Advice on phone for a child

[EdwardTeach]

My daughter is in the final year of primary school. We have successfully batted off all requests for a phone to date, to the extent that she no longer asks! However I think it would be sensible to get her a phone soon, as I would like her to have a phone by secondary school, as it will be a reasonably long journey and I would like her to be able to keep in touch with friends that go on to different secondary schools. This will also give us half a year to establish sensible use.

I am looking for:

- cheapish phone reccomendations
- Tips from parents who have given their kids phones!

 

[EdwardTeach]

Hate to break it to you. But as you know its a slippery slope. children can be so cruel. (Especially the females)it will cost you. it would be wise while not ideal to see what other children have or better still what her friends will have. The reason for this is simple I know when we decided to do this for my daughter. we went to the cheap old phone. her friends and other children constantly made fun to the point where it was bullying. in the end, she "accidentally" broke it. It's a strange world when you have to fit into what other people have, lets be honest your looking at a semi-current iPhone or Samsung.

When I travel to work on the bus the school kids I see are using iPhones and Samsungs. Also make sure you get insurance lol.
Anyhow hope it helps somewhat.

Thanks for the advice.

With regards to what you see on the bus, I am a teacher and I am no longer shocked at the expensive kit my students are bringing to school. I even saw a girl with a Luis vuiton rucksack! (this is just a state school). I came from a wealthy family, but we would never have had that much money spent on us at that age. The bar has definitely been raised. Airpods are ubiquitous, and they alone cost more than the nicest Walkman back in the day!

I did do a subtle enquiry about her friends phones yesterday. They mostly don't seem to have anything too fancy yet, a few nokias and Motorola etc. I asked her if she gets teased for not having a phone, and she said no, and they are actually envious of the tech she had at home. I think we will get away with something like a Motorola g8 at this stage. She will be enormously delighted and surprised with any phone, as I have stuck to the line that she won't get a phone until she is 16+! (in my dreams)