Peer pressure for technology

Absolutely not. Blackberries are for harassed executives who need access to their emails around the clock. 11 Year olds do not need constant access to emails or to the Internet. Why would you want one unless you have to have one? Also they are expensive. Children and teenagers have no idea how many hours or days they would have to work in a basic office job to pay for one of these. It is going to be a horrid shock for them when they go out into the working world.
She is just doing the "everyone else has got one - unless you get me one you are a bad parent " guilt trip game. Give in on this one and she will want an upgrade next year! She is probably doing the "everyone else has got a Facebook account" and "everyone else is allowed to go to town in makeup" too. She is too young for all these things.

No A child of 11 should not have a Blackberry. If a parent gives in to emotional blackmail they lose all credibility and the child will never respect their decisions. Having access to an internet connection unsupervised does not bear thinking about.

She could point out that she would like a Porsche and designer dresses but you are cutting your clothes according to her cloth, and her daughter wanting a BlackBerry is in the same category. Heavens, a lot of us would like to sport a BlackBerry!!!

I watched in the supermarket as a boy of about 9 pestered his grandmother ( who looked as though she had very little spare cash after buying a few groceries) to buy him a toy as well as the chocolate and crisps she had already bought him. Obviously he had no idea that it is not possible to get EVERTHING you fancy in this life.

That is a lesson worth learning early on - it would stop people running up immense debts for things they do not need.

A Blackberry at 11? IDTS. Some folk have more money than sense. The 'phone she has sounds fine - emergency contact and texts, what more should an 11 year old need?

No.
Just check who actually has the blackberries - bet it isn't more than one or two.

Absolutely not! Who's in charge here anyway? My three daughters were not allowed a mobile phone until they were old enough to appreciate how much they cost, and how much they cost to run. I couldn't afford it for them. So whilst they may have been the last in each of their peer groups to have one - at the age of 15/16 - that's just the way it was. I know things are different now - only six years on in the case of my youngest, but it's a question of what the phone is for. If it's just to keep in touch & know she's safe, then any basic mobile will do. I agree with lynette as well.

Absolutely not! Who's in charge here anyway? My three daughters were not allowed a mobile phone until they were old enough to appreciate how much they cost, and how much they cost to run. I couldn't afford it for them. So whilst they may have been the last in each of their peer groups to have one - at the age of 15/16 - that's just the way it was. I know things are different now - only six years on in the case of my youngest, but it's a question of what the phone is for. If it's just to keep in touch & know she's safe, then any basic mobile will do. I agree with lynette as well.

She has what you say she can have. She's only 11. When she is sixteen she can save up for whatever she wants. It's good to have something to look forward to and lets her know as she gets older she will have more spending power, if she's prepared to work for it.

There is always peer group pressure for something. The best thing you can do is teach your kids not to find it bothersome, i.e. teach them what really matters so they are not forever hankering after the latest trendy thing. The peer group pressure doesn't go away as you get older so you might as well learn to deal with it early.