Why My 11 Year Old has an Iphone

So here goes: a load of Justification and Excuses

My 11 year old has siblings who are 19, 18 and 16 so this is not my first time deliberating the pros and cons of allowing a child a cell phone.  Incredibly, technology has advanced rapidly since I first gave my oldest her pay-as-you-go non-smart phone.

My parenting philosophy leans toward the “Free Range” style with a large dose of technologically strict thrown in the mix.

This year I’ve decided to do some substitute teaching.  My 11 year old gets out of school at 2:15, earlier than any school in the district in which I sub.  Conveniently, the town library is just two buildings away from her school, so the plan is for her to be dismissed with the walkers and get herself to the library.  Once there, mom would appreciate a text that she has arrived in the library.  We’ve already done a trial run on a day I didn’t work and everything went smoothly.  She’s looking forward to doing it again.

I am a decidedly Samsung Galaxy gal, but my family is mixed thus we had an unused iPhone 5c in the home.  For the cost of a SIM card and an additional $10/mo. her line is up and running (T-Mobile).

One of the things I did once I group messaged my immediate family with her phone number was to inquire among her older siblings what rules they think I should enforce.  The two oldest just recently escaped our fortress as they are enjoying their 2^nd and 3^rd years at college. Who better to ask? So here are the rules compiled between them and me:

• ·         The phone does not go to school unless it’s a day Mom is working
• ·         The phone stays on the 1^st floor in our home (bedrooms are upstairs)
• ·         The phone has time limits which prevent contact with anyone but immediate family after 9pm .
• ·         Data is turned OFF (I call and have this done at the T-Mobile level, I don’t care that I’m paying for data, she doesn’t need it).  When home she can use our wi-fi , which has parental controls. 
• ·         Social networking sites are forbidden (including, but not limited to: Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).

Thankfully, she’s an active girl and as long as I remember not to set a bad example, she’ll continue to show no indication of being glued to her phone. 

Hopefully, some of my points can help you in your decision to allow a middle school age child a cell phone.  The tipping point for me has always been when they are old enough to be unsupervised and practice some independence. 

...And since this is my Norwex blog: yes, she's already hooked on the Optic Scarf for keeping the screen spotless without using chemicals (that leave a slight film residue and then ATTRACT fingerprints and dust)!