10 Things to Tell Your Kids Before Giving Them a Smartphone [Checklist]
Just the act of handing your child a smartphone for the first time can be enough to put any parent in a state of constant worry. Your child and the online world are now inextricably linked, and the result for you is iAnxiety.
smartphone
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Talk to your kids about what is appropriate and inappropriate content online, and why it's important to steer clear of the dark areas of the web.
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Schedule device screen time so you are in control of when your children can access and use certain features on their mobile devices.
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Keep devices age-appropriate and apply age-specific settings to block all but age-appropriate sites and apps on your child's devices.
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Restrict app and in-app purchases so your next phone bill won't arrive jam-packed with surprise app purchases.
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10 Things To Tell Your Kids
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1. Get a case to protect your smartphone
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2. When you're in class, focus on your teacher, not on your phone — put your phone is Silent Mode to keep it from buzzing during class
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3. Communicate the consequences if your kids don't call you back — and then follow through with it if they abuse their privileges
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4. Don't text and drive (if they're old enough)
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5. Don't say things online you wouldn't want grandma to read (things said online are forever
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6. Lock your phone with a password, so the data stored on it stays safe
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7. Don't share your passwords
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8. Keep pictures appropriate — don't take pics you don't want me to see
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9. Don't connect to open public Wi-Fi networks
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10. Explain to your kids why you will be monitoring their browsing activities, if you use an iOS parental control product like Family Protector
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