My 7th Grader Doesn’t Have A Phone, And She Doesn’t Hate Me For It

Chris Clor via Getty Images "I’ve come to believe parents don’t have to choose between giving their middle schooler an iPhone and maintaining a close relationship," the author writes. An erstwhile English teacher, I’ve prioritized a low-tech childhood for my kids — their two primary leisure options for the past decade being to go outside or read a physical book. I’ve come to believe parents don’t have to choose between giving their middle schooler an iPhone and maintaining a close relationship. My hope is to preserve a free-range, imaginative childhood — but also to give my kids phones early enough to educate them on safe usage while they’re still living under our roof.