The Do’s And Don’ts for Using a Parental Control App in the Right Way
“Nick come, the dinner is served.”
“Chatting with Emily, you continue. I will join you soon.”
Did this conversation disturb you? Are you wondering as what kind of chat is taking place between this two? How you wished you could track all the social media activities of your child!
It is evident that this day children tend to spend most of their time on their smartphone. They seem to get hooked on social media. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc. make children glued to social media. It is for sure that once you have chosen the right parental control app, you can keep an eye on your children. You obviously want to protect your child. However, there are certain rules that you as a parent need to follow so that your monitoring process remains healthy and positive.
Things to consider before choosing the right parental control app
The Do’s
- Do Have A Conversation About Internet Safety
Even if you have a busy schedule, make sure you get little time to mingle with your kid. Help her or him understand how internet thefts happen. Talk about how cyberbullying has made children vulnerable. In this way, they will be vigilant about what is happening in and around the internet.
- Do Give Them Input On What You Think
When you monitored and observe them closely, you will find the kind of contacts they make, the search they do on the search engine, and the content they read. All this you can put across your kids and let them know how to go ahead with proper search so that they don’t land up in any inappropriate content. Help them know that a recent chat that they had was not appropriate. Your input will matter a lot to your kid.
- Do Maintain A Regular Schedule Of Checking At Certain Time Intervals For Any Threats
Although you have the parental control app with you, it is important that you conduct a regular schedule of checking to make sure your child is away from any threats.
- Always Be Supportive And Help Kids Get Through It
Kids are naïve. They are not aware as what really needs to be done. They can fall prey to illicit things, but in that case, you need to be supportive. Everyone can make mistake. Help your kids to find their way out of trouble and just make sure that they do not repeat it. At such time, they need the highest support from your side. When you punish the kids, they tend to become more stubborn. Counsel them in a way that they understand it well and feel free to discuss any matter to you.
The Don’ts
- Don’t Use It Just For The Sake Of Enjoying
We all need privacy. Use the parental app when you think it is needed the most. Let kids have their privacy as well.
- Don’t Install The Software Secretly
Never install the software or the app secretly. Always let your kids know about it. Also, it is against the rule that states any application to monitor your child’s mobile should be informed. Failing to abide by the rules and regulations, you can be sued. Also, kids are tech-savvy. They will find it out sooner or later about you spying on them. The scenario will worsen and the kids’ trust in you will soon diminish.
- Setting The Rules Must Be Your Decision, Not The Kids
It is often kids enjoy being the boss. But make sure their rules do not overpower you. You must be the authoritative figure and it is best to maintain the protocol where the kids respect you and your knowledge. Draw boundaries on your talks. Set deadlines to which they will abide by. Whether to use a parental control app or not must be solely your decision.
- Step In When Required
Take the guts to face your child if the need be. If you have a gut feeling with valid reasons, just trust your gut and straightforward face it.
The parental control app is a wonderful tool to keep an eye on the children. But it is best when used aptly. Keep looking into this space for more information.
