Nearly 7,000 parents from across the country have taken a pledge to wait until 8th grade before giving their kids smartphones. Hundreds of schools, including many in Westchester, have jumped on board.

BUT…since many of us in Pelham have already committed to giving our rising 6th graders smartphones soon, a group of us has “tweaked" the original “Wait Until 8th” pledge by agreeing not to give our kids access to social media until at least 7th grade (and ideally 8th if we can hold out that long). Let's let them have their first year of Middle School be “social media” free! Our hope is that they won’t feel as much pressure to access social media sites if they know their friends aren’t either.

If you can commit to waiting until your child is in 7th grade before allowing him/her to access Instagram, Snapchat, FaceBook and similar sites, then please add your name to the list. Please also add your name to the list if you plan on taking the "Wait Until 8th" pledge, or if you have no plans to give your child a smartphone at all. The more names the better! This letter will be circulated to parents representing all four Pelham elementary schools.

Thank you in advance for your support!