My child wants a mobile phone

Be curious

Ask your child open questions like:

• Why do you want a phone?
• What would you use it for?
• What would you do if something online made you feel upset?

This will help you understand what your child wants and what they already know about online safety.

Consider an alternative to smartphones

Children – and us! – might feel under pressure to be online and connected like everyone else. But you need to think about what is right for your child and your family. For example, if you just want your child to stay in touch when you are apart, you might consider buying them a basic phone without internet access.

Teach your child about phone security and safety precautions

Help your child learn how to keep their phone and personal info safe:

• Use a password or PIN to lock the phone.
• Keep the phone hidden in public places.
• Don’t use public Wi-Fi.
• Don’t share passwords, personal info, or photos/videos.

You might also want to limit app downloads and purchase.

Set rules for healthy use

Think together about healthy phone habits, this could include:

• Screen time limits (e.g. no phone after 6pm).
• Phone free zones and times (such as mealtimes).
• Where the phone stays at night.
• What would happen if the rules are broken.

These rules help your child learn balance and protect their mental health. You can use parental control (e.g. Google Family Link) to set limits and keep track of your child's phone usage.

Follow the same rules yourself to set a good example and try to keep real life activities, such as outdoors time or family mealtime, on top of the list of family priorities.

Talk with your child about online safety

Talk with your child about what’s safe and what’s not, including age restrictions.

Identify potential risks, and agree together which parental controls and settings to activate in each application to help them keep safe. Identifying risks together (such as cyberbullying) will make them more likely to turn to you when they face a problem.

Check in regularly with your child about their phone use and monitor and adjust appropriately.

Internet Matters offers a great ‘how to’ guide.