Parental apps have allowed the parents to revive the parent-child bond that was somehow lost due to more attention towards work. Not only that, it has allowed parents to get the control back to monitor their kids’ activities and keep them on the right developmental track.
In short, parental monitoring apps have done a lot to bring satisfaction into the lives of parents by empowering them digitally. But their usage feels like a breach of privacy to some children. The fair opinion is, it is and it is not true in some cases. At times when kids are not aware of why you are monitoring them, they just don’t like it. But then there have to be some restrictions whether they like them or not.
In other cases, parents cross the fine line between monitoring their kids’ activities and controlling their lives. So, I have come up with a list of dos and don’ts that will tell you how to supervise them while staying within the boundary of healthy control. Because you do not want to make your parenting toxic. So, follow the given instructions.
- INVESTIGATE INTERNET SEARCHES AND RESULTS; DON’T CRITICIZE OVER EVERY ACTIVITY
Using an app, you can check everything your kid has been searching over the internet. The history of the searches and their results is all accessible to you. You should use it to check your kids’ interests and if they are involved in any bad activity. Now, you do not have to criticize them over every search or everything they have been doing even if it is wrong. You talk to your kid about the whole thing as an issue. Because if you start specifying every act, they will feel like you are targeting them for your criticism and it will not have that impact.
- MONITOR THE TIME ON APPS; DON’T BLOCK EVERY APP RIGHT AWAY
Children often spend excessive time on certain apps like gaming apps, social media apps, or any other ones. Their excessive usage is definitely not healthy. So, limit their time, or schedule their usage individually by using parental controls of FamilyTime. Well, if an app is showing inappropriate content and is very dangerous for your kids, this app also gives you the option to block it. You should only use blocking for dangerous apps. For other apps, you can simply use time limiting and scheduling features. Blocking them right away would be a too strict act for them.
- SET A HEALTHY MOBILE PHONE USING SCHEDULE; DON’T BE TOO RIGID
You do not want your child to spend most of their day playing games, using the internet, or doing anything sitting before screens as it has very harmful effects on their health. So, set schedules on their devices allowing them to use them only during specific hours.
Now, you do not have to be very rigid in allowing them to use the phone. Make flexible and compromisable schedules. Your kids should not feel there is no way to negotiate it in at least some cases.
- SET INSTANT LOCKS ON PHONE; DON’T CLOSE THE DOORS FOR COMMUNICATION
Mobile phone addiction makes children avoid everything just to use it for even some very unimportant task. You call them for dinner or lunch, to spend some time with you, to go for some exercise or physical activity, or to concentrate on studies. But they don’t listen to you.
In such cases, putting instant locks over their phones (a feature that FamilyTime offers) can be a good help. It is not only a good step in making their habits but also giving them a kind of punishment for not doing the right thing at the right time.
But, you do not have to not talk to them about it. If they want to come to tell you something to get their devices unlocked, listen to them and discuss it with them.
- GIVE THEM REWARDS BY ADDING TO THEIR FUNTIME; DON’T MAKE IT A THING OF USUAL
FunTime is again an amazing feature in the FamilyTime parental monitoring app. You can and should use it to add more minutes to the fun time of kids that they have with their phone as a reward for, maybe, controlled phone usage or good academic performance.
But, you do not have to do it daily so that it loses its impact. Use this feature on specific but right occasions.
Well, this app offers a lot of other features too which you can check on its official website. Or, you can simply download it from the App Store or Play Store for free.
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