In today’s technology driven society kids are getting cell phones earlier than ever before. On one hand, you’re probably feeling good about being able to get a hold of you child at any time. However, this benefit also comes with risks. Your child now has a piece of technology in their pocket and can be exposed to things that are not safe for children.
Use these tips to keep your child safe and help put your mind at ease.
Kids First Phone: How to Keep Your Child Safe
Set Ground Rules: No matter how old your child is there needs to be ground rules set up right away! Parents need to be very clear about what is and isn’t acceptable cell phone behavior. Don’t assume your child knows, lay it all out on the table! You should also let your child know up front what the consequences are if they don’t follow the rules.
After Hours Rule: You’ve probably heard the phrase “Nothing good happens after midnight” well this same phrase should apply in your home. Set up a no more cell phone time. Once that time hits, take the cell phone away till the following day. The phone should not stay in the child’s room overnight. Way too many temptations!
Use Your Providers Parental Features: Most cell phone providers have several parental control features available. Log into your cell phone account or call your cell phone provider to go over the parental control options. Some of the common features are setting time limits, shutting off the phone anytime you’d like and being able to easily track your child via GPS. The GPS is a great feature should your child ever go missing. (Hopefully a feature none of ever need)
Control App Downloads: One of the downfalls of giving a child a cell phone is the amount of apps available in the app store. There are some very fun apps for children, but there are also ones I would never want my child to get his or her’s eyes on. Most phones require you to put in a password before you download an app. The parent should set this password up and not give it to the child. This will allow you to have full control over what apps your child has access to.
Explain the Consequences of Social Media: This probably won’t apply to younger children but if your giving a cell phone to a pre-teen or teen then you need to go over the consequences of social media. Children need to understand that what they put on social media can haunt them for the rest of their lives. Teens don’t often realize the effect social media can have on their life but as parents, it’s our job to really try and drive this home.
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