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Community Corner

At What Age Should Kids Get Cell Phones?

Each week, East Windsor Patch will pose a question to our Moms Council and then ask our readers to join in the conversation.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council—Susan Masone, Siri Heinrichs, Cristina Fowler, Christine O'Brien and our intrepid columnist Lauren Kim—takes your questions, gives advice and shares their solutions to the problems vexing all of us.

Have a question you would like to share, or just want to provide your opinion on the question of the week? Head over to the comments section to do just that.

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with the following question:

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At What Age Should Kids Get Cell Phones?

And our expert moms offer some advice: 

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Susan Masone When they can afford them. My oldest has been asking me this question for two years now. She has had classmates who have had cell phones for a couple of years. For our situation, I do not feel she needs one. The only time she is not with an adult is walking the half block home from the bus stop –with a half dozen other children. 

I understand some children get home before their parents and will need to keep in touch with them. Will I get my children cell phones when they are in middle school and possibly need to take the late bus home some days due to sports or after school activities? Yes. I can see a necessity at that time to make sure I know where they are and they are safe. 

Siri Heinrichs: Fortunately with an almost-2, 4 and 6 year old, this is not an area that we have explored yet. Once we do touch on this subject, I think we’ll need to discuss the reason behind obtaining a phone. There may be safety issues where it will be a good thing for my daughter to have a phone (late sports practice, for example). So perhaps as early as age 8 or 9 depending upon the child and what he/she is involved in. I don’t really know the answer to this one until I cross that bridge myself, and even at that time, it will be the answer for me and my family, not necessarily the answer for others. 

Cristina Fowler: You would think by the way my children navigate their father's iPhone to play Angry Birds or the way they answer my Blackberry that they have been using these devices for years. They are just 6 and 4, and if my parenting instincts are correct, neither one of them will have their own cell phone until they are at least in middle school.

Why choose middle school? My husband and I put some thought into this. Until our children reach middle school, their days are rigidly scheduled by way of where they need to be and at what times. However, once they begin getting involved in after-school sports, they may need to reach us.  At this juncture, we will re-evaluate their situations and access if a cell phone is needed.  Their overall behavior and level of maturity will also factor into our decision.

So far now, my husband and I can set this issue aside and await to see what technology will hand us by then. "Beam me up, Scottie."

Lauren Kim: At this point in my family, cell phones for our kids are not part of the picture. (And luckily, neither child has shown an interest in them yet.) Both of my daughters are in elementary school, and I personally pick them up from school every day and escort them to their activities. So right now, they don't need cell phones. But, if there comes a point when they are heavily involved in after-school activities -- say, in middle school -- I might consider giving them cell phones then so they can keep in touch with me and my husband should they need a ride home, etc. But, we would seriously monitor their cell phone use for safety reasons, and because we don't plan to spend lots of money on texting and phone calls!

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