“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller.
We have a big favour to ask - we really need your help to amplify the Wait Mate movement by sharing it with fellow parents - details below.
Wait Mate is a grassroots, parent-driven initiative that is all about collective action and strength in numbers in school communities. As a not-for-profit, we rely on word of mouth to spread our message and so far this has been so powerful!
BUT there’s loads more work to do and it’s on all of us to work together to change the social norms around smartphones and when children get them. The data is clear. The time is now. Every message and conversation counts!
If we work together with collective action to delay smartphones, we have the power to make significant and positive changes to the lives of our children. Could there be anything more meaningful to spend a minute on today?
1. Share via WhatsApp, SMS or Email
Copy the text below to share it with fellow primary school parents, via school WhatsApp groups, sporting clubs or other relevant communities you may be part of where primary school parents can be reached. Feel free to personalise it.
Option 1:
📣 Join me in signing the Wait Mate pledge and be part of the movement that’s empowering parents to hit pause on smartphones until at least high school. Let’s give our kids their childhood’s back and help to change the disturbing mental health trends for our future teens. We are stronger together on this issue. Check out waitmate.org.au for more info. Let’s do this! 💪
Option 2:
Have you signed the pledge to hit pause ❌ on smartphones until (at least) high school? If we take collective action we can remove the social pressure to own a smartphone. Let's give our kids the gift of a nourishing childhood until their brains are more ready to deal with an addictive device in their pockets. Visit waitmate.org.au to take action!
2. Share via social media
Click on one of the images at the bottom of this page and save it to your computer or camera roll to share on your personal social media channels as a post or story, such as Instagram (@wait.mate), Facebook (Wait Mate), LinkedIn (Wait Mate) or X. Don’t forget to tag us so we can re-share!
3. Share via email
Copy the text below to share it with fellow primary school parents via email. You can also use any of the images below
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.” 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.
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,
