Work through all four activities together. Take your time โ this is the one you'll keep.
Activity 1: Balance Check
Activity 2: Family Media Plan
Activity 3: Device Contract
Activity 4: Graduation
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Balance Check-In
Answer honestly โ no right or wrong. This is just about noticing what's actually happening.
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Do this one individually first. Kid answers their own, parent answers theirs, then compare together at the end. You might be surprised what you each notice.
For the Kid
Check whichever ones feel true right now. Be honest โ nobody's grading this.
After I put my phone down, I usually feel...
I can hang out with nothing to do (no phone, no screen) without feeling anxious or bored in a bad way.
My sleep is...
I pick up my phone without really knowing why.
There are things I care about โ sports, art, music, friends IRL โ that tech isn't crowding out.
For the Parent
These patterns often go unnoticed until you name them. Be honest with yourself.
I check my phone during conversations with my kid.
I feel like I can be fully present without my phone for stretches of time.
My phone charges...
When I'm bored or stressed, I reach for my phone as a default.
๐ฃ๏ธ
Family discussion: Share what you noticed. What overlapped? What surprised you? What's one thing each of you wants to change โ starting this week?
Our One Thing
Research on habit formation shows that one specific, consistent change works better than a long list of rules. What's yours?
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Your Family Media Plan
Work through each section together. Complete the sections that are relevant to you.
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We're not building a rulebook. We're building a culture โ one that's grounded in what your family actually cares about. Every section connects to your values.
Section 1 of 6 ยท Values
๐งญ Our Family Values
Before any rule about screen time, what does your family care about most? Pull out what you wrote in Module 1 โ or revisit it together now.
A screen-free zone is either a time of day or a physical space that the whole family commits to as device-free. Start small โ one or two zones kept consistently is more powerful than five that collapse.
๐๏ธ Bedrooms at night
๐ฝ๏ธ The dinner table
๐ Car rides
๐ First 30 min after school
โ๏ธ Mornings before school
๐ต One hour before bed
๐ก Family activities & outings
Section 3 of 6 ยท Individual Guidelines
๐ค Guidelines for Each Family Member
One-size-fits-all doesn't work. Write out expectations for each person โ including parents. Remember: the plan only has credibility if it applies to everyone. Complete the sections that are relevant to you.
Section 4 of 6 ยท The Tech Talk
๐ Our Tech Talk Plan
The tech talk is not a check-up โ it's a check-in. A low-stakes, regular conversation that happens before anything goes wrong.
Section 5 of 6 ยท New Technology
๐ฑ How We Approach New Technology
Having this conversation before the ask comes makes everything easier. What's your family's process?
Section 6 of 6 ยท When the Plan Isn't Followed
โก What Happens When Guidelines Aren't Followed
Have this conversation now โ not in the heat of the moment. The goal of consequences is repair and re-entry, not punishment.
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A conversation firstAsk what happened, what got in the way, what needs to change โ before anything else.
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A temporary reductionSpecific screen time reduced for a set period (not open-ended). Reset when trust is rebuilt.
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An earned-back modelSpecific steps the child takes to earn back privileges โ collaborative, not punitive.
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Revisit the plan togetherIf guidelines keep slipping, maybe the plan needs adjusting โ not just enforcement.
โ ๏ธ
One reminder from Module 4: Taking the phone as a first response means they won't tell you next time something goes wrong online. Keep the door open โ even when consequences are needed.
๐ก
Our Family Media Plan
Tech Positive Parenting ยท Tech Ready
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Device Contract
Optional but powerful โ especially for first devices. This isn't a legal document. It's a shared commitment, signed by everyone.
๐ก
Read through each item together. Check the ones that feel right for your family โ you can skip or adapt any of them. Then customize the bottom and sign together.
Our Device Agreement
Click to check the commitments that apply to your family.
I will charge my phone/device outside my bedroom every night.
I will not use my device during our agreed screen-free zones (meals, bedrooms at night, etc.).
I will come to a parent if something makes me uncomfortable, scared, or confused online โ without worrying that my device will be taken away.
I will not share my location, phone number, or personal information with people I don't know in real life.
I will not send or forward screenshots of private conversations without permission.
I understand that my parents may check my device periodically โ this is about trust, not surveillance.
I understand that this agreement can and will be revisited as I earn more trust and responsibility.
Parents: I commit to modeling the same behavior I'm asking of my child โ including phone-free zones and the bedroom rule.
Date:
โ
The contract isn't about control. It's about starting the relationship with a device on the right foot โ together. Revisit it every 6 months or whenever something changes.
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Graduation
You made it. All five modules. Let's mark the moment.
๐ ๐ โจ ๐ โจ ๐ ๐
๐
Tech Positive Parenting ยท Tech Ready
Certificate of Completion
This certifies that the family of
has completed all five modules of Tech Ready โ a course designed to help families understand, navigate, and thrive in the digital world. Together, you've built the knowledge, language, and plan to use technology on your terms.
Module 1The Digital World
Module 2Your Brain on Tech
Module 3Safety & Digital Judgment
Module 4Identity & Resilience
Module 5Balance & Your Family Plan
What You Learned
You didn't just learn about technology. You learned how to think about it.
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Module 1:The digital world is designed to capture your attention โ and now you know how.
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Module 2:Your brain is wired to want more โ and that's not your fault. You have a Pause Plan.
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Module 3:Safety online is preparation, not fear. You know what to do when things go sideways.
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Module 4:The online world affects how you feel โ and resilience is a skill, not a personality trait.
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Module 5:Balance is built, not enforced. You have a plan โ and a process to revisit it.
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What makes your family different now:
You have a shared language. A values foundation. A Family Media Plan and a Device Agreement. You know what to do when things go wrong โ and how to keep talking before they do.
The most protective thing a family can have isn't a parental control app. It's an open door and a shared understanding.
One Last Question โ for Everyone
Go around the table. Each person answers one of these.
๐ฌ What's one thing from this course that stuck with you?
๐ฌ What's one thing you want to do differently going forward?
๐ฌ What are you most grateful your family did by taking this course together?
Questions? Keep learning at techpositiveparenting.com
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