Children seem to be getting younger and younger for when they end up with a phone or other sorts of technology. While laptops and tablets can be beneficial for education and homework, a mobile phone can often feel like a big step for any parent to overcome. While technology is a big part of our lives these days, it is also important for you to try and make sure you keep your children safe online and when using technology. So how can you do that? Here are some of the things to think about.
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Using the phone when it comes to location
One advantage of giving your child a phone is there being a constant connection with them, and while you can’t always be talking to them, you can use tracking applications that can help you to determine their whereabouts. There are some ideas for the best apps to use online and it could help to give you peace of mind and use the technology for some good.
Keeping their settings and profile private on social media
If they have a phone, then you know the next question they will be asking will be when they can have a facebook or instagram account. While you don’t want to alienate them against their peers, you also want to ensure they stay safe online. Making sure that their profiles are kept private and to have access yourself so that you can monitor things would be a good idea.
Limiting their use
Of course, the one thing you will have to be careful with is making sure they are not always on their phones. It can be hard to limit their use and they may not understand why, but it is important to create boundaries. Phones, social media and games they play on there can be addictive, so you will want to make sure that they are using their phone safely.
Only allowing certain numbers
Another thing to think about would be who has access to the phone. So making sure that the number is only given out to select a few people or to people they know is going to be important. Equally, you may want to only have numbers in their phone that you know. As they get older, this might be difficult to do considering they will have friends in school etc. But trying to keep an eye on this is important to ensure that they keep safe and that nobody they don’t know is going to be in a position to contact them.
Discussing the fears you have
Finally, a great idea would be to discuss these fears youa have with your child. If they can understand the risks and also why you have concerns then this can help them to greater understand why you do the things that you do. Sometimes you need to give them credit for their understanding of larger matters in life.
Let’s hope these tips help you to keep your children safe online and with the tech they use.
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