How many 6th graders will have phones?

[Anonymous]

Public school in Nova. Would prefer DD not have one, but trying to decide if this is the hill I want to die on. Not sure what the purpose is at age 11.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was the only one in her grade 6 class without one. She got one this year for xmas (grade 7)

[Anonymous]

80% (I just made that up)

We let our kids get flip or prepaid phones in middle school. There are after school activities, and we live a good distance from the middle school. Just another way to communicate.

[Anonymous]

My elementary school child has a gizmo for tracking and calling. Has an iPad for IMing and emailing (and computer). I don't have an issue in 6th grade getting a phone (our old one/we upgrade) as you can easily lock it down and the phone is not the issue, but what is on it is.

[Anonymous]

I’m told “everyone” gets them after fifth grade graduation. Public school in Potomac. My kids are younger so I can’t verify.

[Anonymous]

I have a current 6th grader and it seems everyone has a phone, including my kid. Maybe not all have the latest and greatest, but many have a phone for texting, etc.

[Anonymous]

My kid will not. He'll get it when he is a freshman in high school.

[Anonymous]

They all have them.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has things after school 4 days a week and on Saturdays – her having a phone has been as helpful for me communicating with her as it has been an entertainment device for her!

[Anonymous]

Most if not all of them. Ours got them because they walk home from school.

[Anonymous]

Almost all

[Anonymous]

95%+ in our school

[Anonymous]

OP here. I believe you all but I just don’t get why parents are doing this! It seems so unnecessary to me!

[Anonymous]

Both of mine got phones in Nov of 7th grade. We are in an area where middles school starts at 6th, so there could be some good reasons for a 6th grader to have a phone. Ours didn't need it. It is useful with multiple schedules. #2 kid has had to have more restrictions/sanctions than #1. Both got smart phones (nice ones too -- were actually cheaper because of special deals), but many friends had flip phones in 6th/7th. Some friends did not have phones in 6th, so my dds were not alone. #2 is currently in 7th, and a friend is not allowed to get one until 8th. Makes getting together hard, since they don't have a landline, & it is hard going through parents.

Do what you think is right, OP. Not EVERYONE has a phone in 6th! And, no you have lots of data to back that up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I believe you all but I just don’t get why parents are doing this! It seems so unnecessary to me!

It’s not the phones that are problematic. Phones are helpful. It’s the apps/instagram/YouTube that cause the issues. I personally love that my kid has a phone to text/call me on when we are coordinating things.