Anonymous
Post 05/04/2019 06:48     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:My daughter is in 5th grade at a Catholic school and none of her friends have cell phones. We parents coordinate amongst one another to make plans. I enjoy the fact that we seem to be in a safe little side pool/microcosm where kids are allowed to grow up the way we used to. I am currently planning on letting DD get a cell phone in 9th grade, at the earliest. Kids have enough to worry about in middle school years. I am glad I can provide her with a few more years to grow and develop sense of self without constant attention given to social media issues.


Sounds like you got lucky, my DD is in 5th at a Catholic school and many, if not most, of her friends and classmates have phones. There’s already drama with group text strings and boy-girl texting. A few of the kids have YouTube channels they post things to and many have Snapchat. They’re not allowed to have them out during the day and even have to check them in at the office if they bring it to school, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

For what it’s worth, we’re in Annandale, and not in a particularly high income school.
Anonymous
Post 05/04/2019 00:48     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:My kid will not. He'll get it when he is a freshman in high school.


He"ll lose out on s lot of socializing.
Anonymous
Post 05/04/2019 00:04     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
My daughter is in 5th grade at a Catholic school and none of her friends have cell phones. We parents coordinate amongst one another to make plans. I enjoy the fact that we seem to be in a safe little side pool/microcosm where kids are allowed to grow up the way we used to. I am currently planning on letting DD get a cell phone in 9th grade, at the earliest. Kids have enough to worry about in middle school years. I am glad I can provide her with a few more years to grow and develop sense of self without constant attention given to social media issues.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 23:31     Subject: Re:How many 6th graders will have phones?
In 6th grade, especially if she's in middle school, pretty much everyone.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 23:20     Subject: Re:How many 6th graders will have phones?
My 5th grader has a phone as do many of her classmates.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:47     Subject: Re:How many 6th graders will have phones?
DS is in 7th grade and has an iPod touch he can use for texting and facetiming and a landline he can call people who don't have iPhones. I'll get him a phone this summer before he starts 8th grade.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:22     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
I’m going with a flip phone for 6th but based on what I’ve heard, I’m not optimistic about making it past 7th without a smart phone.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:19     Subject: Re:How many 6th graders will have phones?
Different location, but DD got a flip phone at the end of fourth, bc that's when she started taking mass transit home from school by herself.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:17     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid will not. He'll get it when he is a freshman in high school.


At DS’s school they create class lists on their phone and they text quite a bit about when class work is due, coordinate for projects etc. if you don’t allow it he will definitely need to figure out another way to coordinate with classmates, especially on group projects.


Is this middle school? Do you live in a very privileged area? That seems a little exclusive to me. Our school has quite a few low income families and families who hold back on phones out of principle.


It’s probably a private school. Both of my kids privates operate in the same way. Both my kids are in middle school and yes they both have phones.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:15     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:Yeah, can anyone weigh in from a high FARMS middle school? My daughter is only in K, so I have no idea what's going on in middle schools but hoping it's a little less intense in our low-income area.


Same.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 18:06     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Yeah, can anyone weigh in from a high FARMS middle school? My daughter is only in K, so I have no idea what's going on in middle schools but hoping it's a little less intense in our low-income area.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 17:00     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid will not. He'll get it when he is a freshman in high school.


At DS’s school they create class lists on their phone and they text quite a bit about when class work is due, coordinate for projects etc. if you don’t allow it he will definitely need to figure out another way to coordinate with classmates, especially on group projects.


Is this middle school? Do you live in a very privileged area? That seems a little exclusive to me. Our school has quite a few low income families and families who hold back on phones out of principle.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 16:58     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Most 6th graders have phones, heck half the 5th graders have phones.

That should NOT change your plans. My son got a phone when he needed one and not a minute before, in 8th grade.





I agree with this. Most will have them. But do what you think is best as a parent based on your child's/family needs and what feels right to you as a parent. Some kids in MS have an iTouch or iPad with text and web capability when on wifi. My kid had a phone early (6th grade) b/c she travels for sports without us. I want her to be able to call or text us from anywhere.

My kid says she's the only 8th grader who isn't allowed to have Snapchat. Oh well. I guess I'm the mean mom. She has Insta and has shown a tendency to seek validation there - that worries me. And I will continue to monitor her text and social media - she knows this.

It's helpful to know what others are doing, but ultimately, do what you think is right as a parent - every kid/family is different.


Neither of my kids (9th and 7th) are allowed to have Snapchat. Just not going there. Instagram is plenty.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 13:27     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
My 6th grader does not have a phone. I'm planning on holding out for at least another year.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2019 13:08     Subject: How many 6th graders will have phones?
Anonymous wrote:My kid will not. He'll get it when he is a freshman in high school.


At DS’s school they create class lists on their phone and they text quite a bit about when class work is due, coordinate for projects etc. if you don’t allow it he will definitely need to figure out another way to coordinate with classmates, especially on group projects.