I used to think it was ridiculous that all these kids have cell phones and they shouldn't need one till they are 16....

then I couldn't text my little sister who just turned 15 and it was driving me crazy not being able to quickly tell her funny things throughout the day....

So I think when they can pay for their own/their half of the bill it's okay

Having two kids of my own already (one of them a daughter, heh), I've given this some preliminary thought. My kids are still teeny tots, but I figure I better start thinking now before all the kindergartners are getting phones. My thoughts are along these lines: as soon as I start letting my kids do things when I'm not in the immediate vicinity, I'll begin to CONSIDER cell phones. More than likely, it'd be a prepaid phone until they had a job that could pay for a "real" phone. Because I won't have extra cash to throw around on who knows how many extra cells in the family!

We'll see. it also totally depends on each child's maturity level. Not an age. Some kids are ready for responisibilities like that at 15, some aren't ready until they're 23. Making it a number instead of dependent on the child is a dangerous avenue for "fairness" and heartache.

All my own opinion of course.

~V

until she's 28?!?!? lol god bless her!!!!!! haha. well im 16 and i have a cell phone. I believe a 14 year old should have a cell phone but the trac phones like where you have to buy your minutes and blah blah. i believe they should have one because if my daughter was being sexually harrased or followed or anything and shes not near anyone i want her to be able to have a phone to get help. at the age of 16 thats when i believe the child is more responsible to have a cell phone on a plan with the parents. but me being a 16 year old i never go over the minutes that i get. i have unlimited texting so its all good. :D