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Is 9 1/2 too young for a phone for basic calls and texts?

3,620 2,238 March 17, 2014 at 11:21 AM in Question (3)
Was thinking about giving my daughter a phone. We have no house phone, only cell phones. Was thinking about getting her one so if she is at the rink and done early, she could call me to come get her or something like that. Or call her friends around the block rather than using my phone?

Wondering what is an appropriate age. She is not overly mature, not immature either.

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OhNoItsDEVO
03-18-2014 at 10:59 AM.
03-18-2014 at 10:59 AM.
Back in my day....
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Joined Nov 2005
quick, like a bunny
> bubble2 28,148 Posts
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cav
03-18-2014 at 11:15 AM.
03-18-2014 at 11:15 AM.
Quote from OhNoItsDEVO :
Back in my day....


but could always be worse. back in MLV's day....
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Joined Mar 2009
Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,435 Posts
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Frogstar
03-18-2014 at 11:16 AM.
03-18-2014 at 11:16 AM.
Quote from cav :
Must be hipsters in the making, it's clearly a recent photo because they're wearing Crocs.
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Joined Jan 2004
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Iaaaiws
03-18-2014 at 01:34 PM.
03-18-2014 at 01:34 PM.
If she is done early at the rink what is wrong with just sitting patiently and waiting? One lesson few kids seem to ever learn is to be patient and not expect everything to happen right when they want it to.
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Joined Aug 2003
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> bubble2 4,298 Posts
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fsyowad
03-18-2014 at 01:52 PM.
03-18-2014 at 01:52 PM.
Quote from Iaaaiws :
If she is done early at the rink what is wrong with just sitting patiently and waiting? One lesson few kids seem to ever learn is to be patient and not expect everything to happen right when they want it to.
I agree. A 9 year old with a cell phone is probably not a good idea unless one is "absolutely" needed.
Just wait in a few years when kids hit their cruel phases .. they can be pretty mean to one another.
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> bubble2 3,582 Posts
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Majide
03-18-2014 at 02:21 PM.
03-18-2014 at 02:21 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
Next time you're out and about, see how many pay phones you can find...
At least one. And I walk past it almost every day. There may be more, but I know there is definitely one Smilie

But yeah, there sure aren't many. For all I know, it's the only one around here now.
Quote from uniquename :
Sally is a bitch.
Iagree
Some kids do talk on the phone a lot. In Elementary School I had one friend who was awful about it. She would call all the time, talk a long time, and we would hang up. Then it wasn't ten minutes later, and she would call again.
Eventually I had my parents helping me make up excuses to not talk to her "Majide has homework" or eating dinner or something. I sure don't like talking that much! Faint



As to the original post, I think personally I wouldn't give a phone to a 9 year old. But I can see how some people would. I wasn't big on extracurricular activities as a kid, so usually if I wasn't home, there was usually some other parent around that they knew how to contact, or that I could go to if I needed to use their phone.
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OhNoItsDEVO
03-18-2014 at 02:32 PM.
03-18-2014 at 02:32 PM.
Just get the kid a pager and be done with it.
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Frogstar
03-18-2014 at 02:35 PM.
03-18-2014 at 02:35 PM.
You can make calls from pagers? Scratchhead
I was under the impression they were mostly for receiving...
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Here's to the future
> bubble2 25,141 Posts
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Iaaaiws
03-18-2014 at 02:55 PM.
03-18-2014 at 02:55 PM.
Quote from Frogstar :
You can make calls from pagers? Scratchhead
I was under the impression they were mostly for receiving...
Children should be seen and not heard.

Or something like that.
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The Mistress of All Evil!
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Maleficent
03-18-2014 at 03:17 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:17 PM.
Quote from Iaaaiws :
If she is done early at the rink what is wrong with just sitting patiently and waiting? One lesson few kids seem to ever learn is to be patient and not expect everything to happen right when they want it to.
That's a good point.

Also, where exactly do you sign up for these activities where you can just leave your kid there?

For my kid's football and swimming, parents are required to be present the entire time. laugh out loud
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The Mistress of All Evil!
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Maleficent
03-18-2014 at 03:20 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:20 PM.
Quote from Iaaaiws :
Children should be seen and not heard.

Or something like that.
Lol2
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Joined Jan 2007
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> bubble2 16,512 Posts
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uniquename
03-18-2014 at 03:21 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:21 PM.
Quote from Maleficent :
Also, where exactly do you sign up for these activities where you can just leave your kid there?

Ice hockey. Get your kids in a real sport. A concussion before age 10 is a badge.
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The Mistress of All Evil!
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Maleficent
03-18-2014 at 03:32 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:32 PM.
Quote from uniquename :
Ice hockey. Get your kids in a real sport. A concussion before age 10 is a badge.
Roll

Are you canadian?

And my kiddo has no interest in ice hockey. Can't say I'm surprised you just stick your kids in whatever activities you want them to do. Tongue
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uniquename
03-18-2014 at 03:38 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:38 PM.
Quote from Maleficent :
Roll

Are you canadian?

And my kiddo has no interest in ice hockey. Can't say I'm surprised you just stick your kids in whatever activities you want them to do. Tongue
Damn near Roll

And I don't. It was not chosen by me, and when my daughter switched to volleyball I supported it just as much. Not to mention goalie gear is expensive.

I've been through a few sports with kids. Gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, fastpictch, hockey, volleyball. Thankfully there was no draw to bouncing an orange ball around.

I did find it amazing how many parents thought of sports as a daycare. I tended to stay, or to coach. I do miss hockey Sadwalk
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Maleficent
03-18-2014 at 03:44 PM.
03-18-2014 at 03:44 PM.
Quote from uniquename :
Damn near Roll
You must be! No true American would say football isn't a real sport. Harhar

Quote :
And I don't. It was not chosen by me, and when my daughter switched to volleyball I supported it just as much. Not to mention goalie gear is expensive.

I've been through a few sports with kids. Gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, fastpictch, hockey, volleyball. Thankfully there was no draw to bouncing an orange ball around.

I did find it amazing how many parents thought of sports as a daycare. I tended to stay, or to coach. I do miss hockey Sadwalk
Jeebus. laugh out loud

Yeah, I was glad my kid wasn't interested in ice hockey - it's crazy expensive. It's too warm here for it to be all that popular, too.

I get when the kid is older, and they have practices that are hours long and frequent. I wouldn't want to stay for that, either. But now in elementary school, they're little, I can't see leaving them.
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