School is letting out for the summer. Daily structure is gone overnight.
Ben used to have 6 scheduled hours and he’s now free range, so to speak.
Rachel is bouncing from camp to friends' houses. For a while at least.
‘When can I get a phone?’ and ‘It’s not fair’
The logistics pressure pushes most parents toward the most readily available answer: age.
'When you're 12…' 'Maybe for your next birthday...’ When you start middle school.'
Age becomes the default proxy because when you ask another parent when their kid got a phone, it’s what they respond with: When they were 12… on their 13th birthday...
But research shows age isn’t the right variable.
Readiness is behavioral.
Sure, behavior is related to age, but it’s more than a leap to assume they’re the same.
Behavior is the better way to predict whether your child is ready for their first phone or you’re taking the leap too soon.
What do we mean by behavior? We’re glad you asked.
The science highlights five specific things:
Emotional regulation: How are we managing big feelings?
Self-monitoring: Knowing you're doomscrolling while you're doing it (harder than it seems, we know)
Social cognition: Reading the room
Impulse management: How big is the gap between thinking something and actually doing it?
The capacity to co-create and hold an agreement: Playing by (your own) rules
None of them show up on a birthday cake.
We know this is a big decision. And it’s a decision that’s hard to walk back.
We’re here to give you the real evidence, beyond what your social media algorithm is saying and what you're overhearing from other parents.
Stay tuned as we unpack the science (in simple terms) and what the experts are saying when it comes to phones for kids.
Snapshots
A section to get some nuggets and insights on technology in your kids without endlessly scrolling on your own phone.
Is summer reading a thing of nostalgia?
The Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but they can have their own account now
Parenting in the wild: all these parents are managing their children's screen time. Don’t call it a detox, but maybe it is...
Play time > scroll time. It’s a Full Stop for the Brits.