A phone one

[Doriubarne]

Does your Y7 have a mobile or did they have one in Y7? Ours is going into Y7 and has had one for about six months. It will be their first time independent travelling. How often did you speak/text your child after they left the house and before they came home e.g. did they text when they got to school or if they wanted to go to a friend’s house after or if they would be held up due to transport problems etc?

Yes, both my DC had phones for Yr7. They didn’t text me, I used Find My Phone app to check their location.

Yes they had phones they knew to message if they wasn't coming straight home from school.

my kids’ school is in a valley in a network dead zone so they messaged when they got on the bus and on the way home once they had connection again. They did get distracted by friends though and forget so don’t rely too much on it!

Both DCs got phones for their 11th birthdays. DCs only contacted me on a school day if there was a problem. I did not track their phones. I assumed all was well unless I heard otherwise.

Yes mine has a phone. I use find my app. He uses it to message ‘going to the park with friend’ etc.

The school DC is going to has recently changed their phone policy so no phones of any type are allowed on school property.

My son had a smart watch at 8 years old and walked the mile to school. For the first week I had him text me when he arrived and then I decided to stop enforcing that as I could just check his location myself.

If the school doesn’t allow phones then I guess they stay home? Does he need it for travel (bus pass?)?

DD had a phone in y7. Unless something went on the extent of the messages were “on bus. At school. On bus.” .

We have bought a non app bus pass. Smart watches aren’t allowed. I think life will just have to be a bit smaller for DC than anticipated.