If your middle school child does not have a phone

[Anonymous]

IPad, bought to replace sheet music and now inexorably used for something else!

[Anonymous]

My DD is in MS with no phone and no watch. It is her choice completely. She doesn’t like what phones do to adolescent brains and has chosen to not be part of a social scene because of that. I can’t say I’m 100 percent ok with this but I also would never force her to use a phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

It's true, but if you need to make that call, it's not the end of the world.

[Anonymous]

My middle schooler uses text with her friends all the time and hasn't asked for other apps beyond BeReal. She has a rich and healthy social life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do they communicate with their friends? My daughter is fine not having a phone but would like to talk/text with friends. She says kids no longer use sites like google hangouts.

Mine did not have until high school. He used his laptop until then. Then had a phone without a sim card til summer before 10th grade and he now barely looks up from it. Wait as long as you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can email or borrow a phone and call them. No texting/ video messaging. Too many opportunities for misuse.

Same. She can use a Google voice number on my phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

Dumb question but could they not just load whichever apps onto an iPad and use that to communicate? My kids aren't teens yet so just curious.

Not when they are out. They go places without parents by middle school. Out to eat, mall, walks, bikes etc. they meet up with friends.

Some do. Some don’t.

And then they turn into the high schooler (see other post) who has no one to sit with at lunch.
Not saying that is what happened but there are posts on here every other day about kids who struggle socially. Geez people, I wonder why---you (the parent) created the pariah when you took the hardline on something (phones)
that you could allow but control.

This is absolutely stupid. I can believe you were peer pressured into giving your kid a phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The other things kids do with a phone on the move is they meet other kids when you are not around and they are not home and add their number as a contact. At a sport, an activity, school. Anywhere really.

It’s a tough issue because the phone genuinely facilitates the in-person interactions they need to have. But it can also be terrible in many ways as people have noted. It’s a dilemma. We went the route of providing one in middle school and the phone is very locked down.

It's not that youth. Kids does not need a phone to be social.

[Anonymous]

Email. But honestly they most just communicate at school and extracurriculars in person. After school they are busy with sports and homework and aren’t communicating.

[Anonymous]

Landline phone at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

My child has not experienced this at all. No phone, no problems. She has friends and a social life with no drama. She doesn’t even ask about a phone to be honest. Her friends don’t have one either though so I’m sure that helps. They email each other to make plans on weekends and then parents text to confirm if drops offs are needed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

My child has not experienced this at all. No phone, no problems. She has friends and a social life with no drama. She doesn’t even ask about a phone to be honest. Her friends don’t have one either though so I’m sure that helps. They email each other to make plans on weekends and then parents text to confirm if drops offs are needed

+1 same here. It’s so refreshing. My kid doesn’t even want a phone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

My child has not experienced this at all. No phone, no problems. She has friends and a social life with no drama. She doesn’t even ask about a phone to be honest. Her friends don’t have one either though so I’m sure that helps. They email each other to make plans on weekends and then parents text to confirm if drops offs are needed

Well this is a first. I’ve yet to see any tweens or teens use email as their main form of communication. Where on earth do you live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids without a phone often get left out. Don’t do that to your child. We have a lot of rules around when the phone can be used but not having one makes it so much harder socially.

This

My child has not experienced this at all. No phone, no problems. She has friends and a social life with no drama. She doesn’t even ask about a phone to be honest. Her friends don’t have one either though so I’m sure that helps. They email each other to make plans on weekends and then parents text to confirm if drops offs are needed

Well this is a first. I’ve yet to see any tweens or teens use email as their main form of communication. Where on earth do you live?

+1

Mine don’t even have email addresses.