We got my older son a phone at 12, and I regretted it. We still got my younger son a phone at the same age.

The author got her son a phone at 12, the same age his brother got one.

Jordan Lye/Getty Images My older son got a phone when he turned 12.

I ended up regretting it and wishing we'd waited another year.

Still, our younger son got a phone at the same age, and I was glad we got it for him.

When our older son was 12, getting a phone seemed to be the trend.

Many of his friends had phones before 6 th grade, but those who didn't received one at the start of middle school, so we purchased one too.

Looking back, I regretted our decision, and wished we'd waited another year.

He didn't truly need one until school sports began in 7 th grade, when he was staying after school for practice and traveling around our county for track meets.

Without a true need, a phone simply felt like another connection to the dangers of the internet ; protecting him felt impossible.

Our younger son started middle school in September, and ever since his brother got his phone three years ago, he's expected to receive one at the same age.

I didn't want to give in "He doesn't need it," I told my husband in August.

"We know that now," I reminded him.

He takes the bus to and from school, and I can track his morning and afternoon bus routes with the Here Comes the Bus app.

School sports don't begin until next year, so we are responsible for transporting him to rec soccer practice and games ourselves; we don't yet need to communicate about exact locations or pickup times.