My daughters don't go to a lot of sleepovers. The only places they have stayed at are where we really know the family well. Mostly their friends stay here. The girls are so busy with their activities we don't have a lot of time for sleepovers.Another thing I wanted to add, they do have their own laptops they received for Christmas. They do not have any social media accounts and mostly use them for school stuff. They do have email but I can check it whenever and I check their laptops whenever. If they happen to go on a site that is not approved the laptop is taken away. We have talked about high school for a cell phone. We have gone back and forth on it but like I said earlier, there hasn't been a real need for it as of yet. They know my number and my hubby's number and I am still with them for the majority of their activities. If I am not I do know they are somewhere with a phone or with someone who has one they can use if they need me.

@West-Tex time to get your boy a cell phone

@Sammee
The watch was on sale for $50. When I bought it but I think they average between $100-$150. You have to put a Micro SIM card from a phone in it. But it has some really neat features! You can listen to them as a monitoring device. Also if needed it has 3 pre set numbers he can push a button and it dials (mom, dad, grandma) besides 911 directly. it has real time GPS monitoring, and it tracks his route. Say he's at the park and it's time to come home- I can talk to him saying Come home now. Also it tells you if he removes it from his wrist! I figured I'll give him 2 yrs w it and then hand it down to my 5 yr old when she starts venturing out without me!

My youngest has a phone, he's 9 😳 I know , but he walks home from school so I want him to be able to call me should he need to. (He only gets to walk part of the way) otherwise the phone is parked. My oldest got his phone last part of 5th grade but it was a flip phone,he got early to learn responsibility before middle school. We didn't have much interest in social media but when he got a smart phone he still didn't have much interest in it. Then 8th grade hit and we had Instagram but he's not a insta poster😂 now he's in HS and well I still monitor it but not like before. Just making sure nothing inappropriate things going on.

Wow!! I guess I'm really behind. Mine got it at 15 (last year) along with a list of dos/don'ts (verbal and printed) . And my worst fear was realized within a week. Used to access a lot of unsavory stuff on the Internet. I had to confiscate it. Can't figure out how to lock these stupid things down to keep 'em away from as much stuff as possible that could be harmful. I'm not naïve enough to think I can keep 'em away from all of it. I just want to get them to an age where they can keep it all in context. I don't want my sons growing up with an incorrect and destructive understanding of women and male/female relationships. Our in home example and heart-to-heart talks don't match what the now 16 yr. old has seen on the internet, and I see he has trouble believing us. Cell phone isn't helping.