Simon Cowell’s son Eric, 12, finally has his own mobile phone ‘with boundaries’

Simon Cowell and his wife, Lauren Silverman, have made a big decision in raising their son, Eric.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 66, and his 48-year-old entrepreneur partner welcomed Eric in 2012, naming him after Simon’s father.

While he’s no stranger to the public eye, having appeared on TV alongside his lookalike dad numerous times, Simon and Lauren have now decided that he can have his own phone – but under strict conditions.

The media mogul and his wife have backtracked on their smartphone ban for their boy after an ‘honest conversation’ that made them reevaluate their rules.

Taking to Instagram, Lauren explained: ‘For a long time Simon and I were very firm about one thing, no phone for Eric. (Simon himself hasn’t had a phone for nearly 8 years!)

‘But recently Eric had a very honest conversation with us about it that made us rethink our position slightly.’

‘He now has a phone with some very clear boundaries,’ she added, explaining the rules he must adhere to. ‘The main one being, no social media. Just texting and calling friends and family.’

‘Parenting in the current world we are living in can sometimes feel overwhelming but swipe through to see the approach we are trying in our house for now,’ Lauren added in her carousel of pictures, going on to reveal that she ‘changed [her] mind’ since texting is very different to using socials platforms.

‘Whether we like it or not, texting has become a part of childhood,’ she stated. ‘Plans are made there. Jokes are shared there. Friendships often happen there and at some point kids start feeling like they are the only one not in the conversation.’

For a ‘long time’, she was ‘very clear’ that her son was not to have a phone, but discovered that their son had been secretly messaging friends on Snapchat using hers, leading to them reaching an understanding.

‘That moment really made me stop and think about what the right approach should be,’ Lauren reflected.

‘Instead of turning it into a battle, we talked. What he told me was actually very simple. He didn’t care about social media. He just wanted to be able to text and call his friends.’

Lauren – who noted phones aren’t allowed in Eric’s bedroom, at the dinner table, or during family time – explained the logic behind the ‘boundary’, writing that the ‘pressure, comparison, [and] toxicity’ of social media are things she’s more than happy to ‘wait for’.

As Lauren mentioned, Simon hasn’t had a phone of his own for eight years, despite being one of the most in-demand figures in British showbiz.

The former X Factor judge previously revealed how his decision was made for his own ‘mental health’.

He told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: ‘The difference it made was that I became more aware of the people around me and way more focused.

‘The thing I get irritated with is when you have a meeting, everyone’s on their phone – and I was probably in that place too. You can’t concentrate.

‘It has been so good for my mental health. It’s a very strange experience, but it really is good for you, and it has absolutely made me happier.’

Simon, whose dating history is well documented, his exes including Sinitta and Terri Seymour, began dating Lauren in 2013.

At the time, Lauren and her now-ex husband, Simon’s friend, Andrew Silverman, were going through a divorce, which turned messy when he accused her of cheating with Simon.

Proceedings were ultimately settled outside of court, avoiding Simon being called as a witness and protecting the well-being of Lauren and Andrew’s son.

Simon subsequently confirmed Lauren’s pregnancy, and Eric arrived on Valentine’s Day in 2014.

He and Lauren got engaged in Barbados in 2021, despite his long vocal reluctance about getting married.

Fiancée Lauren then sparked rumours they had quietly tied the knot when she launched a new Instagram account using his surname.

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