📱💻 Parent Guide for Device Use with Young Kids 📱💻

(Smart phones, tablets, smart watches, gaming consoles, etc.)

Expectations

• Discuss expectations for use before getting your child a device: 

  • When can the device be used?

  • How often will parents check the device? 

  • What circumstances would cause the device to be taken away?

Monitor

• Device use should be frequently monitored by parents. 

• The American Academy of Pediatrics states "the best parental control is you." Your judgment is more reliable than a parental control app or setting.

Safety Practices

• Explain to your child that they should NEVER give any information about themselves to someone online. If someone online asks their name, age, school, etc. your child should tell an adult immediately. 

Cyberbullying

• Discuss what cyberbullying is with your child. 

• Emphasize that your child should NOT say anything online that they wouldn't say to someone's face. 

• Nothing on the internet is ever truly deleted. 

Sources: Contemporary Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics