Would you ever give your 8 yr old an

[PrincessFiona]

...android phone?

Me neither which is why I'm horrified that he now owns one.

Aidan came home yesterday with a report for getting the highest grade of all 3rd graders on a math test. Yay Aidan! Yay Us! I love how little kids actually bring good news! LOL

Thomas took him out to get a $10 flip phone because owning a cell phone is Aidan's dream ... and they came home with an $80 android.

I get the arguments for it .... can be reached by us, not much different than a portable video game system, blah blah. Darnit that Thomas got to be the good guy.

I didnt say anything negative, because it was already done and both of them played together with it until bed time like it was an exciting new crock pot or something!

Boys and their toys or hell no?

Kris

[MrsK]

My cousin gave his 3yo an iPad. K1 is turning 3 in December. He's getting a tricycle. I think that's appropriate but then I worry he'll be disadvantaged if we don't teach him about electronics early.

[ladymoreta]

I think you handled it better than I would! I do hope that he takes care of it, but at least it's on T if/when it gets lost.

[SoonerTexan]

Eh, they'll have plenty of opportunity to learn about electronics. Don't feel bad.

Kris, the real question is why not an iPhone

Or really, how is poor Aidan going to afford that data plan

[Pollyanna]

First and foremost, congrats on the math test! Way to go Aidan!!!
In terms of the phone, I think it's fine. The fun thing about the younger kids having phones is that they can text their older sibs. There is nothing immoral about him having a cell, he's a good kid with good parents.

[JaneDoe]

My 8 year old has an iTouch and my six year old has a Kindle Fire. I know the iTouch is not quite a phone, but my dd is able to text her 8 year old friend who has her Mom's old iPhone as well as family members with iPhones. Dh and I have Droids so we can't text our dd. Lol. I think there are worse things to give your children.

[Vanquisher]

I agree with Tara.

[alison]

I agree with Tara, too! 3 years ago I would have said NO WAY, but if he loves electronics, why not?!

[scrub-jay]

It can be a great tool to teach responsibility with boundaries. I don't remember who does it on here, but I really liked the idea of everyone plugging in their phones at night in the kitchen, I plan to adopt that when the time comes.

[diggitydot]

Honestly, I'd probably lose my shit if my DH did that without at least talking about it with me first. However, I don't think it's the end of the world for your little dude to have a smart phone. He's a good kiddo and it could be a great tool for teaching responsibility.

[HouseofWool]

Last year I would have been appalled at the idea of giving an elementary school aged kid a cell phone. But just this last week, I was really wishing that Caleb had one because he was late getting home from school, twice! I am tempted to get him a cheap, pay-as-you-go phone so that when he is late I can get in touch him.

[GrayMatterWife]

...android phone?

Absolutely not.

But, that being said, no judgment on you for doing it.

Each family is different and each child is different. And the symbolism and meaning of the gift must be appreciated contextually.

DH and I are extremely uncomfortable with the hyper-consummerist social setting here in ATL. Conspicuous consumption is everywhere and overwhelming. Shoemakers I've never heard of, furniture with labels, country clubs, even which church you go to. It is insane and depressing. It is all about status symbols. We not only cannot keep up with it financially, we have no desire to. To us, in this setting, an 8-year-old with a cell phone is just another example of the "no limits" spending mentality of Atlanta. By contrast, I suspect that your city is not as smotheringly pretentious as is Atlanta (maybe I'm wrong--but you seem super-down-to-earth and you've never complained about conspicuous consumption). In that environment, a gift of a cell phone could be understood to be a REWARD that was well-earned; not a "given" for children his age. Socially, it functions completely differently.

[v-girl]

My 5 year old's LeapPad tablet cost more than the android phone. Glad grandma bought it!

I think it's fine.

[SuzySunshine]

I think its fine for someone that age to have a phone, however I would have been more livid that DH did that without asking me. The data plan alone is going to be a monthly expense, no? Great reward but he should have talked to you first.

[Thirteen]

It can be a great tool to teach responsibility with boundaries. I don't remember who does it on here, but I really liked the idea of everyone plugging in their phones at night in the kitchen, I plan to adopt that when the time comes.

ITA. If he loses it, or breaks it, then there's a life lesson, right there.