If your kids have a smartphone or if they use your smartphone quite a lot then it is understandable that you will want to try and keep them safe while also protecting your own bank account. For example, if you let your children use your phone and they accidentally make some purchases then this can cause some real problems for you and there is no telling what they might be buying without even realising it.
Phone-Free Times
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that your child has some phone-free times. You also need to make sure that you don’t let them become too focused over the concept of a phone. The same applies to television and even computers as well. Kids love to play games and technology can provide them, with some of the best and brightest gaming experiences around, but if they become too involved then it can be hard to get them to focus on other things such as homework or even playing out with their friends. Phone-free times are ideal for this, and they give you the chance to always be around when they are using the phone.
Safe Apps
When you are browsing the app store, don’t download any game. Instead, look out for a
safe children’s app. These apps are designed to be completely safe around children and they usually don’t have any in-app purchases. On top of this, they completely limit any content that is not suitable and they don’t give your child the chance to converse with other people either.
Educational Resources
A lot of people believe that phones are just for games and nothing else. The truth is that phones can easily be used to download educational applications. There are also apps that can be downloaded that set screen time based on what the phone is being used for. For example, games on the phone can be played if a certain amount of time has been completed on an educational app, and this limits the amount of time your child has to play games.
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Pin Codes
Pin codes are a brilliant way for you to make sure that your child is not using the phone when you are out of the room. Only you can set the code and this means that you are completely in control of what they are accessing. Some phones also allow you to create a family setting, and this shuts down any websites that may be inappropriate. This includes sites that may show advertising content that is not suitable, so do keep that in mind when letting your child use your phone.
At the end of the day, there are things that you can do to try and keep your child safe when using your smartphone but it is a good idea for you to try and delay them getting their own phone until they are old enough to understand the concept of the internet. They need to know the dangers, why they should not enter chat rooms and anything else that may pose as a danger to them.
