Yondr pouches - why are some parents against them?

[aperolspritzbasicbitch]

I’ve seen a lot of comments (online, never come
across anyone is real life, although it’s not a conversation I’ve had much) from parents that are massively against their child’s school supplying them with Yondr pouches.

For those of you that don’t know, they are fabric pouches with a magnetic closure. Pupils are expected to put their phones in them when they start school, and use the magnets stationed around the exits of the school to undo them at the end of the day.

My child’s school use them, and I have no negative opinions about it at all. They haven’t pulled the idea out of their arse or stumped up the cost for no reason - phones were obviously causing an issue.

I can’t see why any parent would be backing their child up with a refusal. Although, that wouldn’t stand in my child’s school. They would be suspended if they are caught without their phone in the pouch. Spot checks are done during the day.chat

Should be compulsory/stated on the ticket and booking but there will be the usual outrage from the stupid/entitled

@LittlePetitePsychopath no plans for when to stop tracking her, but it’s under her control. She can switch it off if she wants. FWIW, she can also track me.

I think Yondr pouches are a really good idea. My DD is in Year 9 and got a phone when she started secondary. Earlier in the year, the school wrote to us saying they would have a total ban on smartphones at school, with dire consequences for anyone bringing one in. I’m not sure how they would have policed this, but anyway …

I did have an issue with this because DD walks to school, and whilst I’ve never felt the need to track her on the way there, sometimes on the spur of the moment she would ask to go to a friend’s house after school, or attend one of the free after-school
clubs, and she needed to let me know. If they’d banned phones outright, all of this independence would have been taken away. School initially suggested we should buy a “dumb” phone for contact purposes, or AirTags for tracking. But who is going to spend that money when their child already has a smartphone? Also, whilst I am fully on board with smartphones not being needed at school (except for if they need them for medical reasons eg diabetes), it is not up to the school to decide whether or not my child can have a phone on the journey to/from school.

I think a lot of folks felt the same so they got the pouches instead. A good idea, and DD has reported no issues with queuing to unlock etc. I just hope she remembers to unlock every day 😆

So many of the kids are putting old phones in the pouch and keeping hold of their current phones. They've also been using magnets and some have discovered that smacking the pouch on a surface opens them up.

Fully agree, it’s neurotic.

My kids school just tells them to keep their phones in their locker during the day, and confiscates them if they don't. No money wasted on pouches.

I suppose if you have a discipline problem at the school, then that wouldn't work.

I think it’s because some parents are completely dependent on their children and it’s them who wants to be in contact with their children in breaks. Not the other way around.

Our school has just introduced them and the hassle of it has prompted both my children to opt to leave their phones at home, so mission accomplished, I guess 🤷‍♀️

But in answer to your actual question, some people just complain about everything schools do…

Why are people so hellbent on tracking their child’s every move? When I was growing up I was never tracked, I just went to school and back, told parents if I was going somewhere, would be home by a certain time and that was that. The constant tracking sounds utterly neurotic.

How on earth did we cope before smart phones? I'm so glad I grew up before they were invented + raised my children when they weren't such a big thing. Tracking your child's every move can't be good for anyone's mental health...

They're pointless unless the kids are asked to hand in every phone they've got with them. They hand in an old phone and keep their current one with them.

Yes, I agree tracking their every move is bonkers. How do they ever cope on their own?

I have read about how people are buying the giant magnets online to be able to open the pouches whenever they want.
I expect a few of the more business savvy students will be making £££ by charging to unlock the pouch.

I’m in the camp that thinks they’re a great idea for schools, theatres, uni lectures - damn it in restaurants too so people would have to go outside to look at phones rather than have half of themselves present.

I wouldn’t say they are pointless. Yes some kids will go to any lengths to get around them, but likewise some kids will just accept them and comply.

Life 360 has arrival alerts - set up school as an alert location.

Kids don’t need phones in the school day. I support them. DD is also happier that no one else has their phone - they talk and do much more at lunchtimes and breaks

But most kids just comply with the turn it off and leave it in the bag rule. The question is whether the cost and admin burden of using the pouches is worth it for the possible increase in compliance compared ti just maintaining a not seen or heard rule. Im not saying it definetely isnt - but im not sure.

& i dont track my DD. However, it is useful and helpful for her to have access to her phone on the journey to and from school. If plans change etc. she can just text me. If a club is cancelled or she decides to go to a mates house she can just let me know. To us it is just a part of everyday communication. I think that is typical for most families with teens.

No issue with them - but, I have a child whose medical conditions are managed by tech that relies on a phone. And before anyone says it: yes, there are non tech options, yes, we used to manage without - but the best control of this condition now and for his future health is by using the tech.

His school have been great. He is exempt from a Yondr, and exempt from the velcro alternative. He does what he's always done. Wears his phone in a running belt, doesn't abuse the rules.

These kind of comments are so negative, not all teenagers want to break rules all the time. Mine don’t want their phones at break they just want to play football.
If they get did caught with a phone then it gets confiscated. I’ve told mine if their phone is confiscated then I won’t be picking it up and they’ll have a dumb phone only.
This is a typical comp and the majority of the kids are compliant.

Some parents are addicted to their childrens phones. Its as simple as that.

The Government legislation has a specific exemption policy for medical device phones.

I don’t think they are pointless at all. I think most kids are quite relieved that nobody has a phone. They seem to be having quite a nice time, talking to each other when they are lining up and things like that.

Could they not do that before by just keeping their phones switched off at the bottom of their bags.

My DCs private school introduced them last year. They previously had a no phones policy which worked well as they had teachers walking around during break taking away any phones found out. The Yondr pouches were introduced and many children purchased unlocking magnets and unlocked many kids pouches. Kids who didn’t use an unlocking magnet put an old phone in the pouch. The school stopped having teachers walking a round checking classrooms during break as they didn’t think they needed to. My DC say that there are now more children on their phones then before. They also say locking the pouches takes 10-15 minutes off the start of their 50 minute lessons. These were an unnecessary expense that many parents are unhappy with.