Dad Asks Whether He's Mistaken For Not Wanting 3-Year-Old Daughter To Have Own Cellphone

May 22, 2021

A man and his fiancée had some disagreements about whether they should give their child her own cell phone. While this is a topic of conversation most parents have at some point, this one came a little earlier than expected for the father. The man, 29, and his fiancée, 28, have a 3-year-old daughter together, and they are trying to figure out if now is the right time to give her a cell phone.

There are many benefits, but also disadvantages, that come with giving a child their very own cell phone. Children might feel more comfortable knowing that their parents are just a call away if they need something, and parents can feel more at ease knowing they always have a way to communicate with their kids. 

On the other hand, kids may use their device too much and rack up an extremely high phone bill the parents will have to pay. They also might take advantage of their newfound freedom and use their phone to behave poorly, like potentially bullying others or engaging in other harmful activities.

The father in this scenario posted about his situation on Reddit in May 2021 to see if he was right or wrong for not wanting to give his little girl her own phone to use. Since he and his fiancée could not come to an agreement, they have had a hard time communicating with one another. There has not been a resolution in sight yet, but they have continued to weigh the pros and cons of the topic, as well as potential other ideas that could help their daughter.

A father went to Reddit to explain his situation and ask if he was in the wrong for not wanting to give his 3-year-old daughter her own phone since he and his fiancée were not seeing eye to eye. According to Nationwide Children’s, most parents first think about getting their children a phone when the child is in middle school, usually between the ages of 10 and 12. However, each family’s situation is different, so there is no definite age that is the right answer. 

There are some benefits to having a phone, like the ability to communicate for social purposes or in an emergency. It is also a great provider of entertainment and education since phones nowadays have plenty of apps to stimulate the brain.

There are some risks, like figuring out if your child is responsible enough to have a phone and still focus on schoolwork. Parents also need to address the importance of making sure their children use their phones for the right reasons, and they might want to monitor their kids to see if they are engaging in any bad behavior through the use of their phones.

While there are many reasons to give a child his or her own phone, the mother in this scenario wanted to give her daughter one so the daughter would stop using hers. A lot of children like to play on their parents’ phones or pretend to make calls, as it can help with their communication skills, and it’s usually fun for them, but this mother was tired of not being able to use her own phone for the sake of her daughter’s entertainment.

The father in this situation replied, “absolutely not,” as their daughter was extremely young. He did, however, suggest that it would be a good idea to get her a learning tablet instead since their daughter was going to start preschool soon. His fiancée was not happy with this response and told him that he was “acting like those helicopter parents.” She also mentioned that “most toddlers have phones.”

The fiancée continued with her side of the argument and worked to prove her point. “She always throws fits when I don’t give her my phone, so what if we just give her my old phone maybe?” she had said to her fiance, according to the man’s Reddit post. The man replied, “Maybe when she’s 12, or 13, but for now, let’s just maybe get her that educational tablet.”

The man edited his post to include more details about his and his fiancée’s relationship with their daughter and what their life at home is like. “I’ve always given up my phone to her, but when she has fits I would say no,” he wrote, further explaining the situation about giving his daughter his phone to play with. On the other hand, his fiancee always agrees to give their daughter her phone, which is why the daughter now consistently goes to her. According to the father, the little girl views her mom as “the fun parent.”

The two have not discussed the topic since their initial fallout, as they still need to weigh all of their options about what to do that would be most beneficial for both of them and, most importantly, for their daughter.

Who do you think is right here: the mother or the father? What age do you think children should be before they get their own phone? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family members.