It’s that time of year when the weather is changing, holiday decor is appearing on the shelves and gift-giving may be on the mind. Along with connection, cheer and cups of cocoa, this season can also bring about lengthy shopping lists and overwhelming decisions. If whether or not to buy your child a smartphone is one of those choices, you are not alone!

Kids are always paying attention, absorbing the behaviors they see modeled in the world. Monkey see? Monkey do. They are internalizing our habits, practices and beliefs through our behaviors — including what we do and don’t post on social media (aka. sharenting).

With today’s smartphones, kids have the world at their fingertips, but they also have the weight of the world on their shoulders. The truth is smartphones can lead to unsafe people and places, so it’s important to consider how you plan to protect them from ending up somewhere on the internet they never intended to be.

Our FREE Babysitter Guide is a helpful tool for quickly and easily sharing important information with your caregivers, including phone numbers, activity ideas and your family’s unique tech and screentime boundaries. Print it out, fill in your information and use it as a conversation starter the next time your babysitter or family cares for your kids.