Most people do not want their kids to have a phone when they are young. There are many reasons why kids around 10 to 14 should have a phone. When kids hit the age of 10 they usually start staying home alone. Around 7th grade kids usually start to hang out with friends after school and their parents might have to get a hold of them. Not only should kids need a phone to hang out with their friends after school to get a hold of their parents, if they move they can still stay in contact with their friends from their old school. If middle school kids or high school kids don’t have a ride to school or can’t drive they might need to walk to school and their parents might want them to text them when they get there to make sure they got there safely.

There are many apps your kids can download so you can track where your kids are at all times like Life 360. With a cell phone you can build trust with your kids. You can also put a time limit on your child’s phone. If your parents are divorced the kid might need a phone to contact the other parent to let them know what is going on at the other parents house. If you do not want your kid to be on their phone late at night you can put a time limit on their phone or take it and put it in your room to keep them off of it. 

If your kid plays a sport for school they might need to download apps for those activities with the school. Many coaches use group chats for the information the kids need to know. Not only school coaches use those kinds of apps, other sports outside of school use those kinds of apps to let the players know what to do. Your kid could also call or text you if practice ended early and if they need a ride home. They also could let you know when and where to be picked up after school or practice. 

Having a phone could help your child with organization and keep track of things. Phones have calendars where kids can put the due date of assignments and other things to keep track of when they are due. They can put reminders for homework, to study for tests or important family things that need to be done. Kids could also use their phone for socializing with other people. They also could be used for entertainment. If you are going on a long car ride the kids will not be bored in the car and bugging you.