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Original poster

Is your Year 6 child on WhatsApp?

64 replies

EffYouSeeKaye · 23/11/2020 22:21

I’m assuming they must be, as my ds is the ONLY one in his class who isn’t, so he tells me. He has a phone but no SIM. He has a few family members saved in his contacts and he can iMessage/ FaceTime them.

I am trying to hold out for high school before allowing him a SIM and to join WhatsApp groups with his friends but I’m starting to think I am some old dinosaur and being unreasonable.

I’d appreciate some more opinions on this, as I’m feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place.

OP posts:

Omeara · 23/11/2020 22:23

The vast majority of year 6 have it at my child’s school it seems. Some even have Instagram.

vinoandbrie · 23/11/2020 22:25

No, and I don’t know anyone in their class who is either.

doctorhamster · 23/11/2020 22:26

No. The rest of her friendship group have it though.

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General education

Sophoa · 23/11/2020 22:27

My year 6 has a phone. I very reluctantly bought him one recently as he’s taking the school coach but I got the lowest amount of data I could find. He does not have whatsapp. He’s probably one of the only ones without it. He doesn’t have snap chat or Instagram either. He has iMessage. I know it’s pretty much the same as WhatsApp but I work on the hope that the less of these apps he has the less chance of the nonsense that goes on with them

vinoandbrie · 23/11/2020 22:27

Oh, and group chats are a big no, per guidance from school - they’re too young to be able to deal with group chats and the resulting falling outs. I’m so pleased that school is quite vocal and strict about this, and that parents respect this.

celticmissey · 23/11/2020 22:30

Yes my dd year 6 has it. The rest of her class have it and I monitor it but she doesn't have other social media apps.

cloudcett · 23/11/2020 22:31

No, my year 6 DD doesn't even have a phone, and neither do most of her friends!

Pamelaaaaa · 23/11/2020 22:32

What??? 6??? My dd is in year 2 and nobody in her class has a phone or WhatsApp. Why on earth would they at 6? During the school closures they video called on parent phones to stay on touch but that's it.

unicornparty · 23/11/2020 22:32

Yes, and most of his friends are on it too.

ethelredonagoodday · 23/11/2020 22:32

My y6 DD doesn't even have a phone. There's only a handful in her class of 30 odd who do...

Doublechins · 23/11/2020 22:32

Yes my Y6 son has WhatsApp.

dappledsunshine · 23/11/2020 22:32

Yes but only recently and he's the last of his small group of friends to have it. I monitor it and it's just them sending random memes and photos to each other

Tootsietoot · 23/11/2020 22:32

We decided to allow our DC to start at Xmas in year 6. Our fourth child is now in year 6 though we let her on earlier due to being self isolating for 4 weeks in a row!
The reason we allowed them on now rather than at high school is that we know all the kids and lots of the parents. We monitor it really closely at first (reading everything) and then discuss how situations could be handled. As situations will arise. We have dealt with bullying, upsets over groups (endless "I want to be admin, they kicked me off etc",) how to respond to people being sad, how to be kind, how to ignore peer pressure, how to deal with being left out of groups etc) all of which are shite but happen in High school more and worse. At least if you know the kids you can understand better how to deal with it. And if you know the parents you can maybe intervene. It's helped them learn basic social media etiquette in a safer environment.

Pamelaaaaa · 23/11/2020 22:33

Oh crikey! I just re read this as year 6! Thank god for that.
By year 6 it seems 50/50 round here with phone and whatsapp. Causes no end of trouble though!

ethelredonagoodday · 23/11/2020 22:33

@Pamelaaaaa

Think it's Y6, not age6 that OP is talking about.

unicornparty · 23/11/2020 22:34

@Pamelaaaaa

It's year 6 not age 6.

Mumdiva99 · 23/11/2020 22:34

Nope. My y6 dd will only get a phone about May half term - so she can get her friends details before she starts secondary school. I might let her get it then. (My y8 ds uses it for contacting friends - but I am allowed to.view his messages).

Tootsietoot · 23/11/2020 22:34

@Pamelaaaaa year 6 (so 10 to 11 year olds!) not 6 year olds.

Original poster

EffYouSeeKaye · 23/11/2020 22:34

@Pamelaaaaa - Year 6 (aged 10-11 in England) not age 6.

For those of you who have let them use WhatsApp at this age, have you ever had cause to regret that decision?

OP posts:

unicornparty · 23/11/2020 22:35

No never been given reason to regret it.

TessApricot · 23/11/2020 22:35

My Year 6 DS doesn’t have a phone.

FunnysInLaJardin · 23/11/2020 22:36

No, but he does chat to his mates on discord

fruitpastille · 23/11/2020 22:38

Year 6 is age 10-11. It's not uncommon as they can use wifi to message rather than texting. Lots use the messaging on roblox etc instead. I didn't allow it in year 6 but I have for high school. I also check and read the messages from time to time to keep an eye on it. My dd finds it useful for walking to school to arrange meetings or if someone is running late/ill or whatever. They have a form one where they sometimes ask each other about homework.

lakeswimmer · 23/11/2020 22:38

My DC are teens now but none of them had a phone in Y6.

BeaufortScale · 23/11/2020 22:39

No, she doesn’t. Nor does her Y8 sister. I don’t think it means social death - the secondary school one just uses Teams chat via school instead, which is much better as they know it’s all recorded and that seems to prevent badly behaviour. Younger one can text the two friends who have a phone.

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