Is my child ready for a first phone? A readiness checklist

Why there's no single right age

The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) says plainly that experts don't agree on the best age for a smartphone. Later is usually better, because more mature kids tend to handle a phone more responsibly. The CPS also notes that a child's medical or safety needs can tip the decision. Some children with diabetes, for example, use their phone to get information about their blood sugar.

If it feels like every child in the class already has one, you're not imagining it. In a 2022 HabiloMédias study, reported by Protégez-Vous, 57% of Canadian kids aged 9 to 11 had a smartphone, rising to 81% around age 12 or 13. In a 2025 US survey by Pew Research Center, about a quarter of parents of kids 12 and under said their child had their own smartphone, and about six in ten parents of 11- and 12-year-olds did.

Common is not the same as ready, though. The questions below help you look at your own child, not the class list.

The readiness checklist

The first five questions follow the themes of the CPS readiness sheet. The last two are worth adding. Answer them honestly, on an ordinary week.

• Does my child accept limits, like screens off at dinner, without a battle most days?
• Do they usually stop and think before they act?
• Can they set something aside to focus on homework or a conversation, or are they easily pulled away?
• Do they look after their things, or do jackets, lunch boxes and water bottles go missing often?
• Is there a medical or safety reason a phone would help right now?
• Do they tell me when something online upsets or confuses them?
• Do they know what to do if a stranger messages them or a group chat turns mean?

A few "not yet" answers don't mean never. They show you what to practise first, often on a shared family tablet or with a basic phone. You can read the CPS sheet in English or French.

Ask your child, too

Kids are more likely to follow rules they helped shape. Before you decide, have a calm talk and really listen.

• What would you use a phone for, mostly?
• Which apps do you hope to have, and why those?
• What would you do if someone sent you something that made you uncomfortable?
• What do you think a fair rule about phones at night would be?

Their answers tell you a lot. A child who wants to text their soccer team after practice needs something different from a child who mainly wants a video app.

Decide what the phone is for

According to HabiloMédias, more than half of Canadian kids got their first phone because their parents wanted to be able to call or text them. If that's your main reason, you may not need a full smartphone yet.

Families often start small and add features as trust grows:

• A basic phone that calls and texts, with no apps or web browser.
• A smartphone with no data plan, so it only connects on Wi-Fi at home and at school.
• A smartphone with parental controls on, and a plan to loosen them step by step.

Whatever you choose, let your child help pick the device and plan. It makes the phone feel like a shared project, not a prize or a punishment.

Set it up together before day one

The CPS suggests making a plan with your child before the first phone arrives, so they are ready for the responsibility. HabiloMédias recommends setting times and places where devices stay off, such as bedrooms, meals and family outings, and keeping devices out of private spaces like bedrooms.

If you plan to check what's on the phone, say so up front. HabiloMédias advises explaining why, and how your child can earn more privacy over time. Its research suggests kids who follow household rules about online behaviour are less likely to take risks online. So family rules are worth the effort.

Then set up the controls together. Our guides to iPhone Screen Time and Google Family Link walk through the settings.