Let kids
be kids.
Tech companies have made it feel inevitable that every kid needs a smartphone — a pocket computer — and needs one early. Lex Kids Be Kids exists to prove there's another option, one families choose together, so no kid feels left out for waiting.
"This group is for every family — whether you've held off on smartphones or found yourself swept along by the tide of technology that can feel impossible to resist. Wherever you're starting from, Lex Kids Be Kids is a community focused on what we can do together."
A lot of Lexington families are feeling this.
Digital devices can be genuinely valuable tools. But too often they crowd out the things childhood actually needs — boredom, face-to-face friendship, free play, and time away from constant stimulation.
Lex Kids Be Kids brings families together through community building, education, and collective action, so parents can feel empowered instead of isolated. This isn't about rejecting technology — it's about making sure it supports childhood instead of overshadowing it.
Led by Wendi Hoffer (Estabrook parent), with a Steering Committee of Alison Campbell (Bowman & Clarke), Caitlin Ciavarro (Hastings), Michael Bruce (Fiske & LHS), Lysandra Ferentinos Richards (Estabrook), and Nicole Krensky (Estabrook).
We believe technology should support — not overshadow — childhood, relationships, and community life.
This isn't just about phones. At home, that means thoughtful use of technology overall — the shows kids watch, the games they play, the devices in their rooms. We're also part of Turning Life On, a Massachusetts coalition uniting parent groups, schools, and professionals across the state, so we can draw on playbooks and lessons learned from advocates in other towns, not just what we've figured out here in Lexington.
What our own kids are telling us.
In the 2025 Lexington Youth Risk Behavior Survey, most Lexington students reported already keeping social media to an hour or less — 76% of middle schoolers, 60% of high schoolers. Here's what students reported looked different for those who said they spent 4+ hours a day, compared with those at an hour or less:
Anxious or nervous
Reported feeling anxious or nervous most or all of the time.
Sad or hopeless
Reported feeling sad or hopeless most or all of the time.
Suicidal ideation
Reported seriously considering suicide in the past year.
Sleeping under 7 hours
Reported sleeping fewer than 7 hours on a typical school night.
Our major goals
Better understanding of our choices
We educate and support one another on delaying smartphones and social media, exploring alternatives, and promoting healthy relationships and boundaries with technology for our kids once introduced — so parents feel empowered instead of isolated.
Encouraging screen-free family time
We plan and highlight local opportunities, events, and resources that bring families together — helping neighbors connect in a more meaningful way.
Shaping policy and advocacy
We work so that parents and caregivers have a real seat at the table in decisions that influence children, technology, and education — in Lexington and beyond.
Better norms get easier when we move together.
One community, working neighbor to neighbor — not a formal organization, just Lexington parents helping each other raise kids who are present, not just plugged in.