Milestones vs. Maturity: When Kids Get Their First Smartphones

In this generation, milestones are often overpowering than maturity but you need to understand the difference milestone andmaturity. There are rarely kids who don’t have smartphones. Most of the kids will get one eventually. Though it is not even easier for you to decide exactly when is the right time for their kid to get their first smartphone. Some parents may prefer to wait until their kid has reached a certain level of maturity before granting them such a privilege. Every parent is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to parenting in the digital age. But there are many things for you to consider when getting their kid their first smartphone.

Smartphones at Milestones

In this generation, digital devices are great gifts. It enables kids to have access to a whole new world of games, tools, and social media platforms. But it’s tough enough device to decide whether to get them an Apple or Android.  Even choosing a designated time or event to provide is also a challenge. It is also essential that kids understand that no amount of begging or bribery will speed up the process so they’ll get it when it’s time, and that’s that. Here are some points that rightly justify this fact:

• Getting the smartphone is not achieving a milestone but you must talk about the responsibilities that come along with their first smartphone. As excited the kids are to be able to get on Snapchat, they’ll need to be trained on how to be responsible with their new online freedoms and be enough mature.
• It’s human nature to make mistakes and especially when it is regarding teenagers and their first devices. But when the time comes, they’ll need to know what to do when they find themselves in a problem.
• You play an essential role in preparing their kids for entering life in the online world. By taking the time to talk to kids regarding the realities of life online like cyberbullying, social media, sexting, and other digital dangers kids can grow into responsible digital citizens.

Assess Their Maturity

First ask yourself some questions:

• How responsible are your children?
• Can you rely on them to answer when you call or at the appointed time?
• Can they abide by courtesy and safety rules?
• Do you believe they will not lose or damage his smartphone?

To assess your children’s maturity, you can try to give them a basic device that only allows texting and phone calls. If they have not lost, broken or abused the phone, then let they upgrade to a smartphone.

5 Things To Do for Your Kid’s First Phone

1. Discuss privacy and personal safety with your kids

Let your kids know what they can do online, and what are not allowed to do online.

2. Add important and emergency numbers

Before handing the phone to your child, add your families’ phone numbers to the phone contact and set these numbers to emergency numbers.

3. Enable parental controls

For iOS parental controls:

• Visit Apple’s parental control page and choose what kind of controls you’d like to set.
• You have the ability to limit Safari access, set content and privacy restrictions, prevent iTunes and App Store purchases and more.

For Android parental controls:

• You can use Google family link, a service that lets parents set digital rules for how their kids use their devices.
• You can view activity, set limits on screen time, lock devices, approve app choices and even suggest teacher-recommended apps to kids.

4.Establish phone usage rules

Have a conversation to tell your children about the rules of using the phone. Create a mobile phone contract with a clear expectation of using the phone. It’s important to always maintain meaningful and enforceable connections.

5. Install a spy app

It is necessary to monitor your children’s online activities. With iKeyMonitor, you can remotely check what your children are doing with their mobile phones to find out if they are in danger or violate the rules of the phone.

Providing access of smartphones to the kids on reaching a milestone or maturity is a confidential topic for you. Whatever the situation may be, you have to use the monitoring app like iKeyMonitor for ensuring their protection in the digital world.