To be worried about holiday camp/mobile phone?

[SallyDog]

DD5 started a holiday club yesterday. Today she came home and told me about her new friend who is 9 and has a mobile phone. She said her friend lets her use it, it has a camera, sends texts and they play games on it. It is not restricted at all during the day (9-4).

AIBU to find this worrying? Surely there must be safeguarding rules in place for children and mobile phones?

I'm going to ring the director of the camp but don't really know I what they will do about it!

Anyone have any perspective as I'm struggling to know whether I'm being totally unreasonable?

Is it unreasonable to ask the director to take the 9 year olds phone (obviously talking to her parents first). The only other option would be not sending DD.

It was £175 and I just expected a bit more professionalism?

Really? You're not going to send her because she's using someone else's phone????

I think a 9 year old with a phone at holiday club is ok. I'd probably expect there to be some camp rules about when it's used though - restricted to meal and break times.

I have never heard of any holiday clubs where mobile phones are allowed. I would contact the leader OP.

You are worried about a nine year old texting her friends , playing games and taking pictures?
She isn’t downloading porn, get a grip.

I have a 9 yo and I wouldn't like this either. The holiday club I use only allows mobile use in the lunch break (my DC doesn't have one) and anything else would make me move to another provider. However, if it's spelled out in the T&Cs you're probably stuck now. If not, I would ask them about it and say it doesn't seem great for kids to be sat looking at their phones all day.

She isn’t downloading porn, get a grip

Yeah, cos no kids using a mobile without supervision have ever looked at anything inappropriate, ever.

Butterymuffin You do understand safari can be turned off , only allowing Access to text, games and camera.

You would definitely be unreasonable to ask them to remove another child’s phone. That child has a parent who is obviously fine with it.

Is the only other option really not to let your child go and waste the money?! You could ask the leaders not to let your child play with her friend’s phone. Or you could tell your daughter you don’t want her to and trust her to follow your wishes.

I wouldn't be happy paying for my child to stare at a screen for long periods of the day. I'm at home during the holidays and spend significant amounts of energy stopping my own children doing it!

I've also worked in holiday clubs and I've never known mobile phones to be permitted. We had computers but access was monitored and restricted.

I don't think the OP needs a grip.

Her 5 year old isnin a club where 9yo have unsupervised access to mobile phones and she's concerned as her dd shares that access.

I would raise it as safeguarding because the child could take any picture and send it to anyone. Some children could be put at risk

My daughter is five to clarify!!

I’d also be a bit peeved- but for the same reason as colours, rather than any specific internet safety concerns.

For that sort of money and duration, I’d be expected them to do actual stuff all day. Like painting or whatevs. They shouldn’t be staring at a screen.