Parents Should Stop Texting Their Children at School, Experts Say
By Movieguide® Contributor
In this digital age, it’s no secret that cell phones are an unwanted distraction in classrooms. While many parents would agree that students must put down their smartphones during learning hours, moms and dads often text their kids with quick questions throughout the day.
The buzzing notification sound is disruptive and opens the door to kids and teens wandering to social media after checking the message. Teachers and professionals are weighing in on how parents can help their children stay focused—by no longer texting them while they’re at school.
“We call it the digital umbilical cord. Parents can’t let go. And they need to,” Virginia high school teacher Joe Clement said.
Many parents became comfortable with staying in contact with their children during Covid-19. With the pandemic behind us, experts suggest they stop texting their kids at school and send a message through the front office if there is a family emergency.
“If you came to school and said, ‘Can you pull my child out of calculus so I can tell them something not important?’ we would say no,” Central Virginia school counselor Erin Rettig said.
Another step parents can take is to not respond if their child texts them during school hours.
“When your children are texting you stuff that can wait — like, ‘Can I go to Brett’s house five days from now?’ — don’t respond,” said Sabine Polak, one of three mothers who co-founded the Phone-Free Schools Movement. “You have to stop engaging. That’s just feeding the problem.”
Professionals say that kids rely too much on mom and dad when they need to develop independence.
“By texting back and forth with a parent, a child is unable to practice either self-calming or problem-solving skills,” Dr. Libby Milkovich, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Kansas, said. “It’s easy to text, but if I don’t have a phone, I have to go ask the teacher or I have to figure it out on my own.”
Despite schools often having rules against cell phones in the classroom, many students continue to peek at social media, stream content or answer text messages throughout the day. It’s become such a common issue that many states are pressing to ban smartphones from school altogether.
“Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, urged all school districts and the state Board of Education to remove cell phones from classrooms. He cited studies that show learning improves, distractions are decreased and students are more likely to talk to each other if phones are taken away,” according to the Alternative Press.
