Mom Takes Tween’s Phone and iPad Away After She Starts Middle School. What Happens Next Astounds Her

After a mom took away her pre-teen daughter’s devices, she was shocked by the change in her behavior.

The original poster (OP) shared her story on Reddit, explaining that her 12-year-old daughter had started acting differently since beginning middle school. OP noticed her daughter was isolating herself more and seemed less interested in family activities.

Despite this, her daughter was keeping up with her homework, participating in choir, and had a friend group with little drama, so OP didn’t worry too much. She assumed this was normal for middle schoolers.

“Until a few nights ago when another mom showed up at my doorstep,” said OP. “Long story short, there was a lot of toxic stuff happening between the kids, and it was all through these huge group chats.”

OP explained that her daughter and her friends were constantly texting and FaceTiming. The conversations were often unhealthy, with language that was “vulgar and rude under the guise of being quirky.”

In some chats, the girls discussed a friend being “abused” by the mom who came to OP’s house. Some even talked about reporting that mom to child protective services for a second time.

“I went nuclear,” said OP. “Immediately had her hand over her devices. Bought an AirTag for her backpack so I can track her after school. The only screen she can use is the living room TV.”

While OP admitted this might sound strict, she had tried adjusting screen time before with little success. She hoped a stricter “full detox” would help improve her daughter’s behavior.

“And oh boy, not even 24 hours later I have a totally different kid,” said OP. “She is out of her bedroom. She wants to be around us! She’s interacting with her little sister and laughing with us. Boredom has been so, so good. And we’re only on day 2.”

OP added that what she thought would be a punishment ended up helping her daughter regain her spark.

Many readers supported OP’s decision in the comments.

“As a teacher in a state with the new banned cell laws, I can tell you it is working,” one commenter said. “I have students participating in class discussions, they are turning work in. They are focused. There are still those who won’t work, but we had the same type of students before cell phones. It’s been a game changer in our district.”

Another shared similar experiences with their younger child:

“We’ve been having similar issues with our 6th grader. I thought it was just the age and middle school moods, but cutting down on screen time makes her much more cheerful and happy,” they said. “She is mad at us and says she doesn’t see a difference, but it’s very obvious to her dad and me.”