Family Technology Agreement: Templates, Rules and Teen Input

A family technology agreement is a short written plan that a family makes together. It sets out when, where and how devices are used at home and on outings, and what happens when plans change. The versions that work are brief, usually one page. They are built from a template rather than from scratch, include real input from children and teens, and are reviewed every few months. You can start with a printable family technology agreement template, an existing example such as the eSafety family tech agreement or the Verizon family tech agreement, or a simple list you write at the kitchen table. Then you adapt it to your family's schedules, budget and routines.

What is a family technology agreement?

A family technology agreement is a set of shared expectations about devices, apps, games and online behaviour. Everyone in the household helps write it and everyone signs it, including adults. It usually covers screen time, device boundaries such as rooms or times without phones, online safety habits, and what to do when something goes wrong online.

Agreement or contract: is there a difference?

A family technology contract and a family technology agreement are usually the same document under different names. In practice the choice of word changes the tone:

Agreement suggests a joint, negotiated plan. Many families with teens prefer this word because it signals that everyone had a say.
Contract suggests clear terms and consequences. Some families with younger children like it because it feels official and is easy to point back to.

Neither is legally binding. What matters is that the wording is clear, the rules are realistic, and adults follow the parts that apply to them.

What should a family technology agreement template include?

A useful family technology agreement template covers a small number of areas in plain language. Most families need these sections:

Purpose. One or two sentences on why the family is making the agreement, for example “so we have more time together and stay safe online.”
Times. When devices are used and when they are not. Examples include school-night limits, mornings, meals and bedtime.
Places. Where devices go and where they stay out, such as bedrooms overnight, the dinner table or the car on short trips.
Content and apps. Which apps, games and age ratings are fine, and how new apps get approved.
Online safety. Privacy settings, not sharing personal details, how to handle messages from strangers, and the promise to tell an adult about anything upsetting.
Kindness and respect. How family members treat others online, and asking before posting photos of someone else.
Adult commitments. What parents and carers agree to do, such as not scrolling at meals or answering work messages only at set times.
When things go wrong. What happens if a rule is broken, and the assurance that reporting a problem will not automatically lead to losing a device.
Review date. When the family will look at the agreement again.
Signatures. Everyone who uses devices in the household signs.

If this feels like a lot, start with three sections: times, places and online safety. Add others later.

Which family technology agreement template should you use?

The best family technology agreement template is the one your family will actually read and keep. Ready-made templates save time. A homemade version fits your household more closely. Many families take a ready-made one and cross out what does not apply.

Option	Best for	Advantages	Trade-offs
eSafety family tech agreement (from Australia's eSafety Commissioner)	Families who want online safety guidance built in	Focuses on safety, wellbeing and talking things through; free to use	Written for an Australian audience, so you may need to adjust help contacts and local references
Verizon family tech agreement	Families who want a ready-made checklist-style starting point	Easy to read and quick to fill in	Produced by a phone company, so check that it matches your own priorities rather than device or plan features
Generic family technology agreement PDF from a parenting or school site	Families who want to print and sign in one evening	Fast; often includes age-specific versions	Can be too general; may include rules that do not fit your routines
Homemade agreement (paper, shared note or document)	Families with teens, split households or unusual schedules	Fully tailored; teens feel more ownership	Takes longer to draft; easy to forget key safety points without a checklist
Hybrid: template plus family edits	Most families	Saves effort and keeps the safety basics while allowing personal rules	Needs one person to merge the edits into a clean final copy

Templates and their wording change over time. Before printing, read whichever version you choose all the way through and delete anything your family would not follow.

How do you create a family technology agreement step by step?

You can create a family technology agreement in one relaxed conversation of about 30 to 60 minutes, followed by a short check-in a week or two later. These steps keep it manageable:

Pick a calm moment. Choose a time when nobody is in trouble over screens. A weekend breakfast or a car trip works better than straight after an argument.
Explain the purpose. Say what you hope to gain, such as better sleep, fewer morning rushes or more relaxed family time. Avoid framing it as a punishment.
List what already works. Ask everyone what they like about how the family uses technology now. Keep those habits.
Name two or three pain points. Examples include phones at dinner, late-night gaming or arguments about turning devices off. Focus on these first.
Bring a template. Use a printed family technology agreement template or a list of the sections above, so the conversation has structure.
Agree on non-negotiables. Adults state the few safety rules that are not up for debate, for example telling an adult about contact from strangers.
Negotiate everything else. Let children and teens propose times, places and consequences. Write down what everyone accepts.
Write it up short. Aim for one page in plain language. Bullet points work better than paragraphs.
Sign and display it. Put it where devices are charged, on the fridge, or in a shared family note.
Set a review date. Two to four weeks after the start, then every term or every few months.

How do you get teen input into a family tech agreement?

A family tech agreement for teens works best when teens help write the rules rather than just signing them. Teen participation makes the rules more realistic and makes it more likely that teens will follow them when parents are not watching.

Questions to ask teens

Which apps or games matter most to you, and why?
When do screens actually help you, for example with homework, friends or relaxing?
When do they get in the way, for example with sleep, mood or getting ready in the morning?
What do adults in this house do with phones that annoys you?
If something went wrong online, what would make you more likely to tell us?
What would a fair consequence look like if a rule is broken?

What teens can reasonably own

Older children and teens can often take charge of parts of the agreement. These might include setting their own homework focus routine, choosing a phone-free hour, managing notifications, or proposing weekend limits. Giving them ownership of some sections makes the agreement feel shared rather than imposed.

Balancing privacy and safety

Teens usually expect more privacy than younger children. A balanced family technology agreement for teens often:

explains which monitoring or parental controls are used and why, instead of applying them silently;
sets a plan to reduce oversight as the teen shows they can manage;
separates safety concerns, which adults step in on, from preferences, which teens decide within agreed limits.

When parents and teens disagree

If you cannot agree, try a time-limited trial. For example, test the teen's proposed bedtime phone rule for two weeks, then compare how sleep and mornings went. Trials turn arguments into experiments and make the review meeting more useful.

What rules suit different ages?

Family technology agreement rules should change as children grow. Younger children need clearer limits and more adult involvement. Teens need more choice and more responsibility. The table shows typical starting points to adapt, not fixed requirements.

Age group	Typical device boundaries	Online safety focus	Level of teen or child input
Under 8	Devices used in shared spaces; adults choose apps and content; screens off well before bed	Telling an adult about anything confusing or scary; not tapping on ads or pop-ups	Simple choices, such as which show or which picture goes on the agreement
8 to 12	Agreed time windows on school days; new apps and games approved by an adult; devices charged outside bedrooms	Privacy settings, not sharing personal details, kind messaging	Helps choose times and consequences; signs the agreement
13 to 15	Teen manages time within agreed limits; phone-free meals and an overnight charging spot	Strangers, sharing images, group chat behaviour, scams	Co-writes most sections; proposes trials
16 to 18	Mostly self-managed, with a few shared household rules such as meals and safe driving	Digital footprint, account security, healthy habits for independence	Leads the discussion; adults focus on support and shared household norms

How can a family technology agreement make everyday routines easier?

A family technology agreement makes routines easier when each rule is tied to a specific moment in the day rather than a vague goal. “Phones go in the basket when food is on the table” is easier to follow than “use phones less.”

Mornings

Devices stay off until everyone is dressed and bags are packed.
One shared device or speaker can be used for the weather, a timer or a morning playlist.
School bags and charged devices sit by the door the night before.

Meals

A charging basket or shelf away from the table removes the temptation to check notifications.
Allow agreed exceptions, such as on-call adults or a parent travelling, so the rule stays fair.

Homework and focus time

Notifications are silenced during homework blocks.
Music is fine if the teen can show the work is getting done.

Bedtime

Devices are charged in a shared spot overnight, such as the kitchen or a hallway.
A cheap alarm clock solves the “I need my phone as an alarm” problem.
Screens off at an agreed time before sleep, set by age and by the family's evening schedule.

How should a family tech agreement handle park days, picnics and outings?

For outings, a family tech agreement works best with a few light, specific rules that keep phones useful without letting them take over. A park day or picnic does not need a separate document. One or two lines in the main agreement are enough.

Give phones a job

Instead of banning phones, assign roles. One person is the photographer for the day, one checks the weather radar or map, and one picks a short playlist. Everyone else keeps devices in a bag until there is a reason to use them. Roles reduce arguments and keep useful features available.

Simple outing rules that reduce effort

Device-free blanket. Phones stay off the picnic blanket while eating, then come out for photos or games afterwards.
Check-in plan for older kids. If teens walk off with friends at a large park, agree on a meeting place, a return time and a phone check-in before they leave.
Charge before leaving. Add “charge phones the night before an outing” to the routine instead of packing several power banks. One small power bank in the picnic bag covers emergencies.
Photo consent. Ask before posting pictures of friends or family from the day, especially other people's children.
Car rules. Short trips can be screen-free, with an exception for long drives.

Adapting to weather

Weather changes how families use devices on outings. On rainy or very hot days, plans often shift indoors or end early. Agree in advance that a weather change does not automatically mean unlimited screens. For example, allow one film or game session, then a board game or card game. On bright days, screens are harder to see, which is a natural reason to leave them in the bag.

How do you adapt a family technology agreement to budgets, schedules and group needs?

A family technology agreement should match the devices, time and people your household actually has. A rule that needs extra equipment or constant supervision is unlikely to last.

Budget

Free: Use a free template, write rules on paper, and use the built-in screen time and parental control settings already on your devices.
Low cost: Add a charging basket or power strip in a shared room and a basic alarm clock for each bedroom.
Shared devices: If siblings share one tablet or laptop, the agreement can include a simple rota or sign-up sheet instead of time limits per person.

Schedules

Shift work or irregular hours: Tie rules to events, such as “after homework” or “before dinner,” instead of clock times that keep changing.
Busy school terms versus holidays: Write two short versions, one for school weeks and one for holidays and weekends.
Split households: Agree on a few shared basics between homes, such as online safety rules and overnight charging, and accept that other details may differ.

Group needs

Children with different ages: Keep household-wide rules, such as meals and bedrooms, the same, and add age-based extras for each child.
Children who rely on devices for support: Some children use devices for communication, regulation, accessibility or learning. Note these uses clearly so they are never counted as leisure screen time.
Visitors and grandparents: A short version of the house rules on the fridge helps carers and guests apply them consistently.

What does a sample family technology contract look like?

A family technology contract template can be as simple as a list of “we agree” statements with signatures underneath. Here is a sample for a family with a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old. Edit it freely.

Our Family Technology Agreement

Why we have this agreement: So we sleep well, enjoy time together and stay safe online.

We all agree to:

Keep phones in the kitchen basket during meals.
Charge all devices in the hallway overnight, adults included.
Tell a family member if anything online makes us feel uncomfortable, scared or pressured. We will not get in trouble for telling.
Ask before posting photos or videos of each other.
Be kind in messages, games and group chats.

On school days:

Leisure screen time starts after homework and chores.
Screens off one hour before bedtime.
New apps and games are checked with a parent first, and the 14-year-old can suggest apps for discussion.

On weekends and outings:

More flexible screen time, agreed on Saturday morning.
On park days, one person is the photographer and phones stay off the picnic blanket while we eat.

Parents agree to:

Not check work messages at dinner, except when on call.
Explain any parental controls we use.
Listen calmly when told about a problem online.

If a rule is broken: We talk first, then agree on a fair consequence, such as an earlier screens-off time for the next day.

We will review this agreement on: ________

Signed: ________ ________ ________ ________

How do you make a printable family technology agreement PDF?

A printable family technology agreement PDF is easy to make from any word processor or notes app. Write the agreement, then export or save it as a PDF. To keep it useful:

Fit everything on one page so it can be read at a glance.
Use a large, readable font and short bullet points.
Let younger children decorate a printed copy or add drawings. This builds ownership.
Leave space for signatures and a review date.
Keep an editable copy so updates take minutes, not a full rewrite.
Print one copy for where devices are charged and save a digital copy in a shared family folder or chat.

What should happen when the family technology agreement is broken?

When a rule in the family technology agreement is broken, a calm, predictable response works better than a sudden, large punishment. Families can include a simple sequence in the agreement:

Reminder. A friendly prompt, such as “phones in the basket, please.”
Short talk. What happened and why, without blame.
Agreed consequence. Use something already written in the agreement and related to the rule. For example, a later device start the next day for a late-night breach.
Reset. The next day is a fresh start.

Keep online safety reports separate from rule-breaking. If a child or teen tells you about a worrying message, image or contact, thank them and deal with the safety issue first. Removing devices as an automatic response can make children less likely to speak up next time.

How often should you review a family technology agreement?

Review a family technology agreement two to four weeks after starting it. After that, review it every school term or every few months, and whenever something changes. Changes that call for a review include a new phone, a birthday, a new app, a change in school schedule or a move between households.

A review can take ten minutes. Ask three questions: what is working, what is not, and what should change. Update the printable agreement, have everyone sign again if anything important changed, and put the new version back where everyone can see it. Over time, aim for fewer rules and more trust as children show they can manage their own screen time and online safety.