Should we allow our kids to use smartphones when what we all hear about are the dangers associated with them? Should our kids use smartphones alone? This question might tease all the parents but we all know deep inside that we cannot say ‘no’ to them. We cannot tell them that they cannot use smartphones. There comes a time when they insist on having one to have fun like all other people are having, but what can we do about it? If you don’t allow them, you should know that they will seek the same thing from somewhere else and probably hide it from you. No parents want their kids to lie to them or hide things from them. So, what can be done?
Unfortunately, parents have to hand over smartphones to the kids no matter how hard they try to say no. you cannot just say no to them when you know that they will get it from everywhere. The best thing that you can do is to make yourself aware of the things happening around you through smartphones, the internet, and social media. You will watch it in the news and see how dangers like cyberbullying, predation, sexting, and fake relationships are being practiced on social media, especially with the younger kids. It frightens the parents to their core when they see other kids making suicide attempts due to the things that they faced on the internet.
You cannot stop your kids, you cannot limit them, but you can educate yourself. You can make an account there and see what the fuss is about. Why are people doing such negative things there and why is it happening with the kids only? Once you know what sort of things your kids can face over the internet, you can do something to keep them protected and safe. Also, the use of parental control app is a must when it is about the safety of kids. You can know where they are, what they are doing, and what sort of dangers are they stepping into.
The basic problem of today’s parents is that they are dead worried about their kids but they have null communication with them. You cannot just protect your kids through limitations and authoritative behavior. You need to be there for them, talk to them, earn their trust, and then guide them about the right use of smartphones. Here are some of the things that you can do to keep them safe and connected.
Family Trips
Once in a while, you need to go out of the house together, have fun, and talk. The environment that you can get outside is very changed as compared to the one you are experiencing at home. You can take them to a garden, lake, anywhere that suits you. You should have fun with them, enjoy the area, and talk about things. This way you will open a gate of communication with them that was closed. You can talk to them about general things that you never talk about.
Opening Yourself
While you are on the mission to make them talkative to you, you can talk about yourself too. You were also a kid, and you can share what sort of mistakes you made back then. Parents usually hide such things from their kids because they want to show them that they are perfect. But, they need to know that you were a simple kid too who made mistakes, and show them who helped you, how you got help, and how did you grow up. It will make them understand that they can come to you if they make mistakes just like your made once.
Monitoring
You should talk to them, guide them well, and teach them the difference between right and wrong, but they are still kids. You can afford small mistakes but nowadays, kids are being trapped in the social media world where they often end up hurting themselves. You don’t want that to happen and that is why you should use a good monitoring tool to keep an eye on them. You need to make sure that you know what they are doing and how are they dealing with things online.
A good monitoring tool, Mobistealth, will let you know every detail about their moves and so much more. You can know what they are posting, what type of people are they talking to, and what sort of mistakes are they making. You can also intervene only when you think it is the right thing to do. So, get help today and protect your kids from the worst consequences.