Email Templates for friends and school leaders

Copy the text below to share it with fellow primary school parents via email

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH FRIENDS

Dear friends,

I just signed the Wait Mate pledge to delay giving my kids smartphones. The Wait Mate pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least high school (you choose year 7, 8 or 9). By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone. There are so many reasons to wait.

Many parents say “yes” to the smartphone early because so many other families have said “yes.” It's like we are trapped in a system we don't want to be part of. What if we said "not yet” together though? What difference would it make if our kids had a few more years smartphone free? The mounting evidence suggests the difference to their mental health and wellbeing would be significant.

Please note that this pledge is for smartphones only. If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts, you still can sign the pledge! The basic phone avoids many of the distractions and potential dangers of the smartphone. There are several basic phones here. A pledge becomes "active" once 10 or more families from a cohort at a school sign. The founders designed the pledge this way so you don't have to fear "what if I am the only parent that signs this in my kid's year?" This takes the pressure off because the pledge only kicks in once at least 10 families sign from your grade - at which point there is strength in numbers to wait it out together.

Parents from more than 600 schools across the country have already signed (and it’s only been live since June). Plus, many parents have signed from our school. Will you join us? To learn more and sign the pledge, please visit waitmate.org.au or check out @wait.mate on instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

If you're into it, join me, sign the pledge and forward this email on to other parents! If you're not interested, no worries at all. I totally understand. If you are on the fence, I encourage you to read The Anxious Generation book by Jonathan Haidt.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL - SECONDARY

Dear [Head of School],

I hope this message finds you well! I’m writing to discuss the impact of smartphones on our children today, especially the children at [Insert school here].

We genuinely appreciate all the hard work you and your staff do to educate our children. While we recognise that parents ultimately purchase smartphones, we believe you have an important role in helping us navigate this significant issue together.

As [insert school] parents, we’ve joined a grassroots movement called Wait Mate, which encourages us to delay giving smartphones to our kids until at least high school. We feel that the primary reason children want smartphones is that their friends have them, and social exclusion is very real for the kids without. A simple phone is all they really need to stay in touch with us and ensure their safety. We know that smartphones are addictive and take children away from crucial childhood experiences, such as distraction-free learning, physical activity and even boredom. Research shows they can affect brain development, self-esteem, and mental health. We don’t want parents to have to choose between a socially isolated child and handing them an addictive device, linked to an unprecedented rise in mental health concerns for teens internationally.

We appreciate that most Australian schools don’t allow smartphone use in class. However, we believe that without increased restrictions on smartphone use both at school and home, we may be heading for more significant challenges. Even their presence in a child's bag presents a constant urge to check what's been missed.

The risks associated with smartphones have become clear, and we believe it’s time to rethink our approach.

We have a few friendly requests:

Could you consider a rule requiring phones to be stored in lockers or locked pouches during school hours or handed to teachers at the beginning of the day and returned at the end?
Encourage parents to explore alternatives to smartphones and support the Wait Mate pledge in official school communications.
Help urge parents to delay smartphone purchases until their children are in high school (the later the better) and not allow social media until 16 (currently in discussion at a legal level with bipartisan support). Additionally, promoting the enforcement of the legal age of 16 for social media could be beneficial.
Hosting an event at our school to explore these topics with relevant experts.

We believe that taking these steps could have an immediate positive impact on student wellbeing. By working together, we can create a supportive environment that benefits everyone.

We’re looking forward to discussing this with you and hope to arrange a meeting soon.

Thank you for considering our suggestions!

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL - PRIMARY

Dear [X],

We are reaching out to discuss the impact of smartphones on children today, especially those at our school. Parents at [SCHOOL] have recently joined a grassroots initiative called Wait Mate, launched in Australia in June 2024. This movement is sparking a national dialogue about the appropriate age for children to receive smartphones.

While technology brings many benefits, it can be challenging to navigate its use during this vital stage of pre-teen development. Research indicates a concerning link between the age a child gets their first smartphone and mental health issues in young adulthood. The negative effects of excessive smartphone use are well-documented, including lowered self-esteem, disrupted learning, bullying, grooming, and addiction. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, highlights the significant consequences of shifting from a play-based to a phone-based childhood.

We truly appreciate the challenges schools face and are thankful for the dedication you and your staff show in educating our children. Although it is ultimately parents who decide to buy smartphones, we would greatly value your support in raising awareness about this pressing issue, as your involvement is essential in helping us navigate this rapidly changing landscape.

To start, we would love to arrange a meeting with you to discuss how we can unite parents on this matter. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Sharing the Wait Mate website with parents to stress the importance of collective action for our children’s wellbeing in official school communications.
Working together to host an evening for parents to address the risks associated with smartphone use in adolescence and to discuss potential alternative norms for our children. We would be glad to help organise this event with your support. This may include a psychologist / wellbeing expert to explain the research and reasons to delay, plus the Wait Mate founders (in person or online).
Exploring new guidelines suggesting that students at [INSERT SCHOOL NAME] refrain from using smartphones, even outside school hours.
Encouraging parents to consider simpler devices, like basic phones or watches, for staying in touch with their children while reducing smartphone dependency.

Your support would significantly impact our efforts to address this important issue in our community and help change the norm regarding when children receive smartphones. We look forward to collaborating with you and hope to set up a meeting soon.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

Copy the text below to share it with fellow primary school parents via email

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH FRIENDS

Dear friends,

Many parents say “yes” to the smartphone early because so many other families have said “yes.” What if we said "not yet” together though? What difference would it make if our kids had a few more years smartphone free?

Please note that this pledge is for smartphones only. If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts, you still can sign the pledge! The basic phone avoids many of the distractions and potential dangers of the smartphone. There are several basic phones here. A pledge becomes "active" once 10 or more families from a cohort at a school sign. The founders designed the pledge this way so you don't have to fear "what if I am the only parent that signs this in my kid's grade." This takes the pressure off because the pledge only kicks in once at least 10 families sign from your grade - at which point there is strength in numbers to wait it out together.

Parents from more than 500 schools across the country have already signed (and it’s only been live a month). Plus, many parents have signed from our school. Will you join us? To learn more and sign the pledge, please visit waitmate.org.au or check out @wait.mate on instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL - SECONDARY

Dear [Head of School],

I hope this message finds you well! I’m writing to discuss the impact of smartphones on our children today, especially the children at [Insert school here]..

As [insert school] parents, we’ve joined a grassroots movement called Wait Mate, which encourages us to delay giving smartphones to our kids until at least high school. We feel that the primary reason children want smartphones is that their friends have them, and social exclusion is very real for the kids without. A simple phone is all they really need to stay in touch with us and ensure their safety. We know that smartphones can affect brain development, self-esteem, and mental health, often limiting kids' opportunities to play outside or connect face-to-face. We don’t want parents to have to choose between a socially isolated child and handing an addictive device, linked to an unprecedented rise in mental health concerns for teens internationally.

The risks associated with smartphones have become clear, and we believe it’s time to rethink our approach.

We have a few friendly requests:

Could you consider a rule requiring phones to be stored in lockers during school hours or handed to teachers at the beginning of the day and returned at the end?
Encourage parents to explore alternatives to smartphones and support the Wait Mate pledge in official school communications.
Help urge parents to delay smartphone purchases until their children are in high school (the later the better) and not allow social media until 16 (currently in discussion at a legal level with bipartisan support). Additionally, promoting the enforcement of the legal age of 16 for social media could be beneficial.
Hosting an event at our school to explore these topics with relevant experts.

We believe that taking these steps could have an immediate positive impact on student wellbeing. By working together, we can create a supportive environment that benefits everyone.

We’re looking forward to discussing this with you and hope to arrange a meeting soon.

Thank you for considering our suggestions!

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH HEAD OF SCHOOL - PRIMARY

Dear [X],

While technology brings many benefits, it can be challenging to navigate its use during this vital stage of pre-teen development. Research indicates a concerning link between the age a child gets their first smartphone and mental health issues in young adulthood. The negative effects of excessive smartphone use are well-documented, including lowered self-esteem, disrupted learning, bullying, grooming, and addiction. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s article highlights the significant consequences of shifting from a play-based to a phone-based childhood.

To start, we would love to arrange a meeting with you to discuss how we can unite parents on this matter. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Sharing the Wait Mate website with parents to stress the importance of collective action for our children’s wellbeing.
Signing the Wait Mate pledge and encouraging others to participate.
Working together to host an evening for parents to address the risks associated with smartphone use in adolescence and to discuss potential alternative norms for our children. We would be glad to help organize this event with your support.
Exploring new guidelines suggesting that students at [INSERT SCHOOL NAME] refrain from using smartphones, even outside school hours.
Encouraging parents to consider simpler devices, like basic phones or watches, for staying in touch with their children while reducing smartphone dependency.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]