Ah, the holidays…sparkling lights, hot cocoa, and, of course, the hunt for the perfect gifts.  And above all, your kid is coming to tell you “All my friends have phones!” or “How am I supposed to text Santa without one?” (Yup, apparently sending letters is not so cool anymore.) 

So, here we are, with the big question hitting us: When’s the right time to get your kid a phone? Spoiler alert: the answer is not an easy one! 

On one hand, it’s great for safety and staying in touch. On the other, you want to make sure they’re ready for the responsibility. While we don’t have the magic answer, we’ve put together a little guide to help you through this process. We’ve also sprinkled some magical holiday phone promotions to make the decision a bit easier (and more affordable!) for you.

Our guide to when and why

First things first, we don’t think there’s a “one-size-fits-all” or the perfect age. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t have the final answer either, as it depends a lot on your kid. There are many Reddit discussions that you can have a look at, if you need some different opinions. For many families, 11 to 13 years is one of the most common choices, but your child might need one earlier. 

That’s why we’ve gathered some questions to help guide your decision:

🔵 Do they need it for safety?
Walking home from school, attending after-school activities, and spending time at friends’s houses, are just a few activities to consider when deciding. A phone can give you peace of mind as they’ll be able to contact you easily.

🔵 Are they ready for the responsibility?
Phones require care, which is sometimes challenging even for us adults. Charging them, keeping them safe, and avoiding excessive screen time are just a few to name. If they’ve mastered keeping track of their homework (or at least not losing something every single day), they might be ready for a phone. It’s also a great way to teach them about responsibility.

🔵 Is communication becoming even more important?
As kids grow older, staying in touch with friends becomes a big part of their lives. Staying connected can be great if they’re ready to accept boundaries and limits, which we’ll cover soon.

After you draw some first conclusions, it’s time to ask yourself the next things:

🔵 What kind of device does my kid need? 

Based on how they’ll be using the phone, you’ll need to pick one that fits their needs. You can start with a basic phone and then change it to an advanced one. Understanding your child’s necessities can help you decide on the features to include and save on unnecessary costs.

Usually, kids don’t need the latest, fanciest phone. Our kid-friendly models will definitely not drain your wallet and they can survive the occasional “Oops, I dropped it!”

🔵 What kind of phone plan should I choose? 

Consider starting with a simple phone plan and upgrading as they grow. 

Tello comes with perfect options for the entire family, starting at just $5/month. This way, you can choose exactly what you need. From talk and text only to data options, you can easily adjust month-to-month based on your child’s (or your!) needs.

To make your decision easier, Tello comes with the winning combo this holiday season:

🎁 All phones are on sale: Up to $80 discount, yay! Go have a look at our phone selection and pick the one that’s the best for your kid. 

🎁 All of our plans are super-affordable: We offer unbeatable savings all year round! You can pick a ready-made plan like the 2 GB one or build the perfect Tello plan for your kid by mixing and matching data and minutes. 

On to the next one: Boundaries, limits, and digital safety 

While a phone can be a great safety tool for your children, they can quickly fall down the rabbit hole. That’s why is very important to set clear boundaries from the start. 

Here are a few conversation starters to go through the process:

⏳ Screen time limits: Discuss with them how and where should they use it daily. Using the phone to stay in touch with you, as a parent, is great. Using it during school or at the dinner table is a big no-no. Keep in mind that kids mimic what parents do, so try to use your phone the same way you’d like your kid to do it. 

🛡️ Digital etiquette and cyber security: That’s a big one for parents nowadays. But long story short, online bullying is something you’ll always have to monitor, among other things. Have clear and ongoing discussions with your kid related to what they can access and some of the red flags online. On top of this, you can add additional safety with Tello’s WebGuard feature or even third-party tools.  

🔋 Data and battery management: A new phone means learning how to manage its resources. This is a great opportunity for your child to learn skills like data management and battery conservation. Teach them how to keep an eye on their usage and give them a bonus lesson: Wi-Fi is their best friend! 

📞 Always answer calls from Mom or Dad! Yup, that should’ve been the first one, but we started lighter. If safety is the phone’s main purpose, your children should know that they have to be reachable when you call them. If that’s not happening, panic mode is activated and that’s another big no-no. 

✍️ Pro-tip: Gather together all of your thoughts and create a first-phone contract. Write down the terms and have your kid sign it.

Tello Team Thoughts

As this subject is a highly discussed one among our Tello parents, we’ve also put together their thoughts, so here are a few extra tips: 

A.: I think this is one of the toughest decisions parents face today.

With the overwhelming amount of digital content, it’s hard to stay on top of everything. My child is nearly 7, and while I don’t believe he needs a phone—even though some of his friends already have one—I do worry that he might feel left out or miss out on shared experiences like popular games and YouTube content.

In my view, there’s no specific ‘age’ when a child needs a phone. It really depends on the child’s maturity and ability to understand boundaries, differentiate between real and fake, and handle online interactions responsibly. But then again, at this rate, maybe he won’t get a phone until he’s 25! For now, he hasn’t shown any signs that he’s ready for that responsibility, but I believe that, with moderation and constructive feedback on the content he watches, a child can be taught to navigate the internet wisely.

C.: At around 6 years each of my kids received a non-smartphone calling device (a SIM-enabled smartwatch), so they could communicate at will with a limited set of contacts (close family and friends), and so that I could call them and/or see their location when they were not with me (think dropping them off to birthday parties, sports activities etc.)

My oldest got a smartphone sometime between 9 and 10 years old, mostly due to peer pressure from school. If it were for me, the smartphone could have waited another good few years.

M.: For me this moment in particular is a dreadful one.

Probably, due to society and peer pressure I might be able to postpone this until she’s 12, maybe 13 if we’re lucky. The main factors I’m considering today are: necessity, added value (if she does get a phone) and of course… the downfalls.

Even with monitoring apps and limited time spent online, which would be a must, probably the biggest fear is that she doesn’t have the methods and skills to cope with negative feedback, online bullying, subliminal messages (body image etc.) and that her trust and self-worth will take a fall.

In the meantime, I encourage her to explore a variety of hobbies, find enjoyment in offline activities, and work on building her self-esteem. I hope to guide her toward understanding that her self-worth and self-perception should not be dependent on the opinions, thoughts, or actions of others. It’s a challenging journey!

R: In my case, although I was confident I would not buy him a phone until he would be in the 5th grade…I caved.

Well, actually, it was more of a necessity when I took the decision, as his teacher took them to a summer camp and said they would need one in order to call us from there, daily. They had an hour a day to call us.Therefore, we bought him a second-hand phone at the age of 8.

He also started using the phone to get information for different projects at school(science, history) and also to learn a new language (French).

He also doesn’t go to school with his phone, this was both ours and his decision as well.

I have met many people who either have not yet bought their kid a phone (being the only one at the age of 10, in his class, without a phone) or others who buy phones for their kindergarten kids.

In my opinion, when making the decision to buy your kid a phone, you always have to think about how to make this experience one that helps your kid’s development and teaches him about independence and responsibilities.

Final thoughts

Deciding when to give your child a phone can feel overwhelming. But, by focusing on your child’s maturity, safety needs, and responsible phone use, you can make the choice with confidence. Plus, Tello’s flexible and affordable plans, can give them just the right amount of independence while keeping your wallet happy.