Wait Mate started with a group of parents asking the same question many families are asking: does a smartphone really need to be part of childhood this early? The more we talked, the more we realised we weren’t alone. Inspired by Wait Until 8th in the USA, we created an Australian not-for-profit movement to help parents and carers wait as long as possible before giving their kids a smartphone. By connecting families in the same school year group, the pressure no longer sits with one parent or one child.
We believe childhood should be shaped by real people, real experiences and real-world connection before smartphones. Waiting will look different for every family. Our role is to make it easier to do together. Wait Mate Foundation Limited is a not-for-profit registered with the ACNC.
The people behind Wait Mate
Wait Mate has five Australian parent co-founders.
Meet Jessica, our social impact leader, who now chairs our board. Inspired by Wait until 8th in the US, she had the vision to create a similar movement in Australia. Jess’s favourite phone-free childhood memory is… playing with her brother and having fun family holidays.
Meet Ricky, our tech whizz, who together with our amazing partners at Made Together, helped bring the Wait Mate platform to life and serves as a Board Director. Ricky’s favourite phone-free childhood memory is… playing endless hours of sport with his brothers and friends in the backyard until it was too dark to see anymore.
Meet Amy, our superstar Director of Marketing & Communications, who manages our digital strategy, content and social media to help spread the word to parents across Australia. Amy’s favourite phone-free childhood memory is… playing imaginary games from shops to schools with her little brother and making up solo dances to CD tracks after school.
Meet Daniel, our legal and finance guru, who looks after our charity compliance, privacy obligations and governance, and serves as a Board Director. Daniel’s favourite phone-free childhood memory is… playing with his remote control cars and planes.
Meet Davina, who helped with our school presentations and partnerships. Davina’s favourite phone-free childhood memory is… playing hide and seek with local neighbours along the streets and river banks of the Yarra in Kew, Victoria.
Meet our team in South Australia
Meet Emily, our Director, SA, who worked with the South Australian Government to fund and launch Wait Mate in the state, and now builds the partnerships that get the program into the hands of SA families. Emily's favourite phone-free childhood memory is… riding her BMX bike and remembering the freedom and adventure that came with it.
Meet Sue, our Program Lead, SA, who is building the first state-wide model for Wait Mate, so it reaches every parent from the Adelaide suburbs to the far regions. Sue's favourite phone-free childhood memory is… climbing trees and exploring the neighbourhood with friends.
Meet Jess, our Program Coordinator, SA, who gets Wait Mate into schools, from the first conversation with a principal through to a hall full of parents on the night. Jess's favourite phone-free childhood memory is… making fashion parades with her sisters out of their mums wardrobe.
Please contact us if you’d like to make a tax deductible donation to support the movement.