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Your Child’s First Smartphone Is Also an Opportunity to Teach Them About Money

On Jan. 11, 2026, The Canadian Press published guidance urging parents to teach money skills when giving first smartphones, as experts said parents must set device guardrails since phones can make spending easy or invisible.
Because phones create both visible and hidden costs, smartphones carry obvious charges like the device and plan, plus hidden fees like in-app purchases, so experts recommend teaching children around 13 or 14 about data overages and roaming to avoid hefty bills.
Before handing over devices, parents should disable in-app purchases, use Mydoh and chores to teach savings, and check in weekly, gradually shifting phone-bill responsibility to older teenagers.
Family conversations often arise when Boisvert's 11-year-old daughter requests in-app purchases, and advocates like Margot Denomme say parents can impose provisions since they own the device.
The narrative is shifting toward caution, with several school boards banning cellphones in classrooms in some provinces in 2024 and growing calls to limit social media for under‑16s.

Insights by Ground AI