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.

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

+1. Op it's none of your business. Kids will always ask for stuff other kids have that they don't. Just say no.

Anonymous wrote:Oh OP. If this injects conflict into your household the middle school years are going to be really, really tough on you and high school will be downright hellish. Good luck. Unclench.

Exactly. Here's how you deal with a first grader asking you for a smart phone if you don't want to give it to them: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA".

If whining continues, "If you have to continue whining, please go do it in your room because I don't care to hear it."

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.

Just because you think something is inappropriate doesn't actually make it so.

Are you a Southern Baptist?

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.

Man, it must be tough being you. Here's a novel thought - perhaps the amount of whining that apparently goes on in your house has something to do with the way you and your kids interact, and less to do with what is going on in school.

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.

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.

Because it's an inappropriate decision in your house does not make it an inappropriate decision in their house.

Oh OP. If this injects conflict into your household the middle school years are going to be really, really tough on you and high school will be downright hellish. Good luck. Unclench.

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.

My youngest had an iPhone 4 in second grade. It was handed down to him when an older sibling upgraded to a newer iphone. He had that phone for three years - never lost it or broke it. When he was in fourth grade we switched to Republic and bought him a new phone. He is in sixth grade and still has that phone. Perfect condition, never lost.

His teachers even allow the kids to use their smart phones in the classroom for research. Times have changed. Most kids have Smartphones. You certainly shouldn't cave and buy your child one if it goes against your values. But I'm not changing the way I parent my kids simply because you don't think kids should have cell phones.

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.

In that case, if you do, be sure to tell the children not to ask other children if they can text them. Because the minute you do that, it does become about me and my family.

Lots of kids have access to texting other than smart phones. Some can text on their iPads, iPods, or are allowed time on their parents devices a short time at night. It's no different than how we all used to talk on the phone, they're asking because it's the current mode of communication it's like your parents denying you the ability to talk on the landline because when they were in ES, they only got to talk at school or face to face with the neighbour fatter school.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I trust my kids just fine. With cell phones, it's the other people you can't trust. I'd ask if you were really this stupid, but you've already answered that by announcing you gave a 6 yo an iPhone.

Everyone just has to parent their own kids. Mine also didn't get smart phones (or any phone) in elementary school and while they might have wanted one, they knew it wasn't possible and did not badger me all year. Luckily in our school it was more unusual for an elementary school kid to have that phone. Perhaps only 3 or 4 had it so my kid wasn't the "only" one. Anyhow, there are so many things parents do differently. You can only control what you do and try to guide your kids accordingly.