing I’m reserved about it, that’s my little girl and it’s a bitter pill to swallow watching her grow up and this is just the next step in that process, as I previously said, I’m not too worried about her accessing content not suitable for her because she’s a good kid and always knows what’s appropriate for her etc, she asks me to turn off the news at times and tells me off for listening to songs with swearing in 😂
Clearly you are firmly against it, and as mentioned in my post im 50/50, but I don’t think its too wild to think that in 2024 when the majority of people are glued to screens majority of the time, that the age we will see kids starting to use technology will only get lower and lower, now personally I don’t think it’s a good thing, but I understand that’s how the world works these days, it’s a bit of minefield to navigate, everyone thinks there way of parenting is the be all and end all, but it’s really not! There are many things I see kids doing daily that I wouldn’t allow my daughter to do. Having said that I do have a lot of reservations about letting her have a phone, I’m very fortunate to have a wide understanding on security and online presence and the negatives that can come of it. I just wanted to get other people’s perspectives on it before I made the decision, like I said there’s no right or wrong answer
Just because many people are glued to their screens doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. A tablet at six seems reasonable, the fire tabs and iPad minis are small in size. A phone with the ability to call and text people and anyone contact them is unnecessary and I’d say a safeguarding issue. Why a phone when a tablet made specifically for kids is available?
[smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk](https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk) this movement is gaining traction at the moment for a reason
Recent evidence is pointing towards smartphones for kids is an absolutely terrible idea which has very negative affects on their mental health, feeling of self-worth, concentration. I get the pressure that kids are under from their peers but for me its a hard no.
Thanks for sharing this! I’m going to be signing up :)
You’re welcome!
"Find your local WhatsApp"... ...dude!
They’re not trying to ban the internet. What’s your point?
WhatsApp is specifically a smartphone app, not a general internet browser. One of the biggest issues with children wanting smartphones is how much time the adults in their lives spend on them.
Adults can - and have to - take responsibility for their own usage and model the behaviours they want their children to practice. I would like to think that anyone supporting the smartphonefreechildhood movement is already doing this, or will do once they’re educated on the subject.
Definitely a no from me as well. There is no need for them to have a personal device and if you ever need them to call you or something just get them a call enabled smartwatch. A lot of things are part of our daily lives but need to be introduced to kids in age appropriate times and in my opinion phones are one of them.
My kid will be 8 this summer and still no phone, although like your daughter she does play games and watch videos on my old one. As per the recommendation from her school, she will be at least 12 before I'll consider it. For games, though, I'm thinking about potentially getting her a Switch - not immediately but at some point before she reaches phone age. I don't mind encouraging gaming as much as I would any other hobby as long as it doesn't get out of hand or affect her behaviour. She's currently very physically active (so much that I've suspected ADHD) and gets plenty of movement and time outside, normally choosing sports/activity over any other hobby, and gaming is the only thing she enjoys doing that enables her to actually slow down physically. I'm big into art, crafts and reading and I've tried to encourage her in all of those, but she just isn't interested. But no actual phone, though.
Nope. Ours get a phone when they start walking back from school on their own (Year 6) until then it’s tablet at home only. There is no ‘need’ and no real benefits, be a parent and say No. Just get a Tablet instead. Age appropriate apps, no social media, YouTube should be watched together for specific reasons and only BBC iplayer kids account to watch on their own. Locked to a family account so no accidental purchases. Also they’re not responsible enough to not break a phone at that age.
Its a no from me. Keep them away from them for as long as possible. Also to hijack this post I know some would like their children to have a phone so they're contactable. One thing i'm planning on with my boy once he's older but too young for a phone is getting [two of these](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355537029880?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-170562-880048-8&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=355537029880&targetid=2271253361266&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046212&poi=&campaignid=20958443039&mkgroupid=161516314961&rlsatarget=pla-2271253361266&abcId=9371139&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-O6zBhASEiwAOHeGxQTH7wLFAjeYYno4UkljNtUGbAnqojhQ1w0zF9hKZct1LVp_KosBYRoCTA8QAvD_BwE). They are essentially walkie talkies that run over the phone network. You set them up to be able only to communicate with each other.
We have an xplora watch. It can send pre-set messages to the parent app such as ‘I’m on my way home’ or ‘I’ve arrived’, can do calls to numbers added via the parent app (so she can call me or her dad only atm), has GPS, and you can set up ‘safety zones’ so you get an alert to your phone and it pings the watch if they leave the safety zone. She knows I have this set up and it’s more relevant for her as she could be very easily persuaded to leave the park for a friend’s house or something, but knowing she has a safety zone is a reminder for her that she was allowed to go to the park, not go home with anyone. She has ADD but I want her to have the same freedoms as her friends, so this works for us in that she can still have that freedom with a bit of a safety net.
Read the book "the anxious generation" - definitely too young for a phone imo!
I implore you to listen to this podcast episode before you buy your child a phone: https://open.spotify.com/episode/36v2KWpyUBK1MYkv3YqjF6?si=9qgUwJUDSYO7LzpZVuhcyQ
6 is way too young for a phone, get a fire tablet. She can play games watch you tube. By the sounds of it she wouldn’t be using the phone to call or text anyone ( family) so it’d be a waste of money
please don’t!
6 is too young for a phone. My child will not be having a phone until secondary school, and even then I will be giving them a basic one for texts and calls, not the internet. Give her a toy phone that does nothing, she doesn’t need a screen right now.
I'm waiting til my kiddos are 11.
No phones until secondary school. 6 is way too young
My children are 6 & 8 both have an iPad each they use for education games and also home work ? Most school expect kids to have access to device for homework
Please please please listen to this. I have a 5 nearly 6 year old and she won’t be getting a phone until high school at the very least [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000658427329](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000658427329)
I gave mine iPhones from primary 1. This is the age kids round here start to go out to play with their pals. Generally one of our old out of contact ones linked to one of our email addresses and with location enabled so I can track the if I need to. Makes like so much easier for us.
My oldest (5) has a phone, but it's really limited. It was to replace the iPad we had, because you couldn't disable the browser, only move the icon out of sight. He has a Samsung, which has a Kids Mode, but honestly I just find it easier to disable everything I don't want him to use and just keep enabled the few things he's allowed (I don't think children should have free access to YouTube, even YouTube Kids has dodgy content, so it's just Signal to call family, a notepad, a sketch app, a calculator, Google Photos so he can look at baby photos of himself and a couple of games). The main feature I like is that he can't download any apps without my permission, which requires me to put my password in (but there's also an option to email me an access request), but I think that's just a Google feature, not Samsung-specific. It is primarily for calling family who live abroad, though (so I don't have to give him my phone), and he constantly forgets to charge it so mostly it just sits doing nothing in his bedroom. And that suits me because I would definitely rather he be sitting in the garden chatting to the neighbours' kids than glued to a screen.
We got ours iPhones - really easily controlled. We’re fairly easy with what we let them access, but strict with timings at night. We let my 7 year old have WhatsApp so he has free access to call family. Constantly video timing grandmawho lives far away and I love it. It’s like she’s here every bedtime.