Why we exist
Wait Mate is built on the belief that childhood should be shaped by people, experiences and real-world connection before smartphones. And that parents have more power than they realise to make this happen.
Average time teenagers spend on smartphones each day.
5.5+ hrs
Percentage of kids who say they're almost always online
45%
Average smartphone notifications young people get each day.
237+
Good question
Wait Mate is a parent-driven movement. We hold our sessions at schools because real change happens when parents in the same community act together. Success starts with a school leader who backs the program and encourages parents and carers to attend.
Sessions are free, in person and run entirely by Wait Mate. Most sessions are open to families from nearby schools too, though occasionally a larger school fills the hall with its own families only. The host school provides the space and helps spread the word. Wait Mate looks after everything else. If your session is held at a nearby school, all parents and carers are warmly invited to attend. Every family is welcome, no matter which school they're from.
Wait Mate parent sessions are free, and there's no pressure to come or join. But the more parents in the room, the more chance we have of changing what's normal. So we'd love to see you there! Primary school bookings open in Term 3, 2026. High school bookings will follow in Term 3, 2027. Sessions are for parents of both younger and older kids.
Wait Mate grows when parents get behind it - please book a seat at one of our parent sessions. Ready to commit to waiting on a smartphone before the session? You can join the movement for your own children right away. Then help it grow: visit our resources hub, share Wait Mate with other parents, and have conversations at the school gate and on the sporting sidelines. Every shift helps make waiting normal for children across South Australia.
We'd love to run a session at every school, but it is more practical to group schools that are near each other, with one school hosting. Every parent in the group is warmly invited, including families in regional and remote areas.
Coming together like this has its own rewards. Parents from nearby schools already see each other at sport and local activities, and there's something powerful about a room full of parents facing the same questions you are. For small and regional schools, it also means enough parents in the room to change what's normal, something no school could do alone.
That's most of us. The session covers what we're seeing with kids and smartphones, what research is telling us, and how other families are approaching it. If you join the movement, you can choose "still deciding" for when to wait until and update it later.
You belong in the room too. The session includes helpful information for families who've already made that decision.
Parents with older kids say the smartphone question sneaks up fast. Joining early means you won't be working it out alone when the time comes. You can join the movement as soon as your child is in school and before that, sign up to our database to stay in the loop.
You're welcome at any session in your area. Search for your school above to see all the sessions near you.
No. We focus on smartphones because they're portable, always on hand, and usually belong to the child. That makes them the hardest piece of tech to manage. Devices like iPads and laptops have their place, and once you're connected with other Wait Mate families, you have a community to talk through the rest with.
The Premier’s letter of support
On 10 December 2025, the South Australian Government announced support for Wait Mate to help make the movement available to all parents of primary and high school students across the state.
Dear Parent / Caregiver,
Last year, the South Australian Government released a report outlining our plan to implement a social media ban for children in South Australia – and made the case for national adoption.
Now, the Federal Government’s world-leading, nationwide social media ban for under 16s commences. Social media platforms are now required to prevent those under 16 years from holding an account - with the responsibility on the companies, not parents, to comply with the law.
As with any major reform, things will not go perfectly, and not all issues will be solved overnight. However, the world-leading laws are a huge step toward creating a safer online environment for our young people. Having led the world on the ban - and implemented our comprehensive phone ban in schools - the State Government will now make the Wait Mate program available to every public and private school in the state.
Wait Mate is designed to reduce smartphone use among children to reshape social norms around early phone adoption. The program empowers parents to unite, delay smartphone introduction, and support each other through shared commitment.
Supported by resources, presentations, and an online pledge system, parents commit to encouraging their children to wait. Once ten families from the same year level at a school have committed, a local email community is unlocked to help them stay connected and reduce peer pressure for phones at school.
State Government funding will provide the opportunity for Wait Mate to present to parents at all South Australian primary schools during 2026-27, and all high schools during 2027-28.
Peter Malinauskas PREMIER