Parent Resource Guide | Technology and Your Child

There's no universal "right age" for a child's first phone. The best time depends on your child's maturity level, communication needs, school activities, and ability to follow digital safety rules. Many families start with a basic smartphone when children begin participating in extracurricular activities, staying home alone, or needing regular communication outside of school. Before purchasing a device, establish family expectations around screen time, online behavior, and safety. For more information, please see the resourceful article "When Should You Get Your Child Their First Phone? A Parent's Guide for 2026.

Keeping children safe online starts with a combination of parental involvement, device settings, and ongoing conversations. Parents can enable parental controls, set app download restrictions, monitor privacy settings, use content filters, and regularly discuss responsible online behavior. It's also important to teach children how to recognize scams, protect personal information, and report inappropriate content or cyberbullying.

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for screen time. The most important factor is how technology affects your child's sleep, physical activity, school performance, and relationships. Healthy screen habits focus on balancing online activities with offline experiences, including exercise, family time, hobbies, and adequate sleep. For younger children, screen time should be supervised and centered around educational, creative, or interactive content. For teens, it's often more helpful to set boundaries around when and how devices are used rather than strictly counting hours. Establish screen-free times during meals, family activities, homework, and before bed to encourage healthy digital habits.