9 year olds with mobile phones

[Slightyamusedandsilly]

In a shop yesterday at 3.30 and overheard a Y5 parent complaining about a teacher removing a phone from her child in class. Mum was ranting and going to take on the school. Urgh.

1. Why does a 9 year old need a phone?

2. Why are they allowed to take it to school?

All children at the school have to be collected by an adult. None are allowed to walk home alone. So no safety issues.

One of the children in my child's class has had a mobile phone since he was 7 and a youtube channel with his full name and his face on it! Bonkers.

Blimey @Catsamores. I was looking at my DC as this phone rant was going on and all I could think was 'No way in hell are you getting a phone anytime soon.'

The school has had a massive drive on limiting tech for students due to the effects on behaviour, learning development etc. Guess this mum didn't get the memo.

We have a rule of 12 in our house but there are a few in ds’ class since about 9 who had phones, they’re the sporty ones though and very sensible

The parent is batshit.

My three never had mobile phones while still in primary school. They got them for the start of secondary school and that was quite soon enough.

Yes, it’s ridiculous. My dc had friends who had them at 7 & at 9. 🫣 The 9 year old lived 50/50 between houses and I think her parents thought it was better because she could keep in touch whenever she was. But no one actually parented her and she had free access to it 24/7. She was up posting ‘sexy’ photos to TikTok and chatting to weirdos at 3am on a Tuesday.

The other friend lived with her grandparents because her mum had died and her dad was ‘permanently working abroad’ (I think he was in prison frankly). The grandparents had no idea how to parent her and would just send her on play dates with her phone and she would just sit there scrolling through YouTube. I stopped inviting her around.

Our school also has the two John’s come in and talk about safety online etc, but the parents seem to know better..
i just hope no harm every comes to him.