Let Kids Be Kids Pact
A pact for High Country parents to reverse phone-based childhood — together.
Individual families often feel pressure to conform — giving in to smartphones because "everyone else does." When a critical mass of parents commit to the same norms together, personal choices become social norms, and it gets a lot easier to hold the line.
By signing this pact, you're joining other Boone-area parents in four shared commitments, rooted in The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, the After Babel newsletter, and the Let Grow organization's work on childhood independence.
No smartphones before high school
Kids get a smartphone no earlier than around age 14 — reducing digital pressure and addictive technology exposure during the most vulnerable years.
No social media before age 16
Kids stay off social media until 16, protecting them from social comparison and algorithm-driven content before they're ready for it.
Support phone-free schools
We advocate together for banning smartphones during school hours, so classrooms stay classrooms.
Encourage unsupervised play and real-world independence
We give kids room for unsupervised play and independence — building resilience, social skills, and confidence.