Ok parents,
It’s Christmas afternoon. The living room is still a disaster. It looks like Hallmark threw up with tinsel, ribbons, boxes, and wrapping paper strewn all over the place. You’ve been sitting on the couch basking in that “I’M THE BEST PARENT EVER” glow, patting yourself on the back for getting your kid the thing every kid wants… A new iPhone!
They’ve deserved it. They made good decisions this semester. They were good to their little brother, brought home decent grades, and you’ve really gone back and forth with pulling the trigger on finally getting them their own iPhone. Good on you.
Except one thing… it isn’t their iPhone.
You’re Mom. You’re Dad. It is YOUR iPhone that YOU are allowing them to use. Your responsibility to them didn’t end when they flashed you that smile, hugged you tight, and put in those white earbuds and ran upstairs to set it up.
An iPhone (or any smartphone/iDevice) is a powerful tool and a huge responsibility – for both your child and for you.
Do you know how it works?
Do you know what content they have access too?
Which apps they are loading on to it, right now?
Will you keep tabs on what they are viewing, listening to, and sharing with their friends?
If it is primarily for music (an iTouch), how much access do you want them to have online?
Have you given them some expectations, limits, or guidelines?
You are the parent. You are ridiculously in charge! Don’t make excuses like, “I don’t do technology.” & “I don’t want to cramp their privacy.”
If you don’t show them how to use it properly – with wisdom, discretion, and responsibility – I promise you, someone else will show them how to use it any which way but loose.
So, check out the articles that I’ve linked below and get familiar with the amazing, powerful, potentially great, potentially dangerous device you just handed your pre-teen.
Sit them down and work with them on setting it up, laying expectations out, and, if YOU decide, enable restrictions and forbid certain content from being installed or viewed.
It could get a little uncomfortable for you. Warning: You will sound like your own parents at some point during this discussion. It. Will. Be. OK. I promise.
You’re the parent. It isn’t their iPhone. It is YOURS.
You call the shots. You are ridiculously in charge.
Apple’s Built in Parental Controls
Parental Controls in 2min Video
Keep Your Child Safe on the iPod Touch
The Complete Guide to Transferring your Content to a new iPod touch
To My 13-Year-Old, An iPhone Contract From Your Mom, With Love
Example of a Social Media Contract