Shutting down the cell phone conversation

My son likes to remind me of his age.

"Before you know it, I'll be nine," he says. "And then I will be able to be alone at home by myself after school."

I want this for my son. I want him to taste the independence and understand the weight of responsibility that comes with being old enough for short periods of time home alone. But then he continues...

"And when I am home by myself, I think I should have my own cellphone," he says.

And my brain says, "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

The rational side of my brain thinks that my son will be mature enough to use his phone responsibly. The Mommy side of my brain immediately thinks about all the stupid stuff young children do with their phones - including sexting.

I think it is fair to state at this point that when I was in high school, I had to take great pains to let a guy know that I liked him, which included sending him notes, tracking his daily schedule so I could conveniently pop by his locker during school and maybe (maybe) calling him on the phone after school on the landline. Sexting wasn't invented yet.

But it is an option for our children today. And the problem is that our children's intellectual levels don't always match their social intelligence level. And sharing information has become far too easy.

So I tell my son that he is not allowed to have a phone until he is 13. Or 17. Or 30. And he (quite rightly) doesn't believe me. But, he also understands that we are going to have a lot more conversation around responsibility long before he gets a phone in his hand.

What age would you trust your child with their own fully functional cell phone? Tell me in the comments.