I Gave My Seven-Year-Old Kid a Phone?

Well, sort of. It's a complicated story. For years, my child has been obsessed with the idea of having a phone. To her, it signals being grown up.

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Every few months, my seven-year-old will ask, for the millionth time: “When am I old enough for a phone?” She knows the answer is “not yet,” but what “not yet” means isn’t fully clear. But in truth, she does have a phone. A few weeks back, she came across a one sent for a work project. It’s been in a drawer. She asked if she could use it. It’s not connected to the internet, and can’t send messages. There’s no social media.

What it does have, though, is a really nice camera.

“Could I have this phone?” she asked me, her eyes wide and desperate.