What Are The Pros And Cons to Consider When Buying Your Child Their First Smartphone?

This week’s question is from Priscilla she wants to know what age is appropriate for a smartphone,

“I have two daughters, ages 9 and 12, and both are begging to get an iPhone for Christmas this year. My husband and I have somewhat different opinions on this. I’m less comfortable with it than he is. I know there are lots of concerns with kids having their own phones, and honestly, it just feels like one more major thing that’s going to be left for me to manage. I’m wondering your opinion on smartphones for kids and when is the right age to get them.”                                          

In this episode, I will address age-appropriate smartphones.  At some point, all parents will have to deal with deciding when it is appropriate to buy a smartphone for their child.  Although there are no hard and fast rules for when it is appropriate, there are many things to consider. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of smartphones, criteria, and questions to help you decide when your child may be developmentally ready to handle the responsibilities of a phone, and once that is decided, how to set expectations, boundaries, and monitoring of the devices.

You can submit a question by emailing us at support@drbeurkens.com with the subject line “Podcast Question.”