Does your riding 6th grader in public school have a phone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Got a phone in 5th. Need a way to contact us if the bus is late, or if he wants to stop in to see a friend.

He doesn't "need" a phone for either of those scenarios. Land the helicopter.

No one "needs" a phone. You don't either. Or a computer.

Also, as someone who works in law enforcement I can tell you - your statement isn't helpful. But I'm happy to dump your child in the middle of the city phone less and see if he/she can figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - that's how all the kids in this area plan to meet up. They are at the age where they plan their own meet ups - and they do it by text.

If you kid doesn't have a phone, how to they meet up with their friends?

On Chat or by asking parent to text friend's parent.

I do not want to be making plans for my rising 7th grader. No thanks.

Agree - do parents still make playdates for teens? That's insane.

[Anonymous]

I assume most of these posts are made by suburban moms whose kids walk a short walk to school and play only with the 4 friends in their neighborhoods (who look just like them!)

[Anonymous]

Our rising eighth grader got one at the end of seventh grade, when the orchestra went on a field trip and everyone was expected to have phones. Like literally they made everyone turn in their cell numbers as a pint of contact for the trip, and then pushed out tickets electronically to kids’ phones. Everyone had one except our kid, so we bought one.

But as early as sixth grade the front office gave her grief when she asked to used the phone to call us, even though their official position is that kids should use the main office phone to contact parents and should NOT feel compelled to bring in cell phones. When she would ask, the employees would say “why can’t you just use your phone?!”

You are entering a very different world than elementary.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our rising eighth grader got one at the end of seventh grade, when the orchestra went on a field trip and everyone was expected to have phones. Like literally they made everyone turn in their cell numbers as a pint of contact for the trip, and then pushed out tickets electronically to kids’ phones. Everyone had one except our kid, so we bought one.

But as early as sixth grade the front office gave her grief when she asked to used the phone to call us, even though their official position is that kids should use the main office phone to contact parents and should NOT feel compelled to bring in cell phones. When she would ask, the employees would say “why can’t you just use your phone?!”

You are entering a very different world than elementary.

I would have been in that office so fast! Let me guess you just bought her the phone though, right? So much easier than dealing with the real issue.

[Anonymous]

We got ours a phone before starting 5th. He had been in public and said "everyone" had phones in 4th (probably half actually did that I saw). When we switched to private for 5th, no one else had a phone and he ended up not using his.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Last kid in peer group to get one.

[Anonymous]

That is when my kids’ friend group got phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - that's how all the kids in this area plan to meet up. They are at the age where they plan their own meet ups - and they do it by text.

If you kid doesn't have a phone, how to they meet up with their friends?

On Chat or by asking parent to text friend's parent.

I do not want to be making plans for my rising 7th grader. No thanks.

Same and I have a rising 6th grader. Those days are over. Parents text to confirm it’s really okay the kids sleep over, after they planned it. Or coordinate rides if it’s more complicated. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

Yes - it was a 5th grade graduation present for our oldest before starting MS. It has proven invaluable when staying after school, attending practice, hanging out with friends or going to a party when pick-up times can vary. Nearly all her friends got one at the same time and the few that didn't relied on using friends' phone for communicating with their parents.

[Anonymous]

No. Takes bus to school and is never further than 10 feet from friend w phone if there is an emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - that's how all the kids in this area plan to meet up. They are at the age where they plan their own meet ups - and they do it by text.

If you kid doesn't have a phone, how to they meet up with their friends?

On Chat or by asking parent to text friend's parent.

Well that comes to a stop sometime in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, she doesn’t. It’s bad for their brains, truly. We will wait till 8th grade or beyond.

Social media and game apps are bad for their brains. A telephone is not. The problem isn't the phone/text, it's that parents turn over the entire internet when they hand their child an iPhone or iPad.

NP. But I also agree it is bad for their brain. Internet on the phone or not. When kids get a phone they immediately default calling mom/dad/someone for everything. It hinders their development of problem solving skills and self confidence in their own abilities. DCUM loves to talk about executive function. Want to develop it in your child? Don’t hand them a cellphone. Let their brain work and think and make decisions. There is always a way to get a hold of a parent if they really need to, so I don’t buy the emergency scenario as a reason to give an 11 yr old a cell phone

[Anonymous]

My kid got one the summer before 8th grade but apparently everyone had one by that point. He didn't need one until then.