Start smaller than a whole new routine
You do not need to settle every question about screens in one conversation. Pick a moment that regularly needs a decision: a device at the table, the end of a game, or a request to buy something in an app. Ask what each person would like that moment to look like.
A family agreement gives you a place to put the answer. It is not a score for how well you are parenting, and this guide does not promise it will prevent arguments or improve a health outcome. The aim is modest: make an expectation clear enough that everyone can explain it.
What the guidance says
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner describes family tech agreements as flexible, collaborative tools. Its guidance encourages involving family members, listening to what children enjoy online, focusing on what matters now, and revisiting the agreement as circumstances change.
That is practical guidance, not proof that a particular script will work for every household. The example below is our own planning exercise, informed by those principles. Use it as a starting point and change the language so it sounds like your family.
Begin with a question, including for yourself
Try: “What is one thing about our devices that you wish we did differently?” Give the adults a turn to answer and a turn to listen. A child might name an interrupted conversation. An adult might name uncertainty about when a game can stop. Write down the issue before deciding on a rule.
Ask what the activity involves. A video call, a saved game, a live match, and a communication aid are different situations. Your agreement can name the particular activity instead of treating every use of the same device as identical.
“Let’s choose one thing to try. What would make it clear, and what might make it difficult?”
Make the agreement observable
“Use your tablet responsibly” leaves a lot to interpret. “Before buying something in a game, ask the adult we have named” describes a visible action. “At this meal, our personal phones stay in the basket” identifies a place and an occasion. These are examples to adapt, not rules every family must adopt.
Include the adult’s part. If work sometimes requires a phone at the table, explain the exception and how you will signal it. If a child uses technology for communication or accessibility, account for that function explicitly. A useful agreement should fit the people who will use it.
Treat the first version as a trial
Choose a time to come back to the agreement. You might decide to talk after a few ordinary days or at the next shared meal. The exact interval is your choice. Put it somewhere you will notice rather than relying on everyone remembering an informal conversation.
When you review, ask which part was clear, which part was hard, and what needs changing. If stopping a game caused confusion, describe the stopping point more precisely. If an adult could not follow their own promise, revise it openly. Keep the discussion about the agreement rather than assigning a family member a label.
Write one line today
Our family plan worksheet has room for a shared agreement, an adult promise, an exception, and a review point. You can print it or copy the wording onto paper. The tool works in this browser tab; it does not send your family notes to us or save them after you leave.
If your next question is about a specific game, read how to read its rating. A household agreement and a game’s content information answer different questions. Both can help you make a decision without pretending that one rule explains every situation.
Sources & context
Source links checked 15 September 2026. This guide combines the cited material with editorial planning suggestions. Examples are illustrative; they are not reported experiences or test results.