[mattburns9999]

If she pays the bill I thinks its fine but if not spoiled!!

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[mzshey2x]

I'm not a parent but I'm not ready to allow any loved one of mine who's 13 full, unsupervised access to BBM, AIM, SMS, & the web.

For all the parents who have posted about their children w/ cell phones & the limits and rules they set - I'd say you're all great parents.

There is no reason a child shouldn't have a phone for safety as long as the children are aware of certain rules & limits. Being able to call & txt parents, siblings, & 1 or 2 friends is good - allowing a 13yr old to freely chat w/ whoever & roam the web as she pleases - no.

Cost-wise, it's up to the parents - though children old enough should learn the responsibilities of helping to pay bills.

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[brownieangel23]

I don't think that 12 is to young for a bb, if you've already allowed your daughter to have a cell phone it doesn't really make much difference if its a bb or a sk. She can still do the same things on both. I think the problem you may want to address it the grandparents going over your head and getting it with out your permission

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[jarretsmith1228]

My step-daughter, who is 13, got her first cell phone when she was 12. It was the cheapest, most featureless phone iln the history of phones. I'm glad I did that because it was broken in 6 months. She was able to buy another one for $18 (of her own money) and she was excited because it has a mp3 player and a camera. I personally think a BB is too much for a 13 year old but that's just me.

[branden3112]

I got my first prepaid phone when I was nine, I have a blackberry now and I'm 12 I got it a month ago for my birthday. I also have very good grades and am very responsible. Lots of kids in my class have regular phones. The catch is that I have to do chores to pay $30 a month for the internet/email plan and add a line charge. Both my parents have blackberrys also so they got it for so I wasn't using my dads blackberry all the time. I also have a pasion for computers/phones/electronics so I have to have internet email and texting everywhere I go and my parents understand that. My parents also got my pearl for free with a new line at costco. I think ten is too young for a blackberry and 7 is too young for a regular cell. That's just my opinion based on experiance.

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[Tylerd]

I'm with Branden. I have a passion for technology.

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[BBpixie]

OMG! Gotta be kidding!! My girl is only 4 yrs old and she loves tech games and computers already, but I know I ain't giving her a phone till 16 as she'll be having a part time job to be able to pitch in for the bill. Man, I'm in shock that the 8 yr old boy has a curve and a 7 year old has a pearl!!

I saw on another forum that this cell phone salesman who worked at Sams Club had a 7 yr old come up to him with a CC and told him that she needed a pink razr right now..her mom pulled her away and told her that her pearl worked fine and that her 8 yr old brother had a curve.

[cronaldo]

I think 12 is way too young I got my first cell phone at 14 and it was far from a Blackberry it was a prepaid virgin mobile that didn't even have a color screen at the time lol. I got my first PDA type phone (Motorola A1200) at 16 and I had to pay for it myself.

My opinion is anyone under the age of 18 owning a phone that costs most than $100 is spoiled.

As long as they pay for it, it should be no problem when I was 16 I got a Motorola A1200, as stated above, and I paid for it myself, then in June of 2007 I got a Nokia N95 which I again paid for myself and my Curve I also paid out of my own pocket. If they want an expensive phone and can pay for it I feel that it should not be an issue.

[BBpixie]

I'm glad you are doing well and being responsible for your BB. There are kids out there that aren't quite as mindful with their technologies! If my daughter is able to do enough chores that is agreeable to cover the bill, I might be ok with that.

I got my first prepaid phone when I was nine, I have a blackberry now and I'm 12 I got it a month ago for my birthday. I also have very good grades and am very responsible. Lots of kids in my class have regular phones. The catch is that I have to do chores to pay $30 a month for the internet/email plan and add a line charge. Both my parents have blackberrys also so they got it for so I wasn't using my dads blackberry all the time. I also have a pasion for computers/phones/electronics so I have to have internet email and texting everywhere I go and my parents understand that. My parents also got my pearl for free with a new line at costco. I think ten is too young for a blackberry and 7 is too young for a regular cell. That's just my opinion based on experiance.

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[jarretsmith1228]

OMG! Gotta be kidding!! My girl is only 4 yrs old and she loves tech games and computers already, but I know I ain't giving her a phone till 16 as she'll be having a part time job to be able to pitch in for the bill. Man, I'm in shock that the 8 yr old boy has a curve and a 7 year old has a pearl!!

Seriously! My daughter wasn't even thinking about a cell phone when she was 7-8.

[Tylerd]

I just went outside, and my 11 year old neighbor has a brand new 8310!

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[SamsBerry]

Well....My son is 6. He just got his first cell phone. He got a Katalyst through TMo. The reason we got him one so young is because with my father being the VP of engineering for a major cell phone company hes grown up around phones and he was constantly using me and my hubbys to call his friends( we dont have landlines since hubby works in cellular as well) We put him on a family plan with me and he understands how to use his phone better than most adults...lol. So I would say it would depend on the reasons and the child. A Blackberry has some pretty intricate features so I would say that its way too young for someone that age! I dont really see the need for a child to have a phone like that...but a cell phone in general isnt totally crazy to me.

[jennifermcguirt]

I just added my 9 year old daughter to our family plan, but she just uses it to call me, my husband and her grandparents. She walks to and from school and that is the main reason that she has it. It was a free phone, nothing like a BB.

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[AUtigers350z]

My parents wouldn't pay for my phone until I turned 16 as they said "you have no need for a cell phone until you can drive". When I was 15 I had a little Nokia with a black and white screen and the "snake" game on it I prepaid for all the minutes myself as I had a job. For my 16th birthday present my parents bought me a color screen Nokia (ooh, fancy!) and a real cell phone plan. I am now almost 21 and just bought my first Blackberry a few months ago. I have gone through quite a few phones in my day though

[raylol16]

OMG SNAKE GAME! I miss it lol....Even then when I paid for my own phone and paid my own bill my parents think it wasn't necessary. They always knew where I was and what my schedule was like maybe I was just raised right or my parents weren't lazy?

[bippy]

Sorry but, this sounds more like a personal issue than a "phone" issue to me.

I was thinking the same thing. If blackberryfairy's husband does not set boundaries/limits with his parents when it comes to his children, then this type of thing will continue. Maybe he doesn't want to rock the boat as far as them paying his child's cell phone bill (trade off).

As far as being upset about this, there will be much bigger fish to fry in the future. Try to save your angst for then. Life is too short.

[xandrex#IM]

It's not that we underestimate you, it's that adults were once kids like you too.

That is a frequently used argument, but it can hardly stand up. Adults frequently forget what it's like to be a kid and the differences from today as opposed to "adults" time as children are two completely different things. It's apples and oranges.

Adults can set the limits of what they think their child should be doing. If they believe they can handle a Blackberry, then I say go for it. We can't really judge.

[Kieran]

It seems to me there is a great divide between the 'kids' on this board and the parents.

I have a fairly tech savy father, who against my moms wishes got me a cell when I was in grade 6. I think that was fairly young, however in middle school I had a cell and a pager. I looked like a underage drug dealer. I think that middle school makes sense, the reason for this is that is the age when a lot of kids start taking public transit/ walking/ leaving the nest for short periods of time. As soon as it becomes a safety issue not a convenience issue (ie kid alone vs. kid upstairs come down for dinner).

Now I am 21 and have a carrier, I have gone through two blackberries and about 8 cellphones. I can now appreciate what I have as I pay for it. I can afford $100+ cellphone bills and a $650 retail phone. When I have kids there is no way in **** they will be racking up the bills I get now.

I think that the kids who are 11 - 18 on this board who have BB's and DO NOT have a job, or let alone a carrier in some business where you are getting work related emails all day, a blackberry is overkill. I may get flamed for saying this. Really there has to be a reason to have one. For me its how I organize business with my customers and schedules.

I say 11 -18, get a camera phone, something shiny that you can show off to your friends. There is no need to walk around like you are some big captain of industry. Also thank your parents for every long distance call you make, that **** gets expensive.

[xandrex#IM]

See I think that that is exactly against the point.

I am 17 and have had a camera phone. I'm going off to college, I want a phone that can do more than send stupid picture messages to my friends. I want a phone that can do more than that. Since I use texting more than calling, I want a phone with more multimedia - data. I'm not being a big captain of industry by wanting a Blackberry. I want to organize my life and have a device I can enjoy.

Right now, I have a job, but don't pay my cell phone bill. My parents have privileged me enough to pay for my bill, but when it comes to the point where I need to pay it, I will.

Just because we're "underage" (defined by law, rather than maturity) doesn't mean that we aren't very adult-like and deserve adult-oriented devices like Blackberries.

[Kieran]

Agreed,
I think I made a few generalizations. Let me reiterate.

I retract my statement about email and industry kingpins. My point was directed at kids (and parents who get them one) who are just getting blackberries without good reasoning. As an organizational tool I 100% agree with. What I disagree with is the apparent need of a device without reasoning which would justify it. I don't think it is needed to have a phone which exceeds your use. In most cases a camera phone would work out fine for most teenagers and preteens. However in my opinion there are circumstances where a blackberry or such device would be a great asset.

As you said yourself BBs are adult oriented devices. However college or other circumstances would force one into the adult world then all the power too you.

I mean no disrespect towards anyone. Just my two cents.

Also I think it should be mentioned that the focus of the blackberry line is heading more consumer. Back when blackberries were called RIMs I don't think any teen would be caught dead using one of those bricks with the token ear bud style hands free set.

[Duvi]

To me, it's just a cellphone, especially a Pearl. Adding data for unlimited email / internet may be a way bit much.

Now if you are paying an arm and a leg for the Pearl, then no. If it's a $25, like I got two of my Pearls, why not?

My son will not have a BB unless it's free.99 under the age of 13. High school is when I may think about a BB.

[BBMom]

As you can see, I'm a mom. My eldest is 11.5. He is in the fifth grade. Everyone, and I mean everyone except 1-2 kids in his grade, has a razor or krazor (he has the latter since the beginning of the school year). In the whole school, which goes up to eighth grade, I know of two kids who have iPhones. I have not seen or heard of any BB owners. I do know of and have seen a lot of wealthy private school NYC high schoolers who have BBs. You see 'em on the high school girls (and guys, I suppose) who also wear Uggs, highlights, and Joe's or Seven Jeans. They whip out there devices at lunchtime at the delis on Madison Ave.

Just reporting the facts from the parenting front here in the Big Apple. As always, just my two cents. Peace out (as they say), BBMom

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[SamsBerry]

As I stated above my son is in Elementary School (first grade actually). Now grant it we live in a very wealthy suburb of Detroit but I am still amazed at some of the phones I see children in my sons ELEMENTARY school carrying around. Although these are the same kids that wear abercrombie and hollister daily at 7 and 8. I was very privileged growing up but it amazed me that there are 8 year olds walking around his school with iPhones, BB's and phones of the like. I am not that old...Only 30 but things have changed quite a bit since I was younger! The good thing about my son is he realize that he is very fortunate and although we dont make him pay his bill...He does use parts of his allowance for whatever add-ons he puts on his phone...Music, Games, Wallpapers etc...

[wabbit]

when they are old enough to buy their own, till then they get that silly green thing from verizon, 911, and call home

[trooperben]

I witnessed the most amazing event at my local Radio shack. I mother was purchasing a new cell (Razr) for her 6 year old. I couldn't believe the mother was really doing this and the salesman couldn't either. After talking about phone plans and finish the sale / purchase with the mother, the salesman stated "I now can say I've met the stupidest person in the world."
My jaw had to have it the floor, I couldn't believe he said that right to the mothers face. (The mother took it as a joke)
AMAZING, BUT TRUE. !!!