The dreaded question "When should my kid get a phone?" is one we're asked often. These days "whether" is not part of the equation, and the ages at which our kids' peers are getting phones seems younger than ever.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman, author of the new book First Phone: A Child's Guide To Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette, is the founder of The Family Coach and a licensed clinical social worker who has been working with children and families for more than 25 years. First Phone– a book written not for parents, but for our kids– puts the risks and rewards of a phone in perspective for our children, and helps them consider what parameters they themselves might want to put on their phones and how they can use them wisely.

In this episode, Catherine, Amy and Margaret discuss:

What we often don't think about when we hand our kids their first phones [12:55]
When kids should get their own social media accounts [17:55]
How to teach kids about digital consent [31:00]

Here's where you can find Catherine:

www.thefamilycoach.com

@thefamilycoach on FB/Twitter

@thefamilycoachsays on IG

Find Catherine's book in our bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593538333

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Peter D. Bell *64, "Affirming Dignity and Ending Poverty: The Search for a Better World" Centennial Public Lecture Series, Feburary 11, 2001