> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://devicedaddy.mymagic.page/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to make a family tech plan: map your household's devices and apps on one sheet - URL: https://devicedaddy.mymagic.page/family-plan-one-sheet/ - Published: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Description: A one-sheet template to map every device and app in your home, tick off account, content, contact, spending and time, and agree house rules together. - Author: Philip Nixon - Tags: Guides, Family plan, #Import 2026-11-09 16:05 ✅ **Verified:** Last checked on **Monday 5 October 2026** against Internet Matters' **screen time advice and Family Agreement guidance**, the NSPCC's **"Talking to your child about online safety"**, GOV.UK's **screen time guidance for under-5s** (26 March 2026), GOV.UK's announcement on **screen use guidance for 5–16s** (8 June 2026) and GOV.UK's **under-16 social media ban** announcement (15 June 2026). Platform details link out to the matching DeviceDaddy guides, each with its own ✅ stamp. *Note: this is a planning template, not a menu-by-menu guide. We checked the UK guidance against the sources' current written pages. The device steps live in the individual DeviceDaddy guides, which we checked against official written instructions but haven't all device-tested for this edition.* **⏱ Time to complete:** about 30–45 minutes for the first version (then 10 minutes each term) **🔧 Difficulty:** **Easy.** No settings menus. Just a pen, a cup of tea and (ideally) your children. --- ## The short version (for very busy parents) 1. **List every screen** in the house (phones, tablets, consoles, laptops, smart TVs, Steam Decks…) and who uses each one. 2. **List the main apps and games** each child uses. 3. For each one, tick off the **four basics**: account, content, contact, spending (plus time). 4. Link each item to the **DeviceDaddy guide** that sets it up, and do the most important ones first. 5. **Agree the house rules together** and put the sheet on the fridge. Review it every school term and on birthdays. --- ## What you'll need - This page printed out, or a copy of the template below in a notes app or spreadsheet. - Your children's **devices to hand**, so you can check which apps they really use. - Your own passwords for **Apple / Google / Microsoft / PlayStation / Nintendo / Steam** family accounts. - **30–45 minutes**, with the children for at least part of it. --- ## Step-by-step ### Step 1: Map every screen in the house Walk round the house (don't forget the car, grandparents' house and old devices in drawers). Fill in one row per device. | Device | Who uses it | Where it lives | Whose account is on it? | Family controls set? | DeviceDaddy guide | | -------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------- | | *e.g. iPad* | *Sam (9)* | *Living room* | *Sam's Child Account* | ☐ | iPhone & iPad Screen Time | | *e.g. Android phone* | *Ellie (13)* | *Her bedroom (charges in kitchen at night)* | *Ellie's supervised Google Account* | ☐ | Android Family Link | | *e.g. PS5* | *Both* | *Living room* | *Each child's PSN account* | ☐ | PlayStation 5 Family Management | | *e.g. Steam Deck* | *Ellie* | *Anywhere* | *Ellie's Steam account* | ☐ | Steam & Steam Deck | | | | | | ☐ | | \[Screenshot: a filled-in example device map on a fridge\] 💡 **Tip:** The single most important column is **"Whose account is on it?"** Almost every parental control follows the **child's own account**. If a child is signed in as you, none of the controls apply. --- ### Step 2: List the apps and games each child uses Ask each child to show you their home screen and recently played games. Note the ones they use most. | App or game | Child | Age rating / minimum age | Chat with strangers possible? | Real-money spending? | DeviceDaddy guide | | --------------- | ------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------- | | *e.g. Roblox* | *Sam* | *Varies by experience* | *Yes — limit in settings* | *Robux* | Roblox parental controls | | *e.g. Fortnite* | *Sam* | *PEGI 12* | *Yes* | *V-Bucks* | Fortnite parental controls | | *e.g. TikTok* | *Ellie* | *13+* | *Yes* | *Coins/gifts* | TikTok Family Pairing | | | | | | | | ⚠️ **Check the age first.** Call of Duty, Warzone and GTA Online are **PEGI 18**. Most social media apps have a **minimum age of 13**. The government announced on **15 June 2026** that social media platforms will be **banned from offering accounts to under-16s**, expected to come into force in **spring 2027** — it isn't law yet, but it's worth planning for. 💡 **Ratings aren't the whole story.** Apple says even **4+** apps can include **chat** and **user-generated content**. See our App Store & Google Play age ratings guide. --- ### Step 3: Tick the four basics for each device and app For every row in Steps 1 and 2, check: - ☐ **Account** — the child has **their own account**, linked to **your parent/family account**, with a correct date of birth. - ☐ **Content** — an **age rating** filter is set (PEGI, App Store or Play rating). - ☐ **Contact** — chat, friend requests and voice are limited (**Friends only** or **Off** for younger children). - ☐ **Spending** — purchases need your approval, or the limit is **£0**, and **your card isn't saved** on their account. - ☐ **Time** — a daily limit or schedule is set, if you've agreed one (see Step 5). **Where to set it — DeviceDaddy guides:** | Area | Guide | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 📱 iPhone / iPad | *iPhone & iPad Screen Time* — **\[link to add\]** | | 📱 Android | *Android & Google Family Link* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🛒 App stores | *App Store & Google Play age ratings* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🎮 PlayStation | *PlayStation 5 Family Management* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🎮 Xbox / Windows | *Xbox Family Settings* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🎮 Nintendo | *Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 parental controls* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🎮 PC / Steam Deck | *Steam & Steam Deck parental controls* — **\[link to add\]** | | 🎮 Games | *Roblox*, *Fortnite*, *Minecraft family multiplayer*, *Call of Duty & Warzone*, *GTA Online* — **\[links to add\]** | | 💬 Social & messaging | *TikTok Family Pairing*, *Snapchat Family Centre*, *Instagram supervision*, *WhatsApp privacy settings* — **\[links to add\]** | | 📺 TV & streaming | *YouTube supervised accounts*, *Netflix*, *Disney+*, *Amazon Prime Video* — **\[links to add\]** | --- ### Step 4: Pick your top three to do this week You don't have to do everything tonight. Start with whatever has: 1. **Contact with strangers** (online games with voice chat, social apps). 2. **A saved payment card.** 3. **The youngest child.** Write them here: 1. --- 2. --- 3. --- --- ### Step 5: Agree the house rules together Internet Matters suggests creating a **Family Agreement** with your child and the whole household that sets out **when, where and for how long** everyone uses devices — **including adults and older siblings**. The NSPCC says involving children in setting boundaries helps them feel heard and makes them more likely to stick to the rules. **Our house rules** (fill in together): - 🕗 **When:** Screens off at ***\_*\_ on school nights,** \_\_\_\_ at weekends. - 🏠 **Where:** Devices are used in ***\_*\_. Phones charge overnight in** \_\_\_\_ (Internet Matters suggests the kitchen). - ⏱ **How long:** ***\_*\_ on school days,** \_\_\_\_ at weekends. (For **2–5-year-olds**, government guidance is **no more than one hour a day**, avoiding mealtimes and the hour before bed.) - 🍽 **Screen-free times:** meals, ***\_*\_,** \_\_\_\_. - 💷 **Spending:** \_\_\_\_\_\_ a month, always with a grown-up's OK. - 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 **Who we talk to:** only people we know in real life, unless \_\_\_\_\_\_. - 🆘 **If something goes wrong:** tell \_\_\_\_\_\_. You **won't be in trouble** for telling us. - 👀 **Grown-ups promise to:** \_\_\_\_\_\_ (for example: phones away at dinner too). 💡 **Tip:** Parent Zone advises **not using screen bans as a punishment**, because it turns conversations into conflict. The NSPCC adds that young people often say banning technology altogether **feels like a punishment**. Keep consequences separate from safety, so children still come to you when something goes wrong. --- ### Step 6: Put it somewhere visible and set review dates - Stick the sheet on the fridge or pin it in the family chat. - **Review dates:** start of each school term, each child's birthday, and whenever a new device or game arrives. | Review date | Who was there | What changed | | ----------- | ------------- | ------------ | | | | | | | | | --- ## Keep it working - **New device = new row.** Christmas and birthdays are when plans fall apart. Set up controls **before** wrapping a new console or phone. - **Second accounts:** if a child makes a new account (on a friend's console, say), none of your controls follow it. Ask about it calmly. - **Loosen as they grow.** Plan steps they can earn ("at 12 you can have friends-only voice chat"). The government's Kids Online Safety site notes this gives children a goal to work towards. - **Watch for government updates.** GOV.UK said in June 2026 that guidance on **screen use for 5–16-year-olds** will be published **this autumn**. We'll update this sheet when it's out. - **Worried about contact from someone?** Report it to **CEOP** (ceop.police.uk). Adults can call the **NSPCC Helpline** on **0808 800 5000**. Children can call **Childline** on **0800 1111**. --- ## Related guides (links to follow) - 💬 *How to talk to your child about screens* — **\[link to add\]** - 📱 *iPhone & iPad Screen Time* — **\[link to add\]** - 📱 *Android & Google Family Link* — **\[link to add\]** - 🛒 *App Store & Google Play age ratings* — **\[link to add\]** --- 🔁 **Spotted a change? Tell us.** If something here is out of date, **\[report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here\]**. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked. --- ### Sources (checked 5 October 2026) - Internet Matters: Managing children's screen time — [https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/screen-time/protect-your-child/](https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/screen-time/protect-your-child/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Internet Matters: Digital Family Agreement template — [https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/digital-family-agreement-template/](https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/digital-family-agreement-template/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - NSPCC: Talking to your child about online safety — [https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/](https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Parent Zone: Talking to your child about screens: do's and don'ts — [https://parentzone.org.uk/article/talking-your-child-about-screens-dos-and-donts](https://parentzone.org.uk/article/talking-your-child-about-screens-dos-and-donts?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - GOV.UK: New screen time guidance for parents of under-5s (26 March 2026) — [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-screen-time-guidance-for-parents-of-under-5s](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-screen-time-guidance-for-parents-of-under-5s?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - GOV.UK: New guidance on screen use for children aged 5–16 (8 June 2026) — [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/newguidance-on-screen-use-for-children-aged-5-16](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/newguidance-on-screen-use-for-children-aged-5-16?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - GOV.UK: Social media to be banned for under-16s (15 June 2026) — [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-media-to-be-banned-for-under-16s-in-landmark-government-move-to-givekids-their-childhood-back](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-media-to-be-banned-for-under-16s-in-landmark-government-move-to-givekids-their-childhood-back?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Kids Online Safety (GOV.UK campaign): How to talk to your child about being safe online — [https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-being-safe-online/](https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-being-safe-online/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Apple Developer: Age ratings values and definitions — [https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/age-ratings-values-and-definitions/](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/age-ratings-values-and-definitions/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page)