At some point, every parent has to face the fact that their child having a phone might actually be a useful way of keeping them safe and enabling them to communicate more effectively with friends and family, amongst other things. It is often not an easy decision to make, and it is made harder by worrying about their safety if they are able to have a device that connects them to the wider world.
If you are going through a similar dilemma right now and you’ve decided your child can have a phone, but you want to make sure you keep them safe, here are a few thighs you can do:
Start With the Right Phone Setup
Before you hand a device over to your child, it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are giving them the right tech to keep them safe while also meeting their needs. Often, if they are young, a dumbphone with a sim card for prepaid calls and SMS services, is a good idea because it will allow you to keep in touch with them by phone or text without them being able to get online.
If you are giving them a smartphone, then make sure you have configured it so that it has all of the relevant safety features enabled. Set up parental controls on the phone itself as well as through your wireless provider. These tools allow you to manage screen time, block inappropriate content, and approve apps before your child installs them.
Create Clear Family Rules About Phone Use
Kids thrive on structure and having clear rules, so before you hand over their phone, establish clear rules that they must follow, and let them know what the consequences will be if they break them.
Some good rules to have in place include:
- No phones at the dinner table
- No devices in bedrooms at night
- Homework comes before screen time
- Ask permission before downloading apps
It could be a good idea to put these rules in writing so that they cannot argue with them, and they can always check what they’re supposed to be doing (or not) if they are unsure.
Discuss Online Safety Early and Often
Giving your child a phone is a great opportunity to have conversations about digital safety. Explain the importance of:
- Not sharing personal information online
- Never responding to strangers’ messages
- Asking you before clicking links or accepting friend requests
- Understanding that photos and posts shared online last forever
Make sure they know they can always come to you if something online makes them uncomfortable, and that they can do so without the fear of getting into trouble.
Check Their Phone Periodically
Trust is really important, but if you have a young child, then you are going to want to make sure that they hand over their phone, at least once a week, and let you check what they have been doing on there, so you can be sure that they are only doing things that are safe and age-appropriate. You’ll need to give them more freedom as they become teens and need privacy, but if they know you can look at their phones at any point, they will be less likely to get into mischief with them.
It’s scary, but you can keep them safe and let them have the independence a phone brings, you just have to be engaged in what they’re doing!
