Before we hand our kids car keys, we teach them to drive.
We don’t just hope they figure it out.
So why are we handing them smartphones — the most powerful device they’ve ever held — without teaching them how to use them?
Tech Ready is a live, research-based course for families with 5th–8th graders who are preparing for their first phone (or just got one).
The course is designed to help you move from anxiety and arguments to clarity and confidence. It is rooted in preparation, intentionality, and connection with your chid.
As a child psychologist and mom of two, I don't believe in tech panic. Instead, I believe in:
- Teaching kids how persuasive design works
- Helping kids build emotional awareness and self-regulation skills.
- Practicing real-world digital dilemmas before they happen.
- Creating shared family values around technology.
Tech Ready is for..
- Families with 5th - 8th graders
- Parents debating, "Is my child ready for a phone?"
- Kids who are asking - daily - when they can have their own device
- Families who want to take an intentional, proactive approach
If you've ever thought:
“I don’t want to give in too early.”
“I don’t even know what the right age is.”
"I want my child to have skills around tech."
Tech Ready is for you.
What Makes Tech Ready Different?
Most digital safety talks focus on what not to do. Tech Ready focuses on what to do.
We cover:
- How social media and games are designed to keep us hooked
- How to handle group chats, exclusion, and online drama
- The difference between active and passive screen time
- Digital footprints, privacy, and long-term consequences
- Mental health, comparison culture, and self-worth
- How to create a family tech agreement that actually works
Your child won’t just hear, “Be careful online.” They’ll understand why it matters — and how to think critically for themselves.
Course Structure
5 Weeks | Live | Parent + Child Together
Each week includes:
- 60 minute live session (kids + parents) + 15 minute parent-only Q + A
- 20-30 minutes of teaching per week
- Interactive activities
- Research-backed guidance for parents
- Take-home activities and conversation prompts
You’ll leave each week with practical tools that you can implement immediately.
By the End of the Course, Your Family Will:
- Have a clear, shared set of tech values
- Have a deeper understanding of digital media's effect on sleep, mental health, and productivity
- Understand persuasive tech design (and how to resist it)
- Have a written family tech agreement, including a game plan if things start to go wrong
Meet Dr. Rupa
Hi, I'm Dr. Rupa Robbins - child psychologist and mom of 2.
Two months after my oldest daughter was born, the world shut down because of Covid-19. Like many new parents, I was suddenly home all day with a newborn, trying to navigate those long stretches of feeding, rocking, and very little sleep.
And if I’m being honest… the TV was on a lot.
During contact naps, middle-of-the-night feedings, and long afternoons at home, I started wondering: Is this okay? Was my baby absorbing everything on the screen? Was I doing something harmful?
As a psychologist, I did what psychologists do — I started digging into the research on children and digital media. What I found was far more nuanced than the headlines suggested. Technology itself wasn’t the problem. What mattered was how, when, and why it was used.
And once I started researching the science of kids and technology… I never really stopped.
Today, I’m a licensed child psychologist and founder of Spark Psychology and Tech Positive Parenting. I hold a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UC Berkeley and a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford.
Tech Ready was created to give families the roadmap I will use as my own children get older. I believe that families flourish when they learn alongside one another. I can't wait to work with you and your family.