Wait Til 8th.

Subject

Anyone else not in a rush on the phone thing?

Body

Hey everyone — quick one.

Phones are starting to come up in our house and I'm pretty sure they're starting to come up in yours. We're not in any rush over here, and honestly the main thing making it hard is that our kid is convinced she's the only one who doesn't have one. (She is not.)

If you're also a "not yet" family — even just "still figuring it out" — would you reply to this thread or hit me up directly? Trying to see if there's enough of us to make this less weird for our kids.

There's a thing called Wait Until 8th (waituntil8th.org) that's basically a parent-organizing tool for this. Once 10 families in our grade sign on, the pledge "activates" and we can see we're not alone. Low commitment, no spam, no group chat to join unless you want one.

No agenda. No judgment. Just a vibe check.

— [your name]

Subject

PTA agenda request — parent presentation on Wait Until 8th

Body

Hi [Name],

I'd love 15–20 minutes at an upcoming PTA meeting to introduce the Wait Until 8th pledge to parents in our grade.

Quick context: it's a national parent-led pledge to delay smartphones until the end of 8th grade, built around the simple idea that no one family should have to do this alone. The pledge only activates once 10 families in a grade sign on, so it's specifically designed for school-level coordination — which is why I'd love to do this in front of our community.

I'm not asking the school to take a position — this is a parent-to-parent thing. I'll bring the slides, run the discussion, and handle follow-up. All I need is the slot and the agenda mention.

I can also bring a short video (3 or 15 minutes, depending on time) and a one-pager parents can take home.

Happy to chat by phone if easier. Thanks for considering.

— [your name]
[your kid's grade / homeroom]

Subject

Thanks for last night — everything is here

Body

Hi everyone,

Thanks for coming last night (or for caring enough to email me after — yes, you).

As promised, here's everything in one place:

• Take the pledge: https://www.waituntil8th.org/take-the-pledge
   (Select our school + your kid's grade. You're not committed until 10 families in that grade sign.)
• The slides we walked through: [link]
• The one-pager for partners / spouses / grandparents who weren't there: [link]
• The grade-level group chat / Slack / WhatsApp: [link]
• The Screenwise data we showed (what kids in our grade are actually doing): https://screenwiseapp.com/learn

We're at [N] families on the pledge so far. Once we hit 10 in our grade, I'll send a follow-up to the whole class list — including parents who couldn't make it.

Most useful thing you can do this week: forward this email to one other family in our grade. That's it.

— [your name]

Subject

About the phone

Body

Hey —

I know this feels unfair right now. I want to tell you where we are on this, in writing, because I want to be honest with you instead of just saying "because I said so."

We're going to wait until at least the end of 8th grade on the smartphone. Not because we don't trust you. Not because we think you can't handle it. Because we want to give your brain and your friendships the easiest possible runway before the algorithm shows up in your pocket. Adult brains struggle with that thing. Yours is still being built.

A bunch of other families are doing the same. You can ask [friend's name] and [friend's name] — their parents and I have talked. You are not the only one.

In the meantime, here's the deal:

• You get [a Gabb / a watch / a hand-me-down brick / a flip phone] so you can call or text us and your friends. We'll add numbers when you want them.
• You get [more roaming / a Wednesday hangout / your own keys / whatever real autonomy looks like for you]. We meant it about not being a punishment.
• When it's actually time, we'll set the phone up together. Not me handing it to you. Us, together.

I love you. I'm on your team. This is the call.

— [parent name]