WAIT UNTIL 8TH UPDATE: Duffy Recognized for Having 2 Active Pledges!

Last month, Duffy joined Morley and Bugbee as the only elementary schools in West Hartford with active Wait Until 8th pledges. We were recognized in the Wait Until 8th newsletter for having TWO ACTIVE PLEDGES in Kindergarten and first grade - CONGRATULATIONS!! Want to join in? It’s not too late!

Remind me, what is Wait Until 8th? Wait Until 8th is an organization that connects parents interested in waiting to give their children smartphones by distributing a pledge to each grade within a school. Signing the pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay smartphones until at least the end of 8th grade. Together, we can decrease the peer pressure felt by kids and parents, alike. *Please note - this pledge is for delaying smartphones only. If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts, you still can sign the pledge! Basic phones avoid the distractions and dangers that come with smartphones.

What does it mean to have an active pledge? A pledge becomes "active" once 10 or more families within a grade sign it. The pledge is designed this way so you don't have to fear "what if I am the only parent that signs in my kid's grade."  To learn more and sign the Wait Until 8th pledge, click here.  *If you have more than one child, then sign up each child for each grade to help make EVERY grade active!

Why is it important to delay smartphones for our kids? Parents now have access to research on the impacts of smartphone use on our children that was not available just a few years ago. The research shows that smartphone use in children before the age of 14 has lead to an alarming increase in such things as anxiety, depression, screen addiction, exposure to sexual content, cyber bullying, and suicide, to name a few…