I have been lurking in this thread, but have to say...first, 5th grade seems young for interest in boys/girls; but it happens.

These kids have no idea about what Love is. They see it on TV and think that is what you are supposed to say. Be more concerned about actions. For them love is what I would have called "like like". It means the more than friend attraction.

Make sure your kid knows about the birds and the bees. 5th grade is too early for experimentation.

I am thinking, back in my day, my first real "crush" was at 12. We thought it was risqué to hold hands. Spent a summer together. Never more than sitting next to each other and holding hands.

I have a 5th grade son. I can't speak about the girls - they typically move faster - but none of the boys in his class has a phone, and he doesn't ask for one. No interest. 7th grade? Yes. I have one of those, too. There is a HUGE difference between an 11 year old and a 13 year old. Though he's not allowed to date either.

Dating at 11/12? Hell to the no. Go right ahead and call me a helicopter mom and just try to convince me I'm encouraging my child to lie and sneak behind my back. You're saying more about yourself, your child, and your worldview when you say that. I absolutely love when parents say that by saying no to something, you're making your kids lie and do it behind your back. If that's how you approach parenting, then I imagine that is truth for you. What kind of headlock do your tweens have you in?!

I would be very concerned. Do you know who the boy is?
Are her grades effected by this? In my family if my kids grades slip due to inattention or distraction, electronics are gone. And we don't do cell phones at all.
Also keep this in mind: http://www.your4state.com/news/virginia/experts-say-theyve-seen-human-trafficking-at-every-high-school-in-northern-va/733598691

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

this is why these kids do not need social media!! wow!

This is why parents should not take middle-school gossip as the truth handed down on stone tablets on Mt. Sinai.

Well I know from the parents of the suspended kids that they were, in fact, sending nudes over Snapchat.
A boy has asked my 12 yo DD to send him a boob pic. I saw the text with my very own eyes. Your head is in the sand. But go ahead. Let your 9 year old have Snapchat.

I have a 5th grader. She doesn't have a phone. It she texts from our family computer. All of her friends text.

She does not have a boyfriend however and pretty sure none of her friends do either.

Anonymous wrote:Your 5th grader has a cellphone. She also has a boyfriend. Telling him she loves him is the least of your worries. You've been failing at parenting for a long time.

Priceless

Anonymous wrote:I think 5th grade not having a text device would help this a lot..

Hello! This!!

Anonymous wrote:Your 5th grader has a cellphone. She also has a boyfriend. Telling him she loves him is the least of your worries. You've been failing at parenting for a long time.

+1
Exactly!

Anonymous wrote:

this is why these kids do not need social media!! wow!

This is why parents should not take middle-school gossip as the truth handed down on stone tablets on Mt. Sinai.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
6th grade is middle school where I am. There is a group of eight 12 year olds who were suspended from school this year for sending nudes on their phones. Supposedly "good kids". On school property. I'm the poster who doesn't allow her 5th grade 11 year old to have romantic relationships and text "I love you" to a boyfriend. The nudes start off with declarations of love between kids who have no idea what they're talking about.

I doubt that it's a straight shot from having a phone in fifth grade to texting "I love you" to a boyfriend in fifth grade to sexting in sixth grade to oral sex in seventh or eighth grade.

According to my DD and her friends that's exactly how it happened.
6th grade boyfriend: I love you
Her: I love you
Him: send me a Snapchat of your boobs, I'll delete it right away
Her: ok but don't share it
Him: ok!
Result, suspension from school for 8 kids. Just glad they didn't get charged with child porn.

this is why these kids do not need social media!! wow!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
6th grade is middle school where I am. There is a group of eight 12 year olds who were suspended from school this year for sending nudes on their phones. Supposedly "good kids". On school property. I'm the poster who doesn't allow her 5th grade 11 year old to have romantic relationships and text "I love you" to a boyfriend. The nudes start off with declarations of love between kids who have no idea what they're talking about.

I doubt that it's a straight shot from having a phone in fifth grade to texting "I love you" to a boyfriend in fifth grade to sexting in sixth grade to oral sex in seventh or eighth grade.

According to my DD and her friends that's exactly how it happened.
6th grade boyfriend: I love you
Her: I love you
Him: send me a Snapchat of your boobs, I'll delete it right away
Her: ok but don't share it
Him: ok!
Result, suspension from school for 8 kids. Just glad they didn't get charged with child porn.

Um.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every 5th grader I know has access to a texting device.

Yup. It's only the parents of infants and toddlers who are certain that their children won't text in fifth grade.

I keep seeing posts like this when the issue of texting comes up. I have a kid in middle school. she did not text in fifth grade, and neither did her friends.

How long ago was this because I have a child in 5th Grade and I sub and the overwhelming number of kids have cell phones.

Last year. She is in 6th grade now. They all got phones at the beginning of this year, and lost their damn minds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
6th grade is middle school where I am. There is a group of eight 12 year olds who were suspended from school this year for sending nudes on their phones. Supposedly "good kids". On school property. I'm the poster who doesn't allow her 5th grade 11 year old to have romantic relationships and text "I love you" to a boyfriend. The nudes start off with declarations of love between kids who have no idea what they're talking about.

I doubt that it's a straight shot from having a phone in fifth grade to texting "I love you" to a boyfriend in fifth grade to sexting in sixth grade to oral sex in seventh or eighth grade.

According to my DD and her friends that's exactly how it happened.
6th grade boyfriend: I love you
Her: I love you
Him: send me a Snapchat of your boobs, I'll delete it right away
Her: ok but don't share it
Him: ok!
Result, suspension from school for 8 kids. Just glad they didn't get charged with child porn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every 5th grader I know has access to a texting device.

Yup. It's only the parents of infants and toddlers who are certain that their children won't text in fifth grade.

I keep seeing posts like this when the issue of texting comes up. I have a kid in middle school. she did not text in fifth grade, and neither did her friends.

How long ago was this because I have a child in 5th Grade and I sub and the overwhelming number of kids have cell phones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every 5th grader I know has access to a texting device.

Yup. It's only the parents of infants and toddlers who are certain that their children won't text in fifth grade.

I keep seeing posts like this when the issue of texting comes up. I have a kid in middle school. she did not text in fifth grade, and neither did her friends.

I have a kid in middle school (8th grade) and a kid in fifth grade. When the 8th grader was in fifth grade, most of the kids in her fifth grade did not have phones and did not text. But now, three years later, most of the kids in in my fifth-grader's class do have phones and do text. Changing times.

I am the PP whose child and friends did not text in fifth grade. DD is in 6th grade. I think a lot of this varies by school and neighborhood.