The Smartphone Readiness Project
There is no need to waste money on a dumb phone.
A dumb phone costs real money, often can't run the school app, and sometimes gets your child laughed at. A year later, you buy the smartphone anyway.
There is a better way, and you probably already own it.
The Smartphone Readiness Project flips the whole argument. You stop defending a "NO". Your child researches what they are asking for, writes a proper business case, and presents it to you out loud on a set date. Then you answer together with yes, yes with conditions, or not yet.
Then we show you, tap by tap, how to turn the smartphone already in your drawer into a starter phone. It looks like everyone else's phone and does only what you have agreed to: calls, messages to approved people, camera, music.
You hand the rest back one stage at a time, as your child shows you they are ready.
What's inside
The complete family workbook – why a phone is never just a phone, the nine questions your child must be able to answer, and how to tell a strong case from "I promise I'll be careful".
Four printable worksheets – the Phone or App Business Case (research, SWOT analysis, safety plan, privacy and time plan), the Parent Presentation Checklist, 15 Parent Questions to ask on the day, and the Family Digital Access Agreement you both sign.
Start Small, Release Slowly – step-by-step setup for iPhone and Android, including Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, using the built-in family and accessibility settings.
The Stage Ladder – five stages from starter phone to full independence, with readiness signals for each step up and what to do when trust is broken (back one stage, never back to zero).
What to say – scripts for the handover, the step-ups and the step-backs, plus answers on school apps, group chats, AI apps, passcodes and privacy.
The Starter Phone Stage Record – a one-page document to staple to your agreement so everyone knows exactly what was agreed.
It works for every request after the first one. Use the same workbook if they ask for Snapchat, Discord, Roblox, or an AI companion: the answer is the same each time.
"Great. Write me the business case."
Available in Australian, UK and US editions. Instant download, single-family licence, print the worksheets as often as you need.
