Phones In Grade Four? What?!

[Anonymous]

I’m not signing any pact. I don’t parent as a group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of teens here. Our kids' friends mostly got phones in 6th. We waited till 7th but we know families who waited till 9th. Pressure mounts every year. Get together with as many of your kids friends' parents as you can. Make a pact to hold off together.

Meh. This must vary by class. My kids’ K-8 started asking parents to sign the Wait Until 8th pledge a couple of years ago. Almost all of the parents in my daughter’s 5th grade class have signed it. Most 7th graders have phones. I assume their parents think it’s beneficial for the kids to have them at that age.

There's a big difference between a K-8 school and other models. In our system, there is a PK-5 school and then kids switch to middle school for 6-8. The vast majority of kids got phones in the summer before middle school. There were a few that waited longer. Those that had phones in elementary typically had an extenuating circumstance, such as divorced parents and the need to be able to contact kids individually.

Are you saying being in a K-5 leads to fewer kids getting phones in elementary? Or that the 6-8 model leads to those kids getting phones sooner than if they had been in K-8? [/quote

Middle school in general, tends to lead at least some kids to grow up faster than they need to. Yes, I've seen that the earlier middle school starts, the earlier kids get phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of teens here. Our kids' friends mostly got phones in 6th. We waited till 7th but we know families who waited till 9th. Pressure mounts every year. Get together with as many of your kids friends' parents as you can. Make a pact to hold off together.

Meh. This must vary by class. My kids’ K-8 started asking parents to sign the Wait Until 8th pledge a couple of years ago. Almost all of the parents in my daughter’s 5th grade class have signed it. Most 7th graders have phones. I assume their parents think it’s beneficial for the kids to have them at that age.

There's a big difference between a K-8 school and other models. In our system, there is a PK-5 school and then kids switch to middle school for 6-8. The vast majority of kids got phones in the summer before middle school. There were a few that waited longer. Those that had phones in elementary typically had an extenuating circumstance, such as divorced parents and the need to be able to contact kids individually.

Are you saying being in a K-5 leads to fewer kids getting phones in elementary? Or that the 6-8 model leads to those kids getting phones sooner than if they had been in K-8? [/quote

Middle school in general, tends to lead at least some kids to grow up faster than they need to. Yes, I've seen that the earlier middle school starts, the earlier kids get phones.

I honestly don't understand what you mean. The earlier middle school starts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So amusing to hear all of you parents of little kids acting like you know everything.

I would think the cries of anguish coming form previous generations of parents is what we are basing it off of.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of teens here. Our kids' friends mostly got phones in 6th. We waited till 7th but we know families who waited till 9th. Pressure mounts every year. Get together with as many of your kids friends' parents as you can. Make a pact to hold off together.

Meh. This must vary by class. My kids’ K-8 started asking parents to sign the Wait Until 8th pledge a couple of years ago. Almost all of the parents in my daughter’s 5th grade class have signed it. Most 7th graders have phones. I assume their parents think it’s beneficial for the kids to have them at that age.

There's a big difference between a K-8 school and other models. In our system, there is a PK-5 school and then kids switch to middle school for 6-8. The vast majority of kids got phones in the summer before middle school. There were a few that waited longer. Those that had phones in elementary typically had an extenuating circumstance, such as divorced parents and the need to be able to contact kids individually.

Are you saying being in a K-5 leads to fewer kids getting phones in elementary? Or that the 6-8 model leads to those kids getting phones sooner than if they had been in K-8? [/quote

Middle school in general, tends to lead at least some kids to grow up faster than they need to. Yes, I've seen that the earlier middle school starts, the earlier kids get phones.

I honestly don't understand what you mean. The earlier middle school starts?

Starting in 5th or 6th grade as opposed to 7th or even no middle school, k-8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH got a sim card for his old cell for 10yo DS to take when he goes out for bike rides or to the store on his own or is home alone for short periods of tme. In our case we can't install a landline (leased house) and we want to give him the freedom to be out on his own but ability to communicate with us if needed. Otherwise the phone stays in our kitchen cabinet. He can only use the phone, messaging, and google maps.

Its very apparent that many posting on here have let themselves believe there are no other options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of teens here. Our kids' friends mostly got phones in 6th. We waited till 7th but we know families who waited till 9th. Pressure mounts every year. Get together with as many of your kids friends' parents as you can. Make a pact to hold off together.

Meh. This must vary by class. My kids’ K-8 started asking parents to sign the Wait Until 8th pledge a couple of years ago. Almost all of the parents in my daughter’s 5th grade class have signed it. Most 7th graders have phones. I assume their parents think it’s beneficial for the kids to have them at that age.

There's a big difference between a K-8 school and other models. In our system, there is a PK-5 school and then kids switch to middle school for 6-8. The vast majority of kids got phones in the summer before middle school. There were a few that waited longer. Those that had phones in elementary typically had an extenuating circumstance, such as divorced parents and the need to be able to contact kids individually.

Are you saying being in a K-5 leads to fewer kids getting phones in elementary? Or that the 6-8 model leads to those kids getting phones sooner than if they had been in K-8? [/quote

Middle school in general, tends to lead at least some kids to grow up faster than they need to. Yes, I've seen that the earlier middle school starts, the earlier kids get phones.

I honestly don't understand what you mean. The earlier middle school starts?

Starting in 5th or 6th grade as opposed to 7th or even no middle school, k-8.

There's always middle school or intermediate grades...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not signing any pact. I don’t parent as a group.

It can be helpful to have an agreement between a large number of parents not to give their kids smartphones and social media. That way the kids are less likely to feel left out.

[Anonymous]

My childhood best friend gave her 11 year old an iPhone "so he could text to his girlfriend." She seems very proud that her son is athletic and popular and one of the "cool kids." She was very anti-phones for kids before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH got a sim card for his old cell for 10yo DS to take when he goes out for bike rides or to the store on his own or is home alone for short periods of tme. In our case we can't install a landline (leased house) and we want to give him the freedom to be out on his own but ability to communicate with us if needed. Otherwise the phone stays in our kitchen cabinet. He can only use the phone, messaging, and google maps.

Its very apparent that many posting on here have let themselves believe there are no other options.

My child is in middle school and we've been surprised that phones have not really been an issue so far (knock on wood). The school's ban on them helps.

[Anonymous]

Get. Her. The. Phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get. Her. The. Phone.

Way too young

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is going to get a phone in eighth grade. END OF DISCUSSION! However in her fourth grade class a lot of parents are getting their kids phones. Should I get her an Apple Watch? Should I cave and get her a phone? A dummy phone? I think the other parents need to be better but I don’t really know what to do, I’m not going to get her a phone. Should I get her one? Great, now I’m crying!

Why are you crying? I’m sorry but it’s really not that big a deal. Why are you yelling at us? If you yell at your daughter too, probably she wants a phone to escape the sound of you yelling. A dummy phone? What?

Get your act together OP

[Anonymous]

We have a next door neighbor who was a fantastic friend for my kids. Very creative kid -- they were always playing some pretend game or dress up. Making huge messes in their bedrooms but who cares because they were using their imaginations and playing for hours. The parents got her an iphone, and let her download every social media app. She now comes over, brings her phone with her, and I find her laying on the floor watching videos while my kids complain that their friend no longer wants to do anything but watch shorts. The phone literally broke this child. The child no longer functions as a child, and instead is a zombie. My kids do not play with her any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a next door neighbor who was a fantastic friend for my kids. Very creative kid -- they were always playing some pretend game or dress up. Making huge messes in their bedrooms but who cares because they were using their imaginations and playing for hours. The parents got her an iphone, and let her download every social media app. She now comes over, brings her phone with her, and I find her laying on the floor watching videos while my kids complain that their friend no longer wants to do anything but watch shorts. The phone literally broke this child. The child no longer functions as a child, and instead is a zombie. My kids do not play with her any more.

Out of curiosity, are the child’s parents also big iPhone users? I wonder to what extent parents are passing their own portable device addictions down to their kids…