.svg)
When is your child ready for their first phone or watch—and how do you make that transition without handing over too much, too soon?
In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist Dr. Carrie Mackensen and Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies for a very real conversation about giving our kids their first devices.
We talk about the iPad that often comes before the first phone, why “educational” screen time isn’t necessarily harmless, and how devices can quietly become a crutch for both kids and parents.
I also get personal about my own daughter and her Bark Watch—and whether being able to reach me when she feels uncomfortable might actually be keeping her from developing confidence and independence. Dr. Carrie has some powerful advice for parents navigating that exact tension.
We also tackle the questions parents are asking right now: Bark Watch vs. Apple Watch. Bark Phone vs. iPhone. How much should we monitor? Should we track our kids? What happens when co-parents have completely different tech rules? And what do you do when your child desperately wants the same smartphone all their friends have?
Most importantly, we talk about how to introduce a device as a tool—not a portal to the internet—and how to protect the parent-child relationship as our kids gain more independence.
Because there is no perfect age or one-size-fits-all answer. But there is a way to be thoughtful about this transition—and to give our kids the tools they need without giving them more technology than they’re ready to handle.
⭐️ Phone Agreement Template from Dr. Carrie
When it's time for your child to have a device, please choose the safest option for kids -- a Bark device:
.png)
