What age for texting?

[turtledove]

DD1 is in 4th grade, just turned 10, and has been hounding me about being able to text. I was not prepared for it to start this early. She and another girl are the only girls in her class not texting (yes, I know this for a fact, not just DD exaggerating). Most of the girls don't have phones, but have texting apps on their devices. I was thinking this would be more of a middle school issue not something coming to a head now. Am I extremely out of touch with reality? I am not ready to open up this world to her, but at some point she is going to be the odd man out. Advice?

[hillview]

DS1 is 10 and in 5th. There are a bunch kids in his class who text. We do not allow it.

[StantonHyde]

DD emails a few of her friends back and forth in the evenings. She texts one boy. These are all on my computer and phone. I review the texts and emails--she signs them as "donuts, sparkle, fluff". She is 11 and just finished 5th grade.

[georgiegirl]

DD is the same age, and she texts 2 friends from her iPad on iMessage. It's a lot of "hi" plus silly emoticons.


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[egoldber]

For my older DD, in 5th grade there was *some* texting, but in 6th it exploded. Younger DD is in third and I know there are lot more kids texting in 4th/5th than there were when my oldest was that age. The times are changing fast.

[ladysoapmaker]

We have a rule no phone/texting until 12. Generally by this time they have so many after school stuff, that it's easier for them to contact us with changes to the schedule. Email was younger but we've always had access to accounts and phones....

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[almostmom]

My 4th grade DD texts with a few friends. It is totally harmless, and a way for them to be in touch out of school. She does it on her hand-me-down itouch and occasionally maybe on the ipad. She doesn't have a phone and won't until 6th grade. I don't think texting is a problem. Not really different than letting her talk on the phone, in my opinion. We do have rules about when she can and can't, but the texting rules are more lax than the screen rules.

[daisysmom]

Texting took off for us this year - 3rd grade/ DD turned 9 in March. All between girls, no boys. I read them all and they are just a lot of emicons and fluff "hey what's up?" kinds of texts. None of the girls have phones yet but everyone has ipad minis.

[boolady]

Texting took off for us this year - 3rd grade/ DD turned 9 in March. All between girls, no boys. I read them all and they are just a lot of emicons and fluff "hey what's up?" kinds of texts. None of the girls have phones yet but everyone has ipad minis.

Texting became big with DD's friends this year and she is allowed to text a few friends from her mini. She is also 9 and in 3rd grade. She's not really into it, though, which is fine with me.

[MamaMolly]

Lula texts her cousin, and on she one and only spend the night she texted me. It's cute what they text.