Leah

mrspresley

hey i meant to reply to your post re: cell phones a while back but never got around to it... i think you brought up some really going points, definitely nothing i would have ever thought of.  i had no idea that schools were that good about keeping track of kids these days, though i guess it makes sense given the crazies that are out there!  i think being aware of these issues is good though...b/c you could still give your kid a phone and they could call you if they needed something and then you could coordinate w/them and call the school to update them on the change of plans for pick up

i still don't like the idea of giving kids phones, but can't deny how convenient it is for them to call you if needed.  we'll see what happens when she gets older....

lelekay

mrspresley:

i think being aware of these issues is good though...b/c you could still give your kid a phone and they could call you if they needed something and then you could coordinate w/them and call the school to update them on the change of plans for pick up

Definitely!  It's not a bad idea to coordinate things with the kids...in fact, I think it's good to teach them to be responsible for themselves.  But we're really careful at my school (as I just got back inside from dismissal duty!)  We know our parents well, and watch very carefully that the right people are picking up the kids at the right place and right time.  After having the same dismissal post for the past 5 years, I know the kids, their cars, and who typically picks them up pretty well.  I definitely notice when there's a change of plans, and we need to know about changes ahead of time.  That said, though, I'm not sure that all schools are as careful as we are.

I agree that I don't love the idea of a young child having a phone.  But ultimately, it is the reality of the world we live in today.  Honestly, I probably will end up getting Henry a phone at an earlier age than I would expect, just for convenience.  But like you said, it is also really important to remember to keep the other adults (not just schools, but friend's parents, etc.) in the loop, too!