6 Tips on Setting Smartphone Boundaries for your Kids

Nowadays, more and more children have smartphones. This is both very handy but they can become addicted to it very easily if they use it without any boundaries. Therefore we’ve set up a guide how you can set these boundaries for your kid in the right way.


Watch how you use tech yourself

You can set all the boundaries that you want for your kid, but if you are constantly using social media yourself then it won’t work out as you are giving the wrong example. Therefore it’s a good idea to start with watching your own screen time as you’re setting boundaries. You could start with being on your phone less and watching less tv to inspire your children to do the same thing.


Don’t be too rigid

Perhaps you don’t want your kid using social media at all, but often this will make your kid more unhappy then letting them use a little bit of social media when they are old enough. It’s important to be flexible, otherwise your children might start using social media in secret which makes you lose control completely. Therefore you have to give in a little and give them some time on their smartphone, it’s probably not the smartest idea to restrict them completely.


Keep the smartphones out of your kid’s bedroom

One place where you do not want to have smartphones is in the bedroom. This can easily disturb their sleep. Even if they are not using it, notifications might keep your child awake and result in insomnia. To make them do this easier it’s a good idea to keep your own smartphone out of your room as well, this shows them that you’re not belittling them but watching out for their health.


Teach your children about the dangers of smartphones

There are good reasons that you don’t want your children to be on their smartphones all the time and it will help if they know these reasons. The internet can be a dangerous place. People could be stealing your data and if you post photos of yourself then this could get around the internet and influence you later in a bad manner. If you explain these reasons to your kid then they will know why they don’t need to use their phones constantly.


Use a restriction tool for parents

You can tell your children that they need to stay of certain websites and content but children are always seeking for a thrill and will get there. Even if that’s not the case, it’s very easy to land there per accident. Therefore, you can use a restriction tool that forbids them from landing on certain websites and you often have the power to choose which websites these are exactly.


Teach them responsibility

Giving your child a smartphone can be risky, but it’s also a way to teach them how important it is to be responsible. If they break their phone then they need to come up with the money to get it fixed. Giving them freedom with when they can use their phones is also giving them responsibility and if you notice that they’re abusing it you can always punish them or take some responsibility away from them.

With these tips you can learn your children how to use smartphones in a way that it’s good for them and they can learn how to use their phones responsibly. If this works out well then you won’t need to supervise them in the end and they can handle their smartphones themselves while thinking about the way and the amount they use them. This will lead to them becoming responsible adults.


Block unwanted sites and content.  Keep your family safe!