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Family Tech Agreement Template
A family tech agreement template covering screen-free times and zones, bedtime charging, online safety and consequences, with tips for agreeing it together.
Key takeaways
- Agreements work best when children help write them and adults follow the rules too.
- Cover times, places, limits, safety, kindness and what happens when rules are broken.
- Review it every few months, and as children grow up.
On this page
A family tech agreement turns endless arguments about screens into a set of rules everyone has agreed to in advance. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends families make a media plan together, and the process of writing it matters as much as the rules themselves.
How to make it work
- Write it together. Hold a family meeting and let children suggest rules; they’re more likely to follow ones they helped make.
- Include the adults. If phones are banned at dinner, that means everyone’s phone.
- Keep it short. One page that everyone understands beats three pages nobody reads.
- Explain the why. Sleep, safety, focus and family time are reasons children can understand.
- Review it regularly. Every few months, and whenever a child gets a new device.
The template
Copy these sections, fill in your own details and put the finished agreement somewhere visible, such as on the fridge.
1. Screen-free times
- We don’t use screens during meals.
- Screens go away … minutes before bedtime.
- Homework comes before games and videos on school days.
2. Screen-free places
- Phones and tablets charge overnight in … (not in bedrooms).
- No devices at the dinner table or in the car on short trips.
3. Daily limits
- On school days, recreational screen time is … hours.
- At weekends, it’s … hours.
- We use built-in tools to help, such as Screen Time on iPhone or Digital Wellbeing and Family Link on Android.
4. Staying safe online
- We ask before downloading new apps or games.
- We keep passwords private, except from parents.
- We never share our address, school or location with people we don’t know offline.
- If something online worries or upsets us, we tell an adult, and we won’t be in trouble for telling.
5. Being kind online
- We only post things we’d be happy for our grandparents to see.
- We ask before sharing photos of other people.
- We don’t join in when someone is being picked on.
6. Parents’ promises
- We’ll put our phones away at meals and family time too.
- We’ll ask before posting photos of you.
- We’ll listen calmly if you tell us something went wrong online.
7. When rules are broken
- The first time, we talk about what happened.
- After that, the consequence is … (for example, a day without the device).
8. Review date
We’ll look at this agreement again on …
What to focus on by age
| Age | Focus of the agreement |
|---|---|
| Under 5 | Watching together, short sessions, no screens at meals or bedtime |
| 6–9 | Clear daily limits, approved apps and games, asking before downloading |
| 10–12 | First phone rules, messaging, privacy settings and online kindness |
| Teens | Self-management, sleep, no phones while driving and more say in the rules |
For suggested daily limits at each stage, BratChild’s screen time guide by age is a good starting point.
Frequently asked questions
At what age should we make a family tech agreement?
As soon as children start using screens regularly. Simple rules work for young children, and the agreement can grow with them.
What if my teenager refuses to sign?
Negotiate. Teens respond better when they have real input, so let them propose rules and explain their reasoning, while keeping non-negotiables such as safety and sleep.
Should parents use the self-check too?
It can help. Our phone habits self-check is designed for adults and is a useful, private way to model the reflection you’re asking of your children.
Sources
Every article is edited by a human and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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