A cell phone is not suitable for a 5 year old. When is he EVER going to be left alone to need to use it? What logical reason did you say there is for a 5 year old to have a cell phone again??????

"And here's fair warning: If you give him a cell phone now, when the only purpose it can serve is as a status symbol, you'll have no one to blame but yourself when he's -- oh, pick any age -- and throws a tantrum because he doesn't have the newest gadget. "

Yes, THAT!

For once I actually agree with Barbara's response, because it's not all fluffy cotton-candy stuff.

Any parent who thinks a cell phone for a 5 year old is a good idea clearly has issues. They are probably very young, and know nothing but our gadget-crazy culture. You will never talk sense into people like this, they're irrational.

I believe the appropriateness of a cell phone for an elementary school-age child depends on the situation, rules and the child's ability to follow them, and the device. Five is probably too young but at age 9 my daughter received a basic cell phone, not a smart phone but a phone she can use to call and text only, and the key to our house. The phone directory contains the phone numbers of immediate family and some select moms who know my child. The phone is turned off and put away in an inner pocket of the backpack. I am a widowed working mother with no readily available family in the area. My daughter can now call me at any time and let herself into the house for safety. When I was a kid my mother was home and I always had a dime to call my parents. Try finding a pay phone now and many moms must work. My daughter and I now have some peace of mind knowing she can reach me or other trusted adults. The rules of use are clear and if needed I can take the phone away. It is not a status symbol unless it is made to be one, and with any gadget or other gift (computer, gaming device, fashion clothing, pop music, book, etc.) it is about assertive parenting.

You're nuts

I did not get my son one until he was around 14 or so, and it was a pay-as-you-go model. We got him an iPhone when he was 17. My 12 year old wants a phone, but we told her she is still too young. We gave in to an iPod touch, and the texting is bad enough on that, I am not totally comfortable with her being "out there" yet.....

I agree with LB - though I am very much against giving cell phones to young kids, I do believe there are special circumstances in which they are appropriate. I share custody of my 13 year old, and my ex-husband does not have a cell phone. When my son travels with his father, it is impossible for me to get in touch with them if necessary. There are also many times that, in the interest of logistics, getting in touch with my son is necessary. I briefly had a pay-as-you-go phone for my son for use only when traveling, but have since eliminated that as well.

I will very likely end up getting a cell phone for my son at a younger age than I would prefer simply because his dad refuses to get one.

Please recognize that everyone's life is different, and we're all facing our own challenges. I agree that a cell phone for a 5 year old is, in general, ludicrous, but I also believe that there are some circumstances in which there would be justification.

No reason for a 5 year old to have a cell phone. Period.
7th-8th grade is plenty soon enough, except for special circumstances.
Plus, if it is an emergency, frankly, everyone else has one and they can borrow. We waited until that age for both of our kids, and have no regrets.

Like poster #3, we gave my son a cell phone in the fourth grade. That was when he started walking home on his own, letting himself into the house, and staying alone for some time. It was an issue of safety. The phone was not fancy and very basic. He almost never used it to call friends. He didn't get a smartphone until the end of middle school. Yes, now sometimes he texts too much (though we have house rules which have addressed this issue). Sometimes I'm on the computer too much. Sometimes smart people watch too much TV. Phones are like any piece of technology that parents must teach their children to use wisely. When this happens is a matter of personal circumstance. Five seems young, but if my eight-year old was a latch-key kid out of necessity, it would not be an issue. By the way, my five year-old has a toy cellphone. For him, to pretend to call us makes him perfectly happy, and we do have the funniest conversations!

We gave our 10 year old a pre-paid phone last year to bring with him the days he was coming home alone from school. It is stored in an inner pocket in his bookbag, his friends don't even know he has one. We were glad he had it a month ago when he got home from school and noticed something was wrong, he called me from it before going in to the house. I had him go to a neighbor's house. Our home had been broken into.

His phone has only been used a dozen or so times. Most of those were by dad when his phone was broken.

All of that being said, there is absolutely no reason a 5 year old needs a phone. They should be with an adult at all times and that adult very likely has a phone the child could use if he wanted to call his siblings, grandparents or mom.

Huh? Maybe you should ask why YOU need a cell phone first, then ask how many of those reasons apply to your five year old son.

You need to have a number at which your clients can reach you at any time of day? Or if there is an emergency at day care? Or if your car breaks down and you need to call for help?

If it is just to call grandparents, why not let him use the house phone? Or your phone if you have ditched the landline? I don't even understand how there can be a question.

P.S. Don't intend to get my son a cell phone until he is old enough to be out of the house on his own.

My nearly-14yo daughter has been begging for a cell phone, telling me she's the only one without one. She has an iPod touch, so can text & facetime any time there is wifi. I can not think of one good reason to spend money on a phone for her right now. She is unhappy with me telling her that the earliest I can see her getting a phone is when she is a licensed driver. I don't want her to break down and not be able to call for help. Until then -- she can borrow a friend's phone, or use our house phone whenever she'd like.

So the other day I was in a waiting room. There was a cute articulate 3 year old in a stroller ! and Mom was on the phone chatting away with a girlfriend. The little one kept trying to get Mom's attention. Poor child, thought I, Mom is ignoring her, and she wants Mom to pay some attention to her. Well I was wrong, what the kid wanted was the iPhone! So she could watch it!

I think parents today confuse "can" with "should." Just because they are able to use it, does not mean that it's good for them to use it. Channel 5's Chronicle last night was about stressed out college students and how the technology makes them think they have friends and support when they really don't. Won't this cellphone make the 5 year old think that he is really interacting with his grandparents and sister when he is not? Doesn't he need to learn to communicate in person, to watch faces and pick up non-verbal cues before he starts interacting on the phone?

We hear a lot about children with autism spectrum disorders who have no social skills. We should think about whether more screens and more phony communications will help or hurt children. Why put our children in a box when there's no need for it at all? Why talk to your sisters on the phone rather than playing with them in the back yard? Makes no sense at all.

Are these are the same clueless "parents" who name their child Siri?

I really do feel queezy.

"The little one kept trying to get Mom's attention. Poor child, thought I, Mom is ignoring her, and she wants Mom to pay some attention to her."

Yes, it is absolutely unacceptable for a mom who is spending an entire day with a child to pay any attention whatsoever to anyone or anything else! It's borderline child abuse to make a child wait a whole five minutes for Mommy while she interacts with other people! The horror! Next thing you know, Mom might shut and lock the bathroom door while she does her business and Little Miss Muffett will be crying for attention the whole time, and probably be warped for life from the neglect.

And it's the absolute end of the world that a kid plays with a gadget for ten minutes while Mom is waiting around for something. That time certainly should be spent with Mommy drilling her flash cards or narrating the kid's every experience like a sports play by play announcer.

Give it a rest about the horrible selfish phone chatting parents...our parents certainly were not interacting with us every waking moment of our lives. They would talk on the phone or talk to other adults in person in our presence and make us wait our turn for a few minutes. Now people complain about the "ignoring" on the phone, then turn around and complain about how the kids want attention all the time and think they're the center of the universe. Can't have it both ways.

A five year old has no use for a cell phone. Any parent who believes their five year old needs one is in need of some assistance on any number of levels. Something is wrong in that household.

Crazy!! I can't even imagine sending a child off to kindergarten with a cellphone in their backpack!
Children are needy & dependent. People who have cellphones basically super-glued to their palms are also needy & dependent. I've witnessed people throw a complete nutty in retail stores when they couldn't make a decision on their own & couldn't reach a friend by cellphone.
This may be the new way of the World. I'm just so happy that I never bought into it.

Kids need to learn to think for themselves. Remember when the bus was hanging off the bridge in Minnesota and the kids called their moms instead of getting off the bus? The phone can be so detrimental, kids, and grownups cant make a decision without checking in with some one else first. Waiting for my high school freshman to get all As and she can have her first phone. Great carrot!
Older sister got hers at 16. I woulndt trade anything for the sheer joy on her face when she opened the box. Completely worth waiting for. Good luck!

egad...why is this even a question? There is no reason for a 5 year old to have his/her own cell phone. My oldest did not get hers until finishing middle school. My youngest was in 7th grade (and played sports, was often walking home longer distances alone). There are special circumstances to be sure (as others have pointed out, younger kids coming home to an empty house for an hour or so, single parents that want to be in touch when their kid is with the other parent). I agree with all of that, but not at 5 years old.

We need a lot more information to really know if it would be appropriate for this young child to have a cell phone. Is he or she left alone with an adult who perhaps has drug or alcohol abuse problems or even health problems where he/she might need to call for help?

Nevermind the appropirateness of a cell phone for a 5 year old. What would he even do with it? When is he ever going to be in a position to even use it? Is he going to call you from the mall asking for a ride home? Does he need to text the other kids in daycare?

I am a divorced mom with an ex who has mental health issues. Currently, he cannot parent my daughter without supervision, and so at this point my daughter does not have a phone. If, however, I am ever required to let her be with him without supervision, I will make sure my daughter has a child cell phone (the kind with three buttons that allows her to call three people- myself, my mother and my sister) so that if she is with him and she does not feel safe, I will know she can call me. It will not be a status symbol, and it will not be for anything but emergencies.

Many people in these comments need to take a breath and get off the soapbox. No one mentioned a fancy phone or an iphone. This might be another mother in fear of her child's safety and mental comfort. Ask and listen before you judge!

@di... Love, love, love the comment. Thank you.

+1

My kids got phones - pay as you go flip phones - when they were old enough to be walking home after school to an empty house. For my kids, that happened to be fourth grade. Every kid, family, and situation is different. That said, I can't imagine any reason to give one to a 5 year old.

Without specifics, I can't see any reason to give a 5 year old a cell phone, and I think if there was a specific reason the LW would have mentioned it? I can, however, see teaching the child to use a phone in case of emergencies (and to call grandma). Does remind me a bit of wanting my own phone in my room growing up and how envious we were of the kids who go one first..

(Of topic: while this may not be why parents are choosing it, Siri is an actual established Scandinavian name. For example, the author, Siri Hustvedt.)

I'm 41 and I only ever use a cell phone when I am traveling out of state. It's a basic, non-smart phone with no bells and whistles. But for every day, I never even carry it. At work, I've got a phone at my elbow, and at home, I have a phone in 5 rooms. If I get into an 'emergency', I use my brain, same as I always did before cell phones got invented. Somehow, I've survived. My sons are 10 and 12, and I have no plans whatsoever to get them phones. I'd be much more concerned with them walking in front of a car while texting than with them somehow outwitting an assailant using the magical power of the cell phone. If they want to contact a friend, they can call on the regular land line. No policing them from texting in the middle of night, or during dinner, or other inappropriate times. And no huge expense that I don't need either. I'm totally biased, but I really don't see cell phones as a necessity akin to oxygen.

I am currently debating getting my 5-year-old a pre-programmed cell phone. The only use for this phone, and the only standing reason he would have need for it, is because myself and his father are divorced. When he visits his father, he does not want to go and asks me to pick him up (that is, when his father ALLOWS me to talk to him by actually answering his phone; most of the time, letting it go unanswered because he simply "didn't want to answer it"). His father is a dead-beat and basically holds him hostage. My son NEEDS a way to contact me when he feels he needs to reach me or feels uncomfortable. He has no other need for the phone at home or at school (his father does not ever contact him); therefore, a pre-programmed phone with my number or my parents' numbers (as we are close to them) would be a necessity while he is stuck for periods of time at his dad's and feels the need to contact us when they won't allow him to call on their phones.

Me and my husband recently separated and I am about to place my child in the care of a flight attendant for 6 hours on a plane. I'm beyond nervous. My daughter turns five this month and I am frantically looking for GPS trackers and the like to send with her to put my mind at ease. I just want a cell phone for her that can only call me, her dad, and her grandparents. This isn't unrealistic. I want her to only have it when she's traveling back and forth from coast to coast. Just because we want to keep our kids safe isn't crazy. Think about all situations before slamming the idea of a mother or father wanting to be able to protect their children. This is the first time my daughter will be leaving my side for more than a day, and I'm scared something horrible will happen. Part of me wants to just keep her here, but that isn't fair to her father or his family. So, I am checking all possible avenues. It will give me a direct link to my child, and will keep us both at ease.

I agree that giving a young child a cell phone just because they want one is a very bad idea. Especially one that has access to internet or other social media, However, I found this post as I was searching the internet for an appropriate phone for my 5 year old son. After what has been a very difficult separation between my husband and I, I've decided that he does need a way to call for help in case of emergency. My five year old has had to become very responsible for himself and his 3 year old sister when they have visitation with their father. My ex has many health problems, including diabetes that he manages very poorly. On several occasions I have found him unconscious from low blood sugar. My ex has no home phone and I refuse to leave my children with no way to call for help if something were to happen. I plan on getting him one of the phones that can only dial a couple numbers and Emergency numbers. My five year old is most capable of describing his fathers health condition, giving a 911 operator his address, and following any instructions the operator might give him until help arrived. Many of these devices also come equiped with GPS so in the event he is to upset to give an address or is in a different location, help could still find him. Everyones situation is different and each parent has to determine if a cell phone is appropriate for his/her child.