Criteria · First Phone
The First Phone Workbook
When first. Which second. Terms last.
The decision usually made by everyone else. Write the trigger, find the lowest rung that solves it, run six gates, score up to five devices, and write the terms before the box is opened.
What is inside
Two files. Use either one alone, or both. Most parents fill in the trigger, the shape and the terms on paper and enter the scores in the spreadsheet.
The workbook
PDF · 19 pages · print at home
- The When page. One trigger sentence, six tick boxes, and what the ticks tell you.
- The ladder. Four rungs, what each does and cannot do, and the hand-me-down warning.
- The shape. Five lines to write before you look at a device.
- Six pass or fail gates with tick boxes for five devices.
- Four criteria at two pages each. 46 rated questions with 1 to 5 circles, signs to walk away and what to check yourself.
- The terms page, a five-rule agreement with signatures, a setup checklist and the 90-day review.
The scorecard
Excel · 7 tabs · opens in Google Sheets and Numbers
- Name your devices once. They flow to every tab.
- Rung, price and monthly cost per device, checked against the ceilings you set.
- Pass/Fail dropdowns on the gates. One fail marks the device OUT everywhere.
- All 46 rated questions with 1 to 5 inputs for up to five devices.
- Weighted totals and a ranking of the devices that cleared the gates.
- A Terms tab with every ownership, replacement and exit question, the agreement and the setup checklist.
The six gates
A gate is pass or fail. One fail and the device is out. Not scored lower. Out.
The four criteria
Each carries a weight. The weights are yours to change. Change one and every total recalculates.
How it works
Seven steps. Then buy the phone.
Three of the nineteen pages
Real pages from the workbook, not mockups.
Who this is for
- Your kid has started going somewhere without you
- The group chat exists and they are not in it
- Everyone else has one and you are not sure that is a reason
- You want the rules written before the box is opened
- You want someone to name the phone to buy
- You want an argument about screens and age
- You have already bought and want validation
Questions
What do I get?
Two files, delivered instantly after checkout. A 19-page printable PDF workbook and an Excel scorecard with seven tabs. The spreadsheet opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
Does it tell me which phone to buy?
No. It is a method, not a review. It gives you the trigger test, a four-rung device ladder, six pass or fail gates, 46 questions across four weighted criteria, and a scorecard that totals up to five devices. The answer comes from your answers.
What is the right age for a first phone?
The workbook does not use age. It uses a trigger: the event or new routine that means a phone now. Write it in one sentence, and it tells you the lowest rung that solves it. For half of parents that is a watch, not a smartphone.
What are the terms?
The pages nobody does. Ownership: whose name is on the account, whether you can read messages, where it charges at night. Replacement: who pays when it breaks, the first time and the second. Exit: what earns the next rung, what loses one, and the first review date. Then a five-rule agreement, signed by both of you.
Do I need Excel?
No. The spreadsheet opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers as well as Excel. The PDF works on its own if you prefer paper. Most parents fill in the trigger, the shape and the terms on paper and enter the scores in the spreadsheet.
Can I change the weights?
Yes. The four criteria carry starting weights of five, four, four and three. They live on one tab. Change any weight and every total recalculates.
Is there a refund?
Contact us through the email on your receipt if the files do not open or you did not get what was described.
The First Phone Workbook
When first. Which second. Terms last.
A 19-page PDF and a seven-tab Excel scorecard. Instant download.
Get the workbook · $19 Not a review. Not advice. A method.
