What happened to "Wait until 8th"? I thought that was the general agreement on an appropriate age for a first smart phone.

My 6th grader has a watch he can call me and like 5 other people on for emergency reasons or for days when he has to walk home by himself to an empty house.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Strangely enough, my 8th grader is able to handle all of his homework, contacting friends, and being responsible for himself without a cellphone. Just like I did when I was a kid. Probably just like you did when you were a kid. Straight A's in all Honors classes, soccer practices, after school clubs, Scouts, and hanging out with friends. He can call his friends on the phone from the house, he can send emails, and he can talk to them in person.

I am really not clear on why parents are so willing to buy into the "kid has to have a cellphone to survive" when the vast majority of us did not have a phone and did just fine.

Everyone had a land line when we were growing up. These days, the majority of households do not. Also, there were payphones everywhere. Not anymore. Sure, they can survive without a phone, but at some point, teaching responsible cell phone usage is appropriate.

Agreed. When he asks for one, he can have one. He is aware of that; we have told him and remind him of that every few months. We have told him that. He uses his computer and his iPad. He chats with friends on discord. He goes out with friends to places where there are phones that can be used in an emergency.

Wish we could re-elect Governors for a 2nd term here. This is a great law.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

the lies people tell themselves

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

Hmm, the vast majority of FCPS has 6th grade in elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Strangely enough, my 8th grader is able to handle all of his homework, contacting friends, and being responsible for himself without a cellphone. Just like I did when I was a kid. Probably just like you did when you were a kid. Straight A's in all Honors classes, soccer practices, after school clubs, Scouts, and hanging out with friends. He can call his friends on the phone from the house, he can send emails, and he can talk to them in person.

I am really not clear on why parents are so willing to buy into the "kid has to have a cellphone to survive" when the vast majority of us did not have a phone and did just fine.

You sound fun. Does your kid even have any friends he would communicate with?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Strangely enough, my 8th grader is able to handle all of his homework, contacting friends, and being responsible for himself without a cellphone. Just like I did when I was a kid. Probably just like you did when you were a kid. Straight A's in all Honors classes, soccer practices, after school clubs, Scouts, and hanging out with friends. He can call his friends on the phone from the house, he can send emails, and he can talk to them in person.

I am really not clear on why parents are so willing to buy into the "kid has to have a cellphone to survive" when the vast majority of us did not have a phone and did just fine.

We could also all wash our clothes and dishes by hand because that was a thing once. We live in a world without pay phones and landlines now. I want my kids to learn how to function in the world rather than always looking to some adult to manage their lives. I get that some parents aren’t ready to let their kids have that kind of freedom — and that’s ok — but I think that it is important that my kids understand both freedom and responsibility on my watch, and I think 12-13 is the right time to start giving it to them. We wouldn’t ask any adult to function without a phone. I’m fine with other parents pushing kids from the nest later and I’m fine deferring to the school on how to manage instructional time, but it is a perfectly reasonable parenting choice to give a tween a phone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Strangely enough, my 8th grader is able to handle all of his homework, contacting friends, and being responsible for himself without a cellphone. Just like I did when I was a kid. Probably just like you did when you were a kid. Straight A's in all Honors classes, soccer practices, after school clubs, Scouts, and hanging out with friends. He can call his friends on the phone from the house, he can send emails, and he can talk to them in person.

I am really not clear on why parents are so willing to buy into the "kid has to have a cellphone to survive" when the vast majority of us did not have a phone and did just fine.

Everyone had a land line when we were growing up. These days, the majority of households do not. Also, there were payphones everywhere. Not anymore. Sure, they can survive without a phone, but at some point, teaching responsible cell phone usage is appropriate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Strangely enough, my 8th grader is able to handle all of his homework, contacting friends, and being responsible for himself without a cellphone. Just like I did when I was a kid. Probably just like you did when you were a kid. Straight A's in all Honors classes, soccer practices, after school clubs, Scouts, and hanging out with friends. He can call his friends on the phone from the house, he can send emails, and he can talk to them in person.

I am really not clear on why parents are so willing to buy into the "kid has to have a cellphone to survive" when the vast majority of us did not have a phone and did just fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

I got my 6th grader a phone of her birthday and it took a good six months for her to start using it regularly as her friends got phones. They mostly just text each other memes and emojis. Which I know because I've locked that thing down to exclude all social media and can see texts via her iPad. But it's been very useful for her to have now that she's in middle school and has more activities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.

This. Cell phones allow kids to start being responsible for themselves. I put it in the same category as knowing how to make a meal for yourself and do your own laundry. Withholding a phone is overprotective.

Anonymous wrote:What kind of trashy person lets their 6th grader have a smart phone, and bring it to school, even worse?

Lots of people. 6th grade is a middle school year and lots of kids have a phone to tell their parents where they are and to coordinate their grades and homework and get together with friends.