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AIBU?

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AIBU to take my Year 7 daughter's smartphone away completely?

216 replies

ExasperatedIs · 12/05/2026 08:55

I’m just sooo fed up of issues with my DD12 and her phone. She’s in Y7 at school and since she started her behaviour has been shocking and she’s always in trouble at school for attitude, being disruptive and late, makeup etc. Her attitude has been off the rails lately.
Anyway, onto her phone. I have had all the restrictions on it - screen time, not allowed to download apps, clean content etc, and she has managed to change this sooo many times. She has been trusted with WhatsApp before but my DB partner had seen disturbing status’s with her posing in a bra (my push up bra!), lip synching to music, crying, various attention seeking posts and she had hidden them from all our family forgetting to hide from her - so we had the discussion again about inappropriate things etc and removed what’s app, months later we let her have it again. Then similar things happened with snap chat and tik tok which she mithered to death to have so thought ok let’s see if she can be trusted and keep her word (promises about not posting pics and videos of herself etc) then again she was posting, attention seeking posts etc) so we talked about why she was too young to have them and using them inappropriately and hadn’t listened so had to wait until she older to have them.
Anyway yesterday I see she has two detentions at school already on a Monday for being late to two lessons. When she came home I said she couldn’t have her phone that evening. When I looked at her phone I could see she had been on it til midnight talking to her ‘boyfriend’ after bragging she had the screentime passcode and could alter her screentime, waiting until I go to bed, and she’s even pretending to be going to sleep when I go to her! She had actually stolen her dad’s phone and got the screentime code from a message I sent it to him. She had also downloaded Tik Tok again and posting videos and pics - posing in mirrors, lied in bed with push up bra on, etc etc. Also saw in her phone videos actually in lessons (phones aren’t allowed on school!) and she had posted pictures actually in school toilets so explains the lateness! So that’s it, I’ve had enough now. No matter what I’ve tried - restrictions, no restrictions, trusting her over and over again, explaining things, she just doesn’t listen and continues to be sneaky, lie and take no notice. Last night she refused to eat because I had taken her phone then said she will tell school I’m starving her! I just feel totally exasperated by it all. Not sure if anyone else in a similar boat and gone smart phone free? How have you managed it? Sorry for the waffle ! I just feel so upset at the level of disrespect and disregard. Nothing seems to sink in with her 😩

OP posts:
aquitodavia · 12/05/2026 10:18

ExasperatedIs · 12/05/2026 09:30

We have bought a new basic Nokia but she said she’s not having it and won’t have any. I’m looking into Apple Watch linked to my phone so it has the GPS and messages. I feel like she’s going off the rails

Well that's her choice then. She doesn't actually have to have a phone at 11/12, millions before her managed without one.

LameBorzoi · 12/05/2026 10:17

Blimms · 12/05/2026 10:14

Reread what was written

It doesn't matter. Year 7 is still far too young for a smartphone.

Blimms · 12/05/2026 10:14

caringcarer · 12/05/2026 09:56

You should not have given a 7 year old a smart phone in the first place.

Reread what was written

Swissmeringue · 12/05/2026 10:09

The phone would have gone the first time she deliberately tried to get around the parental controls tbh. I'd get rid of it, the Nokia is available, it's that or nothing.

It sounds like there's more concerning behaviour here in general though, what is her friendship group like? Does she need more structured extra curriculars to keep her busy in a constructive way? What have the consequences been for her attitude at school and behaviour with the phone in general?

AggroPotato · 12/05/2026 10:09

12 year olds should not have smartphones.

Take it away. And then expect her to get an old one off a friend, so learn how to control what devices can connect to your WiFi

You also need to find out who thia boyfriend is who's getting the dodgy pictures off her.

followtheswallow · 12/05/2026 10:04

Decacaffeinatednow · 12/05/2026 09:57

@caringcarer
She's 12. In Year 7.

Yes, you can rely on someone’s brilliant comprehension skills on these threads!

Decacaffeinatednow · 12/05/2026 09:57

@caringcarer
She's 12. In Year 7.

caringcarer · 12/05/2026 09:56

You should not have given a 7 year old a smart phone in the first place.

followtheswallow · 12/05/2026 09:51

Transition to secondary school is brutal and a lot of children don’t cope with it well.

I am not sure re the phone. Even though it isn’t intended punitively it will probably come across that way to her and widen the chasm between you and it’s important to keep her close. So while it seems logical it may not be. I’d certainly confiscate it altogether in the evenings though.

ScrollingLeaves · 12/05/2026 09:46

Who are the bra photos going to? This is an important safeguarding issue. Someone or something is pushing her into this.

Decacaffeinatednow · 12/05/2026 09:45

What is her friendship group like?

ScrollingLeaves · 12/05/2026 09:45

She is going off the rails. Stop the phone. Turn off the internet.

Get her help.

Do lots of activities with her.

Decacaffeinatednow · 12/05/2026 09:44

She had actually stolen her dad’s phone and got the screentime code from a message I sent it to him.
Does he not have a passcode on his phone? That's basic surely.

noblegiraffe · 12/05/2026 09:40

Her most likely next step is to get her own phone (e.g. a friend gives her their old phone) and hide it from you, so keep an eye out for that.

It's not just the phone that's the issue but her behaviour in general including sexually inappropriate behaviour. Can you contact the school and ask for some resources to support?

ExasperatedIs · 12/05/2026 09:30

We have bought a new basic Nokia but she said she’s not having it and won’t have any. I’m looking into Apple Watch linked to my phone so it has the GPS and messages. I feel like she’s going off the rails

OP posts:
PaterPower · 12/05/2026 09:15

Buy a ‘dumb’ cellphone from wherever (Tesco / Amazon) and she has that from now on. No apps at all.

It’ll do the job in terms of your being able to contact her, and she can phone and text her friends if she wants, but it’ll stop her sending (and receiving) inappropriate content.

She clearly can’t be trusted and there’s no ‘human right’ to owning a smartphone so put your foot down.