Family phone agreement

A fill-in agreement for a parent and child to set the rules and responsibilities that come with a phone, and sign together.

When to use this templateUse when your child gets a phone (or to reset expectations on one they have). Completing it together sets shared, agreed rules rather than imposed ones.

Tone guidance

Frame it as trust and shared rules, not punishment.
Emphasise the 'you won't be in trouble for telling me' clause — it's the most important one.
Keep limits realistic so the agreement is actually kept.

Template

Our family phone agreement

This phone belongs to the family and [CHILD'S NAME] is trusted to use it well.

We agree that:
- The phone charges outside bedrooms overnight and is away at [E.G. MEALS, BEDROOMS OVERNIGHT].
- Screen time limits are: [LIMITS].
- New apps and downloads are approved by [WHO APPROVES NEW APPS].
- We are kind and respectful online, and never share personal information or images without asking a parent.
- Passwords are shared with a parent.
- If anything worrying, upsetting, or confusing happens, [CHILD'S NAME] will tell [WHO TO TELL] and will not be in trouble for doing so.

We'll review this agreement together as things change.

Child's signature: ____________________   Date: __________
Parent's signature: ___________________   Date: __________

Fields to replace

[CHILD'S NAME] — Child's name
[E.G. MEALS, BEDROOMS OVERNIGHT] — Agreed screen-free times/places
[LIMITS] — Daily/weekly limits
[WHO APPROVES NEW APPS] — Rules about apps and downloads
[WHO TO TELL] — What to do if something goes wrong

What to attach

•Nothing needed — print, complete, and keep it somewhere visible.

What not to include

Rules you won't actually enforce — a broken agreement teaches the wrong lesson.
Surveillance framed as punishment; frame monitoring as safety and be honest about it.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-13Next review: 2026-10-13

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.