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First phone at 11 - which one did you go for?

Mags1987 · Member837 views7 replies
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Mags1987

Member

Link to post #2878

DD starts Year 7 in September and is going to be getting the bus on her own from Leyton to school, so I've caved on the phone question. I held out longer than most of her friends' parents, to be fair.

My problem now is which phone. Her dad wants to give her his old iPhone, I'm nervous about handing her something with full internet and every app going. My sister suggested a "brick" phone but DD says she'll be the only one and she'll be laughed at.

What did you actually do, and did you regret it? Particularly interested in anyone who started basic and then upgraded.

Wandsworth_Will

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Link to post #2879

We gave our son an old iPhone with Screen Time locked down hard. No App Store without approval, no Safari for the first term, WhatsApp only with contacts we'd checked. It works fine if you're willing to actually manage it. The bit people skip is the managing.

socks_never_match

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Link to post #2880

We did the brick. Lasted about six weeks before the group chat issue came up - all the arrangements for after school and the class stuff were on WhatsApp and she was missing out. So we upgraded at Christmas.

Not saying don't do it, just go in knowing that's where the pressure will come from.

Gosia.W

Member

Link to post #2881

There are a few of the kids' phones now that do WhatsApp and maps but no browser or social media. We got one of those for our twins. They grumbled for a week and then forgot about it. Nobody at school laughed as far as I know, a few others in their form have the same one.

grumpy_but_kind

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Link to post #2882

honestly the phone is the easy bit. the hard bit is the rules. ours lives in the kitchen overnight, non negotiable, from day one. if you do nothing else do that

Mags1987

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Link to post #2883

This is really helpful, thank you. I think the WhatsApp-without-browser option sounds like the middle ground we need. And yes Grumpy, the kitchen rule is going in the contract (she doesn't know there's a contract yet).

Brixton_Babs

Member

Link to post #2884

Ha, write the contract with her not for her. We did that and she was far more willing to stick to it because half the rules were hers. She added "Mum doesn't post photos of me without asking" which was fair enough tbh.

Kofi.A

Member

Link to post #2885

Just to add - think about Find My / location sharing early. For the bus journey that alone made the phone worth it for us. We agreed it would be on for Year 7 and we'd review it in Year 8, which we did, and she was happy because we kept our word.

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