Do you let your kids go on their phone in the car?

[Anonymous]

Sickening, they can’t go without it for a minute. Not even the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Eh so what, neither can you, Karen.

[Anonymous]

I agree. not even for a 15min drive. I may complain but I don't stop them. At the dinner table, no. All phones/electronic devices off by 8pm, sometimes earlier.

[Anonymous]

Well, they are not driving so why not?!? Otherwise, they’ll just sit there. Nothing wrong with using the phone in the car. What are they suppose to do, look out the window?

[Anonymous]

Spoken as someone on their phone or computer.

[Anonymous]

Long trips, yes.
Around town, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long trips, yes.
Around town, no.

+1

[Anonymous]

They don't have phones, so no. They may talk, read, or look at "car tv." DC says there are 6 channels. I guess each window has different content.

[Anonymous]

We live in SF and don't go in cars but yes, DD can use her phone on the train, although she is not allowed to walk the streets clutching it in her hot little hand as if she's so important that she may get an urgent call at any moment.

She is not allowed her phone while eating and is simply not stupid enough to take it into the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spoken as someone on their phone or computer.

Yeah, ?

[Anonymous]

No, I don’t allow my teens to be on their phones in their car locally. If I’m shuttling them somewhere, they can be present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, they are not driving so why not?!? Otherwise, they’ll just sit there. Nothing wrong with using the phone in the car. What are they suppose to do, look out the window?

Is this real or sarcasm? There's a bunch of research supporting the importance of time to let the mind wander. Kids need the chance to be comfortable with their own thoughts. And looking out the window can show them important things about the world we live in. Kids also spend so much time in cars that it may be the longest stretches of time to have conversations. Especially if they're still in the backseat, having a chance to talk with a parent without the pressure of eye contact causes a lot of kids to open up.

That said, I do let my kids read books in the car some days, but when it gets to be too much of a habit, I realize I'm missing out on important intel, and kids' tempers are shorter, too. This thread is a good reminder to not let them rely on books too too much.

[Anonymous]

I would, but my son gets carsick looking at that tiny screen and I am NOT cleaning up phone-induced vomit a second time!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would, but my son gets carsick looking at that tiny screen and I am NOT cleaning up phone-induced vomit a second time!!!

My kid gets carsick reading books but not on the phone. No reading in the car!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh so what, neither can you, Karen.

^^^^^ that's getting old.