First Personal Phone - Ready or Not?
How old is your child?
6-9 years old
9-12 years old
13-16 years old
Above 16 years
What other devices does your child use? (You can choose multiple options)
Personal Laptop for school work
Shared Devices (Mum's phone, family iPad etc.)
My child doesn't use any other device
Does your child need a phone at school?
Yes, school activities require him / her to use a phone at school
Yes, he / she travels around alone
No, it's just for fun
Do you know how to monitor phone activities such as screen time, last visited websites etc.?
Yes, I know how to setup parental control
No, I don't know much about it
I don't want to setup parental control
Does your child stop using other devices when you ask him / her to?
Yes, always!
Sometimes, but after repeated reminders!
No, very hard to get the device back!
Do you talk to your child about online dangers?
Yes, I talk to my child about it from time to time
Sometimes, however I don't know much about it myself
We have not discussed about it, but the school has briefed him / her
Have you thought about the device usage rules you want your child to follow?
Yes, I have clearly mapped out the usage rules and expectations
A little bit, I will see how it goes.
I don't want to set any rules as it will upset my child
Think hard, do you FEEL that your child is ready for a personal phone?
Yes, I think my child is ready
No, I think he / she doesn't need a phone
Good to Go
Your child is ready for his / her first personal device.
Here are the 3 things you should do to keep your child safe online and maintain your sanity -
1. Make the device "child ready" by setting up the strong password & parental controls etc.
2. Make the child "device ready". Communicate the expectations clearly and agree on certain do's and don'ts.
3. The most important - Make time to listen to your child about his / her online experiences every now and then.
Here are the 3 things you should do to keep your child safe online and maintain your sanity -
1. Make the device "child ready" by setting up the strong password & parental controls etc.
2. Make the child "device ready". Communicate the expectations clearly and agree on certain do's and don'ts.
3. The most important - Make time to listen to your child about his / her online experiences every now and then.
Hold on for some more time
It would be good to delay "the gift" for a bit more time.
Your child must be experiencing a lot of peer pressure to get a device. Here's what you can say to start preparing your child for a device -
"I understand that SOME of your friends have received their first personal phone and they must be talking about it all the time. For the next few weeks, why don't you observe and share with us what are they using it for and how are they keeping themselves safe online."
Your child must be experiencing a lot of peer pressure to get a device. Here's what you can say to start preparing your child for a device -
"I understand that SOME of your friends have received their first personal phone and they must be talking about it all the time. For the next few weeks, why don't you observe and share with us what are they using it for and how are they keeping themselves safe online."