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What's your biggest
tech struggle right now?
tech struggle right now?
Pick one. We'll open the exact script you need.
They won't get off the screen
Constant battles about devices and tech
"Everyone else has it"
Social media, phones, the pressure to say yes
I don't know where to start
What they're doing online, what's normal, what's not
The Digital Childhood
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in a digital world.
in a digital world.
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Stronger families.
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The Digital Childhood
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What did your child say?
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Get the Words
Scripts for what they just said
Understand the Tech
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Make the Plan
Pacts, rules, and tools
This Week
Featured Script
Use this script →
Tonight at Dinner
"What happened online today that surprised you?"
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Digital Roadmap
See Full Roadmap →
Your Toolkit
Friend Group Pact
Rally other families
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Tech Explained
Plain-English guides to the apps, platforms, and tools your kids are using.
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Practice Mode
Rehearse the conversation before it happens
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All Stages
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When they say this, you say…
Family Tools
Family Tech Pact
Screen rules and device-free zones
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School Toolkit
Resources for teachers and schools
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Tech Translator
Decode the apps and slang your kids use
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Go Deeper
TDC gives you the scripts and tools. These allies give you the community.
Find Your Community
Smartphone Free Childhood
Local chapters near you
Screen Sanity
Host a Parent Night at your school
Wait Until 8th
School pledge to delay phones
Look Things Up
Protect Young Eyes
App reviews and safety guides
Common Sense Media
Age ratings for apps and games
Books Worth Reading
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt
Break Up with Your Phone
Catherine Price
Get Outside
1000 Hours Outside
Track outdoor time for your family
Let Grow
Childhood independence and free play
Our Stories
Real moments from real families.
Navigating tech with your kids can feel lonely. These stories are here so you know you're not the only one.
Read family stories
From our family and yours
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Stronger Together
When enough families in the same friend group decide together, the social pressure disappears.
Pact Members
Our Agreements
Add a custom agreement
Why this works
When 5 to 8 families in the same friend group make the same decision together, the social penalty disappears. Similar to the Wait Until 8th movement.
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TikTok pressure
AI & homework
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Gaming too much
AI friend app
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Finding the right words…
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Digital Childhood AI
My Family
Every child is different. Support what matters most.
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About
TDC
The Digital Childhood
I built this because when a hard tech moment happened with my kids, I couldn't find what I actually needed: the exact words to say.
When a hard moment happens, open TDC.
It tells you what it means.
It gives you the exact words to say back.
It shows you what to do next.
"You do not have to do this alone. And you do not have to have all the answers."
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Scripts
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From our family & yours.
Real moments navigating tech together. Shared so you feel less alone in yours.
Our Story
She explained AI better than I ever could
Our Story
My daughter asked to talk to ChatGPT at bedtime. Here's what I said.
Our Story
My daughter asked to download an AI 'chat friend' she saw in a kids' game ad
Our Story
I asked my kids' teachers if paper-and-pencil could be an option
Schools & Policy
Schools & the screen debate.
The conversation about screens has moved into classrooms. Here's what's happening, and what you can do.
Phone-Free Schools
90%+ of parents support phone bans. Dozens of states have laws on the books.
Phone-free schools see less anxiety, more peer connection, and better focus. Ask your school: do they have a phone policy? Does it cover the full day?
Smartphone Free Childhood US
Parent-led movement to make phone-free childhood the norm. Find your local chapter, join a school campaign, and download slide decks + evidence packs to present to your school.
Join the movement →
Schools Beyond Screens
Research-backed resources for school administrators and parent advocates. Case studies, policy templates, and the latest data on phone-free outcomes.
Visit schoolsbeyondscreens.org →
AI in Classrooms
Schools are adopting AI faster than policy can keep up.
Are our children learning to think first, or to prompt first?
Ask your school
· Do they have an AI use policy?
· What AI tools are approved for students?
· Can you opt out of EdTech data collection?
· Is paper-and-pencil still an option?
· What AI tools are approved for students?
· Can you opt out of EdTech data collection?
· Is paper-and-pencil still an option?
Script: "But AI said it was true"
When your child cites AI as a source, the exact words to help them think critically about where information comes from.
Read the script →
Legislation
Legislative momentum is building fast.
Phone bans: CA, FL, VA, IN and others have passed school phone restrictions.
Social media: States now requiring age verification for accounts.
Privacy: COPPA updates expanding children's data protections.
Social media: States now requiring age verification for accounts.
Privacy: COPPA updates expanding children's data protections.
Screen Sanity Tools
Parent Night Kit, group study guides, and resources for hosting community conversations about screens and legislation.
Get the toolkit →
Your Action Steps
Start here
✓ Ask your school for their phone policy
✓ Find out if there's an AI use policy
✓ Join a phone-free childhood parent group
✓ Share TDC scripts with your child's teacher
✓ Find out if there's an AI use policy
✓ Join a phone-free childhood parent group
✓ Share TDC scripts with your child's teacher
Sign the Delay Manifesto
A growing coalition of parents committed to delaying smartphones and social media. Add your name and share it with other families at your school.
Sign at protectyoungeyes.com →
Script: AI for homework
The conversation most parents need right now: when your child wants to use ChatGPT for their schoolwork.
Read the script →
Your plan. Your values.
Your family.
Your family.
Not a list of rules. A pact your family creates together. Tap the ones that matter, then share it with your kids.
Device Boundaries
Social Media & Apps
Safety & Communication
Parents Model It Too
Add Your Own
What are you
dealing with?
dealing with?
Pick a struggle. We'll pull together everything you need.
Tech overwhelm
New apps, AI tools, and tech you don't fully understand yet.
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Social media pressure
Everyone has it. They want it. You're not sure.
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AI and new tech
ChatGPT, AI friends, tools you don't understand yet.
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The first phone decision
When, what kind, what rules, what to expect.
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Feeling like the only one
Other parents don't seem worried. You feel isolated.
→
Tech in their school
Chromebooks all day, AI in the classroom, no say in it.
→
Screen-Free Fun
Activities they'll actually want to do.
Bring it to
your school.
your school.
Everything you need to start the conversation at your child's school. Talking points, research summaries, and sample letters.
Talking Points
1. Less anxiety, better sleep in phone-free schools.
2. Academic performance improves — especially for struggling students.
3. Cyberbullying drops when phones leave the hallways.
4. 90%+ of parents support school-hour phone restrictions.
5. Students themselves report relief once the norm is set.
2. Academic performance improves — especially for struggling students.
3. Cyberbullying drops when phones leave the hallways.
4. 90%+ of parents support school-hour phone restrictions.
5. Students themselves report relief once the norm is set.
Sample Letter to Your Principal
Dear [Principal's Name],
I'm writing to support a phone-free policy during school hours at [School Name]. Research shows this improves focus, reduces anxiety, and strengthens peer relationships.
I'd love to discuss this at a PTA meeting. Many families feel the same way, and I'm happy to share research or connect you with schools that have done this successfully.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
I'm writing to support a phone-free policy during school hours at [School Name]. Research shows this improves focus, reduces anxiety, and strengthens peer relationships.
I'd love to discuss this at a PTA meeting. Many families feel the same way, and I'm happy to share research or connect you with schools that have done this successfully.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
PTA Meeting Agenda
15 minutes is all you need:
2 min: Share why this matters to you
5 min: Present the research
3 min: Show what other schools are doing
5 min: Ask: "How many of you feel the same?"
2 min: Share why this matters to you
5 min: Present the research
3 min: Show what other schools are doing
5 min: Ask: "How many of you feel the same?"
Helpful Resources
Schools & Policy Hub
Legislation tracker, AI policy questions, and more.
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Start a Friend Group Pact
Coordinate with families you actually know.
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Family Tech Pact Builder
Create your household's tech pact together.
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