Nine To Noon Things to consider before gifting a child a phone for Christmas
Nov 19, 2025
Join Anna McKessar, an expert in digital parenting from Parenting Place, as she navigates the tricky waters of gifting phones to kids. She emphasizes that the right age to gift a phone varies based on responsibility rather than a set number. Alternatives like ‘dumb’ phones can ease this journey. Anna advocates for setting digital boundaries, teaching online safety, and the importance of family agreements. Plus, she shares insights on co-parenting challenges and the balance between monitoring tech use and building trust. A must-listen for concerned parents!
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Match Device To Purpose
- Consider why you want to give a phone and whether the device matches that purpose.
- Match device capability to the need rather than handing over full internet access by default.
Phase In Access And Coach
- Do phase access in and coach kids like you would when teaching to drive.
- Use conversations and tech tools to give smaller chances to learn rather than throwing them into the deep end.
Set Three Layers Of Protection
- Do set up layered protections: household filtering, device parental controls, and app-level settings.
- Also build your child's internal filters by discussing online safety, messaging manners, and device rules.