Should a 11-Year-Old Have a Cell Phone?

Valerie - posted on 03/12/2010

My12 yr old has a pre-paid cell phone and got it at 11 yrs old. It is for emergency use only. He only carries it if he is somewhere without me or my husband. For example, if he's a football practice or a church event and he needs to reach us. He isn't allowed to text and his friends call the house number. I think it's fine as long as the usage is controlled by you.

Catherine - posted on 03/12/2010

I agree with you. I have a 13 yr old & 11 yr old sons who said the same. I told them they will not get cell phones until they are driving or if they have a job to pay for it themselves.

Desiree - posted on 03/12/2010

Dont do it... cuz the next thing u know she will be texting boys. My 12 yr old got a cell phone when we moved so she could keep in contact with her friends... until i found out what she was texting, i went threw her phone and found her say things like i miss ur kisses and things of that nature, I flipped. NO MORE CELL PHONE... And she is ground til I otherwise say so... If u do use caution... moniter it super close...

Toni - posted on 03/11/2010

My daughter is 11 and has had one since she was 10. She travels on the bus for over half an hour and sometimes her bus is late or her other 3 sisters have something that comes up at the last minute that I need to contact her for. I think they are handy! I must say though some of her friends use it to chat on when they are in bed...

Shirlesha - posted on 03/11/2010

i brought my daughter a cell phone and she is 10. she has a unlimited plan that includes texting and i pay 45 a month for her phone. she is very responsible but the reason for buying it was for safety. my daughter walks to and from school. she is also very active in sports so she needs to be able to contact me or her father at anytime. i thought about the prepaid thing but what if her minutes is low and she finds herself in danger? how can she give u her location or call the police or anything. sometimes they tell you to stay on the phone till help arrives what would happen if her phone shuts off? theres too much going on in the world. there are people out here preying on little kids and im not going to take that chance with my childs life,so if her having a cell is one step closer to keeping her safe then so be it.

Nicole - posted on 03/11/2010

I have a 14 year old daughter that has had a call phone since she was 11. This was the only way she could call or text me when she went to her dad's every other weekend. She never abused it then and she still doesnt abuse it now. I also have a 11 year old son, and I am married to his dad, he doesnt have a cell phone and will not get one for a while still. Each circumstance is different he is always with us she wasn't. Also remember there are hardly no pay phones anymore so it isn't like when we was younger. Also using their friends phones to check in is using another parents minutes ..times have changed and I want my kids safe!!! Verizon is also very good about blocking texting and internet usage..also you can get online and see who your kids have texted. Like I said all situations are different and maybe next year my son will get one.

Suzanne - posted on 03/11/2010

My son is on a Majors baseball team in our town and I will get him a phone for limited use. He will be involved in practices, games, etc. this summer. I only want him to have it when he needs to get hold of me while he is gone. He may also be using it if he's on his own with a friend but with restrictions regarding who he's supposed to call. There will be minimal text and other privileges. He will be involved in sports, orchestra and other things in middle school so I feel better for him to have one. He is not asking, I'm insisting for peace of mind. He knows he will not be carrying the phone we choose on a daily basis.

Loren - posted on 03/11/2010

Depends on the situation. My daughter is 11 years old and has had a cell phone for 2 years, but only because when me and her father were sharing custody, we thought it would be feasible for her to have one, also in case of emergencies. Times have changed since we were 11 and there were no cell phones, but now we have to face it, every man, woman, and 90 % of kids have one.

Suzanne - posted on 03/11/2010

My son got a tracfone at 14, with a certain amount of minutes, I told him when the minutes are gone he has to buy his own with his allowance, so far he hasn't run out. Also I told him when he gets older and starts going out with friends, when he gets some~, lol, I'd consider a regular cell phone but he has to help pay the bill.

Diane - posted on 03/11/2010

11 Seems young to have a cell phone! I have two boys. My oldest just turned 13 in Jan. and he finally has a cell phone which he got for his Birthday! I think that unless there is a need for communication between parents and child their is no reason for a cell phone before 13!

Marianne - posted on 03/11/2010

11 is too young unless they are away from home.

My daughter got one in 5th grade for her walk home from school, but I was finding text messages coming in as late as 2am!

So now she only gets it when she's not with us (rarely)

Julie - posted on 03/11/2010

well i have 5 kids....ranging from 17 yrs to 4 yrs....and our rule here is...once u are in middle school..we will allow them to have a cell phone. The cell phone is prepaid and they have to work (do chores) for their phone time. I do have an 11 yr old daughter, so as far as to young...well i base it on their maturity, thier grades and their ability to work for the time on their phones. to me it is a responsiblity for them.

Keisha - posted on 03/11/2010

Yes 11 is a good age. For friends for communication for u and her or family. If something ever happens in school she can contact u. My daughter had her 1st phone at 10 she was very responsible

Dale - posted on 03/11/2010

Sorry I cant help you. My now 13yr has had a cell phone for 2 yrs now and is doing fine with it. The only way she could get it is if she remaind on honor roll at school and it must be maintained all year long. I get to ck her texting befor she can erase them and I must know how is in her circle of friends. If your wondering how I do this I have set up my phone with the phone company so that I know how many textes go out and come in so when its time to ck I know how many should be thier, also her phone numbers show up and I have added names to all of them so if a number come up I dont recognize them we have problems. I hope this helps just try it, it works.

Lara-Adele - posted on 03/11/2010

yes cell phones are great for kids in high risk school areas which unfortunetly most schools this day and age. i live in southwestern ontario and my parents live in toronto ontario so when my daughter started traveling the greyhound by herself at age 9 i got her a cell so she could call me when the bus got in and when my mum picked her up. my daughter is 13 this month and i'm glad she is responsible with her phone, she knows her limits on it and sticks to them. good luck to all the parents whos kids want cell phones and just make sure you make the right desission for your situation and every one is different.

Arfah - posted on 03/11/2010

both my kids have cell phones last year...

the cell phone is very useful

they will update me n my parents once they finished their extra class n activity.

Kristina - posted on 03/10/2010

I have daughter who is 10 and has had her cell phone for 2 1/2 years only because of the type of school she goes to and that sometimes who will be picking her up changes. I have an allowance plan on the phone so I control who can call during school hours which is nobody but me, her dad, and my parents. We live in Ca so I worry about earthquakes. I am also able to control the number of mins and text msgs she can use each month so I don't have to worry about overages. I also have a price limit on how much can be spent on downloads. If it wasn't for the school she goes to though she most likely would not have one except for when she was on trips. I also usually give her my old cell phone, if it's still working. You really have to think of what your life is like and rather or not it is something that really is needed for her.

Maria - posted on 03/10/2010

We made the mistake of giving our little girl a cell phone at 12! My husband and I were on two sides of the fences on this one. We have 2 older teens who got their cell at 15yo and and it was very useful when they're away from home or need a ride or whatever else needed to get a hold of us for. In any case, I finally gave in and agreed to give my 12yo a cell phone. As I always thought...bad idea! Sure, it was great cuz she was easily accessible when we need her or vice versa, but she was clearly irresponsible and lost it several times or broke it. The first one we bought for her, the second one she paid for with her own money. Well, the third is definitely going to happen until she's 15!



It is a great avenue by which you can reach your daughter, but owning a cell phone, I believe, requires responsibility for our kids. We live and learn...

Jenna - posted on 03/10/2010

My sons both have cell phones. It started with them playing outside in the complex and I couldn't find them. It's not that they where far away but I am disabled and it isn't easy for me to get around. So I feel much better just being able to call them when they are outside so I know where they are and what they are doing. They still have to check in often but it's just easier on my stress levels if I can reach them at any moment. They sometimes call there aunts or grandparents but have yet to use it for friends. Not really sure why. lol Oh... forgot to say. They are 11 and 13. 13 yr old got it when he was 11.

Lara-Adele - posted on 03/10/2010

in this day and age i think if it can be afforded by the parents every kid should have a cell phone for at least emergency calls to parents. my daughter is 13 this month and she has had a cell phone since she was 9 years old. just teach the child when and where to use them

Susan - posted on 03/10/2010

My 12 year old son also has a cell phone. Entering the Middle School time and no after school care, I needed to know my son could get in touch with me when getting home from school, not to mention, I am a single, working mom. He is very responsible for his phone and charges it every night. It is like his baby....smile. Each kid is different. I would suggest the cheap option to see the responisbilty but my son has taken care of his newest more expensive phone better than the cheap ones.

Stacy - posted on 03/10/2010

Well everyone has different opinions. Both my sons have phones but I do not pay any bills. They are 12 and 9. I think it ok, and I keep close tabs. Apply for the free government phones. They are great.

Kathy - posted on 03/10/2010

I have to say that my husband and I thought our 12 year son and 11 year old daughter did not need it as we thought the same ...to young,with that being said...it is nice to know that we can reach them at any given moment and to know they can alway"s contact us if something happen"s...Time"s are changing,us as parent"s need to be flexible....more often than not....

Kim - posted on 03/10/2010

I think 11 is a perfect age for one. My daughter is 11 and she has had a cell for 2 years. We started with a prepaid and then added her to our plan. We use Verizon, they have parental controls, so I can block numbers, control her minutes and texting and the hours in which she can use it. She can always call my husband and I and 911.

I got her it because she is getting more active, with band, chorus, friends. This way I can always get in touch with her and vice versa.

Becky - posted on 03/10/2010

my daughter also asked for one, i think they want one because everyone else has one and the novelty of it! I agree with waiting till they have a job to pay for it LOL!

Michelle - posted on 03/10/2010

My son will be 11 in April and is getting one for his birthday. He has hit an age where he is going to the park and riding his bike on his own more and more often. Also since we do not have a home phone on the rare day when I have errands to run and he wants to stay home he can use his phone to call in an emergancy and I can call to check on him.

Heather - posted on 03/10/2010

My boys are 15 & 13 and they have had cells phones for the last 3 years. We started with the pay as you go and once they showed they could be responsible with those we uped the plan and the phones. For us it was more about their security and being able to get ahold of them if they are with friends and vis versa..

Joy - posted on 03/10/2010

my girls ages 11,11 and 12 have one...they don't abuse them and rarely talk on them, but its wonderful when they go to a friend's house...I can text her to check on her. I think it depends on why she wants it...give her limits on use.

Kelly - posted on 03/09/2010

I got my daughters a cell phone at age 12. before that they would use my cell phone at times such as when they would go to the park or mall or a friends house.mainly so they could call me or I could call them if need be or in case of an emergency. Now that they have their own phones I have put limits on their phones such as times of day that they can use them and who they can and can't call. the phone company provides a program called usage control use it it's worth it . Hope this helps you! Good luck

Sharon - posted on 03/09/2010

One day at work, my gram who was picking my daughter up from what we thought was basketball practice, called me to ask if I had heeard from my 11 yro who was not at the school. Long story short, she was at another school at a game and was taking another bus home. But seeing as another student said she took the 4:10 bus home and she was not at home, not down the street at grams, NO WHERE to be found, and I was an hour away at work. I had my cell in ne hand ready to dial 911 and the work phone in the other talking to gram as she is having the school contact the other school to locate my daughter. That was enough for me, I couldnt breath, I almost died at the mere thought she had disappeared. I bought her a $10 pay as you go phone, and it stays in her book bag so that we can communicate at any time. She does chores for minutes.

Sharon - posted on 03/09/2010

One day at work, my gram who was picking my daughter up from what we thought was basketball practice, called me to ask if I had heeard from my 11 yro who was not at the school. Long story short, she was at another school at a game and was taking another bus home. But seeing as another student said she took the 4:10 bus home and she was not at home, not down the street at grams, NO WHERE to be found, and I was an hour away at work. I had my cell in ne hand ready to dial 911 and the work phone in the other talking to gram as she is having the school contact the other school to locate my daughter. That was enough for me, I couldnt breath, I almost died at the mere thought she had disappeared. I bought her a $10 pay as you go phone, and it stays in her book bag so that we can communicate at any time. She does chores for minutes.

Kelly - posted on 03/09/2010

I guess I think it depends on the child. My 10yr old has one and has had one for almost 2yrs. He dose not use it as much as his 15yr old brother but it is there for him if he has a school event, football or baseball practice, at the skate park, Ice arena ,out fishing with his friends. I can always be in touch with him if I need him or he needs me. Just last summer her was at the skate park and it was great he had it due to he got hirt bad and was able to call me for help. My kidsand I have T-Mobile , w/ this we have unlimited text , and they can talk unlimited to there 5 land lines (homes/gparents ect) and anybody that has T-Mobile phones(with this type of plane I dont have to worry about going over and inthe long run its cheeper). I do monitor them from time to time but having the kids have there phones has been great. But again it all depends on the kid and the family relationship / connection. Good luck with your chose .

Tina - posted on 03/09/2010

Personally I will tell you from experience, absolutely not. Take it from a mother who has been threw much with her oldest child. I am a mother of 4. I adore my children and would give my life for them but the age of 11 is way too young. My oldest is 17 and you can not even imagine what I went threw because I gave him a cell phone. Let me just say this, I never want to relive what I went threw ever again, I learned so should you.

Crystal And Jeanie - posted on 03/09/2010

Both my kids (age 11 and 12) have cell phones... however I have found that the real reason they, and most of their friends, have a phone is not to place calls or even text, but simply to play around on them and take pictures! Who knew? So we don't even put time on the phone and both kids are quite happy. Strange but true : )

Carrie - posted on 03/09/2010

My son has one to take with him when he goes anywhere without us and to school. He is very responsible and knows the limits we have set for the phone. He knows it isn't a toy and if he abuses this privilege it will be taken away. He knows if it is lost it's not replaceable. I have a friend who's son walks home by himself to an older sibling already at home. He has a cell and it's more of a safety issue for them. I don't believe a cell phone at 10/11 is for every child and it has to be each parents decision but, in some cases it is an added lifeline.

Julie - posted on 03/09/2010

We got my son a 'phone when he moved to his new senior school, he uses it to arrange to meet with his friends to walk to and from school, he rings me and his nan if he is worried and wants meeting en-route from school. It has given him a lot of confidence, and it has only cost me £17.00 for the t-mobile nokia 'phone, and so far £40.00 in top ups, since September, It gives me peace of mind that I can reach him when he is out alone. I think it depends on that maturity of the child and whether they understand that it is for emergencies and essential calls only.

Karen - posted on 03/09/2010

My 11 year old daughter has a cell phone. She has had one for a number of years and uses it as means to let me know that she is one the bus as she catches public transport to school. She only sends me text messages though on some occasions when she has missed the bus or the bus just hasnt come she rings me. None of her friends know the number as thats not its purpose.

Carrie - posted on 03/09/2010

I think that if she stays after school for sports or band, then yes. She can call you when she is ready to be picked up. If not staying after school for events, then, no. My son didn't get his until 4th grade. He was 11. I only got him the firefly from toys r us. He can only call the numbers you programmed in it but anyone could call him. No texting and no pics. I filled it whenever it was low and told him to watch his minutes. I paid about $40.00 every 3 months or so.

Jodie - posted on 03/09/2010

i agree, 11 is too young, but in saying that, my daughters step mother and father decided it was the only way she was allowed to keep in touch with me when she was with them. keep in mind there is still not enough research regarding brain tumours and cell phones in adults, i would hate them to have prolonged use of one when they are so young.

Lora - posted on 03/09/2010

My son just turned 14, and has had a cell phone for about 2 yrs. However, there was one reason and one reason only why he got one, and that was because I wanted him to have a phone for when he got home from school. He has autism, but is very high functioning, we did not want to install a home phone just for him after school. So we decided to add a line to our existing cell service. He's not allowed to use whenever he wants, and there are only certain people he's able to call. It does serve it's purpose, and is also handy if we go out, we can always find him. I do agree though, that children do not NEED, a cell phone generally. I see most of them texting all the time (which my son doesn't have access to do either), or the phone is glued to their ear. I mean, really, how did we all grow up without cell phones?

Kylie - posted on 03/09/2010

Hi, My daughter is 8 an I got her a Gecko kids safe mobile phone. She can only call numbers I register in her address book and she can only receive calls from these people too. There is no texting, no internet. Very reasonable cost and will sms me every $9 in calls she spends. We can safely contact her, she can chat to up to 22 friends and she can make emergency calls. She loves it, it is a very small, neat trendy phone. I am also making her responsible for the excess bill, as I say to call us and we will call her straight back to reduce costs, anything else comes out of pocket money, hopefully teacher her to be responsible. Good luck, hope this helps.

Jennifer - posted on 03/09/2010

Every person is going to have a different opinion on this based upon their child's situation. My son has had a cell phone since he was 7. Honestly he only used it when he went to a friends house so that I could reach him. Now that he is 12 he has started to use it a lot more. Kids at this age love to text, so if you are going to get her a cell phone make sure that you have some type of unlimited texting so your bill doesn't get crazy. I don't see anything wrong with your daughter having one. It will give her a sense of responsiblity and also a way for you to reach her when necessary.

Connie - posted on 03/09/2010

I think that 11 is too young to have a cell phone. But my reasons are that there really is no need for her to have one because she is either with me,her grandparents house, or a friends house and they all have home phones to get a hold of her. When she is old enough to go out with friends or hang at the mall with friends, THEN I will make sure she has a cell phone so that I can get a hold of her and she will have the responsibility to check in with me.

Nikki - posted on 03/09/2010

My son who is 11 just got his own cell phone. For the past few years he and his sister had to share one. We decided to let them both have their own phones because they proved they could be responsible and take care of the one they shared. The reason we made this decision has mostly to do with the activities they are involved in. He doesn't use his phone a lot, he can make calls to us, his sister and grandparents. He does have a few friends that he calls, but it is mostly used to contact us and for emergencies. He rides his bike to school and he is able to text me when he gets there and when he is on his way home. I really didn't want him to have one for a long time, but when we moved it became a necessity for us. It is a privelege to have the phone, he understands he is not entitled to it because everyone else has one.

Illiana - posted on 03/09/2010

My 11 year old has been on me for a cell phone too! Why? Because all of HER friends have them. They also seem to have Facebook pages. I said no to both. I do believe she is too young. I am however, thinking of getting an extra phone to let her carry only on the days she has evening outings with her youth group. I found that sometimes the outing ends a few minutes earlier than scheduled and I would like a phone call so that she doesn't have to wait around. She wouldn't be allowed to text her friends. That really burst the bubble for her. Just for emergency calls.

Leah - posted on 03/09/2010

A responsible 11 year old is not to young for a phone. My daughter is 11 and has a phone. My house phone no longer rings off the hook (yeay!) and I'm able to reach her whenever I need to... when she's at the skating rink, when she's at school I can text her, When she's at the library I can pull up and text her that I'm there to pick her up, when she spends the night at a friends house and I want to talk to her and not drive that family crazy with my calls. (yea, ok...it's all about MY convenience but she enjoys having it too).

Michelle - posted on 03/09/2010

i gave my son one at 12 as he started senior school and has to travel on bus on his own,we joined a friends and family group so he can only call us and has no credit on it to call or text anyone else :) works for us

Yashica - posted on 03/09/2010

well i have a 11 year old son and he have a cell phone so he can call his friends but really he walks home from school so i call him everyday when he get out of school if you trust her then i think she would be fine ,soon as you lose your trust] i would take it from her no lead way you would have to take it

Sandra - posted on 03/09/2010

For the sake of safety, any child (as long as they can use technology) should have a cell phone. You can always put a cap on the usage and friends they communicate with. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford this. But if you can, $40 a month buys a whole lot of safety.

Nikki - posted on 03/08/2010

I got my so a cell when he was 12 just for emergency's..Silent at school off at home..Now at 13 he still has the same rules...He has a track phone it's a pay as you go phone and I love it...its why cheaper..If he needs to call up a friend...well....thats why we have a house phone is for... :) Age 11 to young.......

Kimberly - posted on 04/26/2010

I think 11 years old is too young to have a cell phone but I'm thinking of having one for when my kids are out biking or Boy Scout camping and times like that.

Amanda - posted on 04/20/2010

My daughter is 11 years old and she has a cell phone. I finally allowed her to have one because she walks quite a distance to school and walks to visit friends in our neighbourhood. It was mostly a safety concern on my part. Her dad got her a used phone that didn't cost much and I paid to activate it. Its on a pay as you go plan and she pays for her own time out of the money she earns from her paper route. I don't think putting an 11 year old on a regular cell plan is a wise decision. They need to learn more responsibility first.

Maikki - posted on 04/14/2010

i think we as mothers need to get with the times. My 11 year old has a cell phone. She knows her limits and sticks to them. plus with a lot of plans you can track usage online. why not? why do you think they are too young? Every child is different in maturity level. I believe there is nothing wrong with it!

Lydia - posted on 04/13/2010

My niece wanted a cell phone at 11 years old and my sister made her write a paper on logical reasons why she needed one (no because my friends all have them.) She also has strict rules and sticks by them.



Our oldest just turn 11 years old and we are discussing getting him a cell phone this fall when he goes to middle school but we have told him he has to prove his maturity. Do what he is told, clean up after himself, getting up and ready for school on his own, being responsible for his school work, and the respect. He has clearly shown improvements in all areas, slowly but there. Of course he will also have to continue doing these thing to keep a cell too.