Please don't give your elementary school child a smart phone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an example of another dumb post as indicated by the topic. Just because OP chooses not to buy her kid a smart phone, she has no right to impose her personal decision on and judge others who differ from her. Parents make their own decisions and it should be left at that.

Not OP but of course she has the right to judge. I'm judging u right now for giving an iPhone to a 6 year old. I'd judge you if you gave her a diamond tiara or a gun too. We all judge bad parenting all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop the madness.

We debated whether to get the older kid a smart phone when she entered middle school, but that seems to have become the de facto entry point when parents give them. So, we decided to do it, drafted a contract for expectations of behavior, the whole works.

Now, two or three parents of friends of our youngest kid, in elementary school, have given their children smart phones for Christmas or whatever. And as you can imagine, the badgering has started as these kids have no one to text and keep telling our kid they want to text her.

But guess what? We're not ready for this child to have a phone, for a number of reasons (including the fact that this is a $700/year investment once all is said and done). We're also not ready for this child to have a texting account, for a number of reasons (maturity, uncertainty about whether child will follow our expectations based on personality).

I wish people would realize that when they give their children phones this young, it's like a virus that spreads throughout the network of friends. They become a wedge for the "haves" and the "have nots" for whatever reason. My kid will be a "has not" until middle school, but I get to hear about it every day now for a year and a half.

Ugh.

It's just dumb to give a kid that age a smartphone. Has nothing to do with the kid's maturity. But bad parents have always been there and you just have to stick to your guns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD (now 7th grade) got an iPhone in the sixth grade. Because it made it easier to communicate. With my family plan, it costs $180/mo, not $700/mo.

Right now, with a smart phone, I can keep a better eye on my DD. It has parental controls. And it has tracking -- so I know where she is.

Same here. My kids go to a school far from our home and take a bus. It is critical that they be able to reach me and that I reach them when there are delays or weather is bad. I view it as a matter of safety, which justifies the expense. My daughter will often text me with updates and let me know what's happening. They know I can and will review their phones at anytime and there is no privacy. And, all their friends (6th graders) have smart phones too. But, I respect the personal decisions of others.

[Anonymous]

I think middle school is too young. OP, please take the phone away from your child and wait until HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop the madness.

We debated whether to get the older kid a smart phone when she entered middle school, but that seems to have become the de facto entry point when parents give them. So, we decided to do it, drafted a contract for expectations of behavior, the whole works.

Now, two or three parents of friends of our youngest kid, in elementary school, have given their children smart phones for Christmas or whatever. And as you can imagine, the badgering has started as these kids have no one to text and keep telling our kid they want to text her.

But guess what? We're not ready for this child to have a phone, for a number of reasons (including the fact that this is a $700/year investment once all is said and done). We're also not ready for this child to have a texting account, for a number of reasons (maturity, uncertainty about whether child will follow our expectations based on personality).

I wish people would realize that when they give their children phones this young, it's like a virus that spreads throughout the network of friends. They become a wedge for the "haves" and the "have nots" for whatever reason. My kid will be a "has not" until middle school, but I get to hear about it every day now for a year and a half.

Ugh.

It's just dumb to give a kid that age a smartphone. Has nothing to do with the kid's maturity. But bad parents have always been there and you just have to stick to your guns.

I love how the best argue,net most people can come up with it that it's dumb to give a kid a smartphone. Why exactly is it dumb? Becaus they will be connected? Becaus they may have fun with it? Because they will learn the technological tools that they will use for their lives before your kid does? Or because y don't like it?

You don't want your kid to have smartphone- good for you. They want their kids to have one - good for them. You don't have to agree - it's a parenting decision either way and neither in this case is actually a bad one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't plan to give my ES children phones, but my decision has nothing to do with you and your family.

THANK you.

Wow. Two more posters with absolutely no consideration for others. Typical.

Poster. I don't understand why OP feels like she has the right to enforce her family's decisions on other families so they don't… what, make her have a conversation with her kids about why she's not choosing to give them a phone?

OP, do what you want, but don't try to bubble wrap your kids so you don't have to even discuss your decision. You get to make decisions for your own family, not everyone else's.

[Anonymous]

^^New poster. On a smart phone.

[Anonymous]

What does texting have to do with a smartphone? My nephew has a non smart phone and just texted me .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because your kids weren't raised to the point that you can trust them has no bearing on me and mine. I gave my 1st grader a 5c iPhone so he has something for emergencies. It has been perfectly fine.

How often is your 1st grader alone without proper adult supervision to the point of needing an iPhone to call you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD (now 7th grade) got an iPhone in the sixth grade. Because it made it easier to communicate. With my family plan, it costs $180/mo, not $700/mo.

Right now, with a smart phone, I can keep a better eye on my DD. It has parental controls. And it has tracking -- so I know where she is.

Learn to read. I said $700/year. Which is what it is.

$40 a month line access fee, plus $10 in taxes is $50 a month/$620 a year. Plus the cost of the phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD (now 7th grade) got an iPhone in the sixth grade. Because it made it easier to communicate. With my family plan, it costs $180/mo, not $700/mo.

Right now, with a smart phone, I can keep a better eye on my DD. It has parental controls. And it has tracking -- so I know where she is.

Learn to read. I said $700/year. Which is what it is.

$40 a month line access fee, plus $10 in taxes is $50 a month/$620 a year. Plus the cost of the phone.

Not if you are adding to an existing plan. Or if you use a Republic. My kids have unlimited talk, text, and data. $25 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD (now 7th grade) got an iPhone in the sixth grade. Because it made it easier to communicate. With my family plan, it costs $180/mo, not $700/mo.

Right now, with a smart phone, I can keep a better eye on my DD. It has parental controls. And it has tracking -- so I know where she is.

Learn to read. I said $700/year. Which is what it is.

$40 a month line access fee, plus $10 in taxes is $50 a month/$620 a year. Plus the cost of the phone.

Not if you are adding to an existing plan. Or if you use a Republic. My kids have unlimited talk, text, and data. $25 a month.

Yes if you are adding on to an existing plan. At least on the Verizon More Anything plan.

Do your phone have smart phones? Or just dumb phones with texting?

Smart phones are basically $10 line access fee to add on, plus about $40 for data. They give you more data now, but that's what it is.

That said, we do have Verizon More Anything plan. http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/more-everything/

But smart phone is $40 plus line fee plus taxes. It's actually closer to $55 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not my problem that you "aren't ready." This is how things work today - deal with it or go off the grid.

Typical DC Asshole response. Try to do better by your kids, OK?

I think it's a lot more assholish to try to dictate what other people get for their children because they aren't secure enough in their decisions to deal with their child's whining. If OP was confident she was right, she would tell her child how it was and not care about the protests.

OP here. I did that. But I still resent the conflict being injected into my house by the inappropriate decisions of others.

you're unreal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think middle school is too young. OP, please take the phone away from your child and wait until HS.

I thought MS was too young as well, but child is at after-school activities more and off independently more, so it is convenient for us for her to have a phone. Which was the trigger for us to get it.

Most people seem to arrive at a similar conclusion, as you'll discover when your child gets to middle school. Unless you end up in an insane community where parents give their snowflakes iPhones in third grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think middle school is too young. OP, please take the phone away from your child and wait until HS.

Yes, OP, middle school is too young, and I don't want to have conversations with my kid about why she can't have a phone at that age. So I assume you will take your middle schooler's phone away?

Wait. You won't? Why not?

(BTW, I would never get an elementary school kid a smartphone, but OP is absurd.)