I realise I made mistakes. Giving her a smartphone too soon was one.
And then failing to implement any controls and spyware, because I didn’t think I needed to.
Looking back, I was very slack with the whole phone thing. But I’m not very technical, which isn’t helpful.
I also hadn’t noticed how withdrawn Sophie had become. She’d been showing subtle signs all along – things like being in her bedroom more and talking to us less.
The school’s response was shocking and they immediately defended the boys we’d found on Sophie’s phone.
Julie Carter
Sophie became a different girl when we took her phone away. She confessed she knew immediately that she’d be happier without it.
If she wants to go online, she uses our shared family laptop. She does her homework there too. She’s never said she feels like she’s missing out on anything.
She started reading again and wasn’t rushing her dinner so she could run upstairs to her room to use her phone. It has freed up so much time in her life and she recognises this.
I just hope other mothers can learn from my mistakes.
Resisting a child’s demands for a smartphone will be stressful, for sure, and they may temporarily hate you for it.
But that’s nothing compared to the truly terrifying situations you might find yourselves in further down the line.
- * Names have been changed.
