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Preteens

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Original poster

Nearly 11 yr old wanting email address

17 replies

mizu · 23/08/2015 21:22

Ok, I'll keep this simple.

DD1 wants her own email address. I am not keen.

She claims that most of the girls in her class have one, she is going into year 6.

I've said she can have a phone when she goes to secondary but really don't see the need for an email account yet. Or am I being old fashioned?

Help Grin

OP posts:
Littlefish · 23/08/2015 21:25

Dd's school ask for all children to have an email address that they can access from school when they are in year 6, as part of their ICT curriculum. I'd rather she have an email address than an Instagram or messenger account at that age I think.

wickedwaterwitch · 23/08/2015 21:26

Let her have one but link it to yours, you can do this and ive done so with do.

It's Pandora's Box, letting them have unfettered Internet access Imo.

wickedwaterwitch · 23/08/2015 21:26

I did it on gmail

icklekid · 23/08/2015 21:28

Yep in ks2 all our pupils issued with email to submit work etc they know staff can access everything and there is no permanent delete option. As long as you have password access I think its sensible and good opportunity to talk about esafety

www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13910067

www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/cybercafe/Cyber-Cafe-Base/

Original poster
mizu · 23/08/2015 21:38

Thanks for replies, ladies. I am a teacher but of 19+ so obviously not KS2!

Interesting that some pupils need an email account in year 6. I know she has done lots on e safety in years 4&5.

I would be interested in linking an email account with mine, that sounds like an option.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 23/08/2015 21:43

Mine all had them from when they were about 6, but, as suggested above, linked to our a/c so I could see anything that arrived or that they sent.

95% of their e-mails were so they could e-mail their Dad when he was away with work. Others were to an Aunty and a cousin.

Not really sure what you would have against it, tbh

lifesalongsong · 23/08/2015 21:47

I assume you aren't worried about the email address per se but the fact that having an address allows you to sign up for social media and websites.

I don't know how you link one to yours but I do have a friend who does this, I know she doesn't used one of the free email providers so don't know if it works with Hotmail or gmail etc

chicaguapa · 23/08/2015 21:56

DS(10) has had an email address for a couple of years now. It doesn't have his name in it, so something like [email protected], and I know the password. It's set up as a child's email address.

It's not used on the web as we have a family/spam email address for registrations and sign ups but he has to ask me to be able to do that. He just uses it to email me at work and say thank you to extended family for his presents.

He doesn't have Facebook, instagram and the like (what with being under 13).

AliMonkey · 23/08/2015 21:58

My DC have had them since they were about three. They are linked to my account and they can only access them on the family PC when I have logged them in with my password. (They have access to the PC without a password but with strong parental controls and no email set up on their login.). They have iPads (again only limited access with me having to input my password for anything restricted) and I have deliberately not set this up to access their emails.

They are now 8 and 10 and it works well for us. No doubt at some point they will either understand the technology better than me so be able to get round the controls or I will get them a smartphone but we are at least two years from that for DC1, hopefully longer.

BocaDeTrucha · 23/08/2015 21:58

I teach y3 and they were all issued with their own addresses this year. School has access to all and knows all their passwords. We give them constant reminders about email safety and they know the rules off by heart.

Original poster
mizu · 24/08/2015 08:09

Thank you. Looks like I am a bit behind the times. She has a blog that she did at school and she is a very sensible girls so I guess it is time to do the email thing.

Back to work today so might ask IT felt about the email linking thing.

Alimonkey, how do you link your accounts together? Guess I can't do it with my old hotmail one.

OP posts:
StompyFreckles · 24/08/2015 08:26

My Dd is almost 12 and starting secondary school in a couple of weeks. She had a laptop for last Christmas and we set up an email address then. She didn't have a phone at the time, so used it to message friends. Since the summer holiday started, she now has a phone and not so much need for the email anymore! I was nervous about taking these steps getting the laptop and phone, but Dd is sensible and knows I have access to everything and so far, so good!

Ilovemybabygirls · 25/08/2015 12:08

Our dds have emails addresses to speak to their grandparents and aunties etc. My eldest dd chats to her friends. We have a rule that is set in stone, that emails will be checked, and we look through the sent messages and the in box etc occasionally, and have discussed with the children the importance of permanency on the web, everything written, posted etc will always be there. The 'prime minister' chat if you get my drift ~ so that they are fully aware of their responsibilities and the potential weaknesses.
We have had absolutely no problems. The children are responsible and enjoy it, they have lost some interest in it now and prefer to meet face to face with family and friends. As long as you check and keep an eye on things I do feel it is safer way of communicating than some of the other options ie instagram and snapchat etc which we do not encourage.
It is a personal decision but children need some freedom and lots of information, in equal measure to make good decisions on line. Emails are a relatively safe and gentle beginning in our view.

cariadlet · 25/08/2015 14:27

My dd is 12 and has had her own email address for a few years. I used to check up on it quite regularly, but hardly ever bother these days as it's another fad that she soon got bored with. I've got her email address and mine on the Hotmail app on my tablet, but hers always has dozens and dozens of unopened junk messages. These days she prefers to phone or text friends.

AliMonkey · 25/08/2015 22:28

I'm on btinternet and get I think up to six email addresses on my account - so actually we have me, DH, DCs, a joint one for me and DH and one for a charity I am a trustee for all linked to one account. Even if you have a hotmail one you could perhaps set up a new one for yourself purely to link theirs to?

OldBeanbagz · 26/08/2015 12:41

My DC (13 & 10) have their own email addresses but all their emails come through to my computer. That way i can keep an eye on things.

SisterMoonshine · 30/08/2015 22:28

I've been wondering the same about my nearly 11 year old DD.
I can see it would be useful for her in many ways but I also see that gmail and several others have an age requirement of 13.
How does the linking thing work? would she see all mine? Can children have an account if it is linked?

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