It's 100 percent your right to check their devices,” said Bill Wiltse, President of
When you give a kid a device will determine how long a parent is going to be monitoring them, though not all parents agree on when they should give up control. As we showed in our previous survey coverage, parents tend to agree that they have to monitor kids up to about age 10.
Reading your child's text messages is not that different than eavesdropping or reading their diary.” She advises parents to stay in their lane by steering clear of needless snooping, whether trying to find out what your kids are saying or who they are hanging out with.
So, should you check your child's phone? Yes. However, you need to talk to your child first and come up with a set of rules together before you starting taking their phones off of them to snoop through.
If you feel justified in reading them, you ought to be willing to be upfront with your child about what they're doing. Wanting to keep your child safe and have the information you need about their lives to provide guidance is a fair reason for reading text messages – if that's what you want to do, just say so.
Reading your kid's texts is part of responsible parenting. But there's only one scenario (described below) where we think it's OK to do it without telling your kid. Most kids view their phones as their personal property, and it can become a proxy for their blossoming independence. So don't sneak.
Bark not only helps keep kids physically safe — it can also help keep them emotionally healthy. As kids spend more and more time deep in their devices, they may not be communicating to parents how they're actually feeling or what struggles they're facing.
That's because screens and sleep do not mix. The light emitted by the typical screen inhibits the production of melatonin in our brains. Melatonin is the chemical that allows us to fall and stay asleep. In other words, a screen is like a wake up call for our brains.
Responsible parents must protect kids from potential harm. Monitoring your children's phone activities and messages is a significant part of that responsibility.
Giving your child time and privacy to think and explore is an important part of supporting their growing independence. That's because part of growing up is learning to handle new ideas, emotions and interests with independence and responsibility.
Stay Calm. If you find something troubling on your teen's smartphone or tablet, start by approaching them in a nonjudgmental way. Ask about it and then listen to their answer. Remember, your teen might be just as troubled as you are by what you found.
The posting of pictures online should be monitored to control for sexting and other explicit sexual behaviors. Words and behaviors online that evoke harsh responses or unflattering images can damage self-esteem. The main reasons for not monitoring your teens social media activities are privacy and trust.
To fix this, on one of the phones go to Settings>Messages>Send & Receive, tap the ID, sign out, then sign back in with a different ID. Or, on both your phone and your mom's phone, go to Settings>Messages>Send & Receive and uncheck the email address shown under "You can be reached by iMessage at".
Taking away a teen's phone interferes with their social life, which can drive a wedge between parent and teen. It's helpful to make the punishment related to the misbehavior, so taking away your teen's phone for a misbehavior like breaking curfew doesn't usually make sense.
Google Family Link is a setup account created by Google. It is designed to help parents monitor all digital activities their children are involved in. It helps you track your child's Android phone for free, and as such, It could be used to track your children's online activities without them knowing.
Use parental controls
At the ages of 11-12 children still require supervision. Using parental controls ensures that you can monitor their behavior, block harmful and inappropriate sites and content, monitor their location and enforce your cell phone rules with additional technology and support.
Half (50%) of parents of 13- to 14-year-olds say they look at their teen's phone call records or messages, similar to the 47% of parents of 15- to 17-year-olds who engage in this behavior.
You can say something like: “I'm not going to interfere with your privacy, because you're doing so well. I have no reason not to trust you.”
Teens (14-17 years):
0-2 years old: should go to sleep between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. 3-5 years old: should go to sleep between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 6-12 years old: should go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. 13-18 years old: should go to sleep around 10:00 pm.
It's this nightly production of melatonin that enables us to fall asleep. The bottom line: When parents take away teens' cell phones at night, they're helping to ensure this natural sleep process can occur, so their teenager can get a decent's night rest.
What is the ideal age for a first phone? Your children could be ready for a smartphone or similar device anywhere from 10 to 14, or during middle school. A sixth-grader (typically 10 to 11 years old) could be a good start for considering a phone or a wearable.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding screens for children younger than 18 to 24 months, except when video chatting with family. The AAP also recommends limiting screen use for preschool children, ages 2 to 5, to just one hour a day of high-quality programming (think Sesame Street or PBS).
However, both moms and dads have similar opinions on the topic: Moms and dads each say safety is the main reason parents allow their kids to have cell phones (91% and 89%), in addition to the peace of mind that having their child carry a cell phone brings (85% for both moms and dads).