https://www.waituntil8th.org Home Why wait? How to Start Where is the pledge? FAQS Digital Training Blog Smartphone Alternatives Our Team Contact Speaking Shop Donate Take the Pledge Wait Until 8th Home Why wait? How to Start Where is the pledge? FAQS Digital Training Blog Smartphone Alternatives Our Team Contact Speaking Shop Donate Take the Pledge Let kids be kids a little longer Wait Until 8th Take the pledge We empower parents to say yes to waiting for the smartphone. The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade. Let's protect the elementary and middle school years from the distractions and the dangers of a smartphone. Banding together helps decrease the pressure to have a phone at an early age. Ten years old is the average age children get their first smartphone. You can change this! More than 82,000 parents have said yes to waiting on the smartphone for their families. This is making a tremendous difference in communities across the country! Smartphones are distracting and potentially dangerous for children yet are widespread in elementary and middle school because of unrealistic social pressure and expectations to have one. These devices are quickly changing childhood for children. Playing outdoors, spending time with friends, reading books and hanging out with family is happening a lot less to make room for hours of snap chatting, instagramming, and catching up on YouTube. Parents feel powerless in this uphill battle and need community support to help delay the ever-evolving presence of the smartphone in the classroom, social arena and family dinner table. Link arms with other parents to wait until at least the end of eighth grade for a smartphone! By signing the online pledge, you promise not to give your child a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade as long as at least 10 families total from your child's grade and school pledge. Once 10 families have pledged to delay the smartphone, you will be notified that the pledge is active! You will receive a list of families who are delaying from your child's grade and emails for the parents. It is helpful to be connected with other families waiting in your child's grade. Check out our list of schools with active pledges here! The Wait Until 8th pledge encourages parents to delay the smartphone. If you need to get in touch before the end of 8th grade, we have some great basic phones and smartwatches featured here. If you would like your child to have a basic phone or smartwatch to call and text only, you still can sign the pledge! These basic options avoid many of the distractions and dangers of the smartphone. Childhood is too short to waste on a smartphone. Take the pledge today! [kid] WHY WAIT Find out why smartphones need to be delayed in your home. Learn More - [image-asset] Take Action Ready to start the pledge in your community? Learn how to start. Find Out How - Our Community's Favorite reads Featured Fan Favorite! Our family delayed social media until 16 Fan Favorite! Our family delayed social media until 16. We've now allowed one platform, and the choice may surprise you. There are many reasons to say no to Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok when your kids ask. For years, the answer to my oldest daughter was no. Not yet. You are not ready. I am not ready. We are not ready. Children are not ready for the comparison, self-doubt, violet imagery, toxic beauty content, dangerous challenges, online predators, and everyone else's highlight reel of perfection on these platforms. Read More - Fan Favorite! Fan Favorite! How can you rally other families to delay the smartphone with you? Fan Favorite! The Wait Until 8th pledge is spreading like wildfire in the community of Fairfield, Connecticut! Over the past few weeks, more than 200 families have said yes to delaying the smartphone for their children! How does the pledge gain momentum in a community? It usually starts with one parent championing the pledge and encouraging other parents to delay the smartphone together. In Fairfield, Keri Langerman is spreading the word to parents in her community. Read More - Fan Favorite! Fan Favorite! My Kid Just Got An iPhone. Help! Fan Favorite! Parents from across the country have reached out asking for help. It is a new school year and many kids have a smartphone for the first time. Other families are struggling with how to reduce phone time after many hours logged over summer break. Learning how to manage parental controls and establish healthy boundaries can be overwhelming. Regardless if you want to setup your kid's new iPhone for success, or if you want to rein in how your child is using her phone, we are here to help. Read More - Fan Favorite! Fan Favorite! My Daughter Is 10. Fan Favorite! My youngest daughter turns 10 today. Ten is the average age children receive a smartphone. There is no phone for my love to unwrap today though. Snapchat, BeReal, TikTok and Instagram will have to wait too. Read More - Fan Favorite! Fan Favorite! Childhood, No Return Fan Favorite! Peek behind the world of an eleven year old boy before and after he has been gifted a smartphone. The difference is vast and should give any parent pause before making the decision to give such a powerful device to a child. Read More - Fan Favorite! Fan Favorite! Dear V - You Are Not Getting a Phone Fan Favorite! One Mom shares a letter with her daughter explaining why she is not getting a smartphone for her 12th birthday. Read More - Fan Favorite! [WU8] The Purpose of the Phone [D34CEEB4-7A10-40BF-B308-0EA499D1E48E] Our Family's Phone Plan [WU8] 10 Phone Parameters for Families WU8 footer2.png Back to Top Powered by Squarespace