I want to give my teens mobile phones and they've said no

"The time has come where them having a mobile would be really handy for ME," Aussie mum-of-three Karen writes of her unexpected dilemma.

My twin boys are in year eight and they don’t have mobile phones.

Before they started high school, we went through a big dilemma about whether to get them phones. It felt like the time that we *should* get them phones, but so many reasons made us to pause. In the end, we decided to wait.

Now, they’re 13 and a half and want to go out to meet their friends. They want to go to the movies and walk around the shops together. They want to go on bike rides. They like to stay home alone when we go out.

The time has come where them having a mobile would be really handy for ME. I could keep an eye on their location. They could call me if they fell of their bike and hurt themselves, or if they needed me to pick them up earlier than planned. I could text them if I was running late…

I’m finally ready to get them phones. Only now they don’t actually want one!

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Karen has found that life moves fast with kids! Source: supplied

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They love their screens - just not phones

I need to give some context here – my kids are not screen-free angels. They LOVE screens. They have an iPad at home, various gaming consoles and a TV in their room that is connected to Netflix, YouTube and the like. They would happily spend 24/7 on screens if we let them. But they just aren’t bothered by getting a mobile phone.

Here are the 5 reasons they don’t want a phone.

They don’t want to ignore their friends

All of their friends have had phones for a long time. When they go out with them, they see the distraction that mobile phones create.

They tell me they don’t want to be obsessed with a screen at times when they should be having fun in the real world. (In saying that, they also love taking their video games to their friends’ houses and gaming with them, but apparently that’s different and they don’t mind being on those sorts of screens together!)

They don’t feel they need it

If I don’t show up for school pickup, they know to go to the school office and ask them to call me. If we’re out and about and they’re at home, we can call or message them on one of the iPad apps so we can still communicate. They don’t see any need for a mobile phone.

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They would rather have other things

They know when they get a phone it will be a birthday or Christmas gift and they don’t want to waste a present on something that isn’t important to them. They would much rather get a new video game, some LEGO or something else fun.

They have zero interest in texting or social media

They connect with their friends online through games so they don’t feel the need to be able to text as well, and they think social media is a bit stupid. Secretly I love that they’re not drawn into the world of social media yet as although I love it myself, I can imagine the anxiety it would have caused me if it had been around when I was a teen.

They don’t want the hassle of carrying a phone around

The pockets in their shorts and jeans are way too small to fit a mobile phone, and they don’t want the hassle of carrying it or the risk of losing it.

Waiting was right for us

I’m still happy we made the decision to wait to get phones. I know at some point soon we’ll need to get them one but we’ll just play it by ear.

I know that everything will change when they finally get phones as it will open them up to so many new experiences, challenges and opportunities.

For now though, I’m happy that I don’t yet need to navigate this new step in parenting.

Originally published as I want to give my teens mobile phones and they've said no