Limiting kids on iPhone 5c

[kkrew2007]

Right now our 11 & 12 year old sons each have a very old basic phone (Motorla Razor) and an ipod. They use their basic phones to call/text us when they get home from school and check in when they're out with their friends. We like the ability that we can reward positive behavior by giving them their ipods and if there is negative behavior we just take away the ipod but they still have their basic phone. We're considering upgrading them to iphone 5C's but want to be able to disable all the "fun" apps if they're earned a consequence yet still allow them to call/text. Is there an easy way to do this?

Someone suggested using 5C's but doing a reset as a consequence so they still have calling/texting and find my iPhone and then do a restore from iTunes when they earn back privileges. Any helpful feedback is appreciated.

 

[Ann P]

A much easier way is to use Restrictions.

Set a good password and enable/disable certain functions accordingly.

For example - you can delete all the "fun" apps as discipline and then disable Installing Apps, or access to the iTunes Store altogether. Heck, you can even keep them off the web.

 

[mofunk]

1. You can control what they download. I saw a kid the other day with an iPhone 4 who was about 9yrs old. I mentioned to him about a cool free game (Zombie Tsunami) and before he downloaded he asked his dad. The father entered the password to the Apps store.

2. Install Find friends. This way you can find where they are. Oh and if they try sneaking the iPhone to school.

3. Don't allow them to download any chat apps. Those are hard to monitor. You can monitor the text from Message.

4. Make them sign a contract. They aren't allowed to do anything inappropriate. Let others use their phones. Anything that you don't want them to do. Use this

http://gma.yahoo.com/moms-18-point-iphone-rules-son-143831843--abc-news-parenting.html



The most I've seen kids that age do is Instagram, Twitter. If they are responsible and respectable of your rules, you should be fine.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

2. Install Find friends. This way you can find where they are. Oh and if they try sneaking the iPhone to school.

Too intrusive. Raise them well enough to be honest and trustful.

4. Make them sign a contract. They aren't allowed to do anything inappropriate. Let others use their phones. Anything that you don't want them to do. Use this

http://gma.yahoo.com/moms-18-point-iphone-rules-son-143831843--abc-news-parenting.html

Making your kid sign a contract is lame.

 

[mofunk]

How is signing a contract is lame? You sign a contract for everything else, why not using a phone. Your kids will sign contracts in the future, so why not get them started? In school they sign contracts all the time. Like the honor code or when they learn how to drive. Signing an iPhone contract would teach them about… guess what? Contracts. When you buy a car with a bank loan, or any type of money contract you should know how to read them and know what you are getting into. The way that I see it is that this iPhone contract is getting them started in the real world.

I don't think it's intrusive to put Find my Friends on a phone. Peer pressure can cloud their judgement. Plus the kid doesn't pay the bill so you can set whatever you want.


Find Friends feature can be used along with Find my iPhone. If you have ever tried using Find My iPhone on someone else's iOS device, it

 

[The Doctor11]

A much easier way is to use Restrictions.

Set a good password and enable/disable certain functions accordingly.

For example - you can delete all the "fun" apps as discipline and then disable Installing Apps, or access to the iTunes Store altogether. Heck, you can even keep them off the web.

View attachment 457956

You can't just delete the fun apps!!! Your going to make them lose there game progress!!!!

----------

2. Install Find friends. This way you can find where they are. Oh and if they try sneaking the iPhone to school.


4. Make them sign a contract. They aren't allowed to do anything inappropriate. Let others use their phones. Anything that you don't want them to do. Use this

http://gma.yahoo.com/moms-18-point-iphone-rules-son-143831843--abc-news-parenting.html

I'm pretty sure phones are suppose to be taken to school. And I would just like to say any contract made by someone under the age of 18 is invalid.

 

[andyw715]

Also with the 5c you can install IFTTT (if this then that) and have the phone automatically text you when they get home (or leave, or arrive/depart from other locations)

 

[TWO2SEVEN]

Too intrusive. Raise them well enough to be honest and trustful.



Making your kid sign a contract is lame.

Another way to look at it is that if the kids for some reason go missing you can find them.

I'm pretty sure phones are suppose to be taken to school. And I would just like to say any contract made by someone under the age of 18 is invalid.

I've been out of school for twelve years, but when I was in school phones were not allowed. Of course, that didn't stop most people.

In regard to your contract comment, I doubt the OP is expecting this "contract" to hold up in court.

 

[I7guy]

Too intrusive. Raise them well enough to be honest and trustful.



Making your kid sign a contract is lame.

No sir not intrusive at all. My whole family can find each other. Imagine being abducted or getting into a car crash lying at the bottom of a ditch. Fine my friends can be a lifesaver.

I guess it's a matter of trust....that technology can be used in a positive way.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

How is signing a contract is lame? You sign a contract for everything else, why not using a phone. Your kids will sign contracts in the future, so why not get them started? In school they sign contracts all the time. Like the honor code or when they learn how to drive. Signing an iPhone contract would teach them about… guess what? Contracts. When you buy a car with a bank loan, or any type of money contract you should know how to read them and know what you are getting into. The way that I see it is that this iPhone contract is getting them started in the real world.

You're the parent, not a contract. They should treat you as such.

No sir not intrusive at all. My whole family can find each other. Imagine being abducted or getting into a car crash lying at the bottom of a ditch. Fine my friends can be a lifesaver.

I guess it's a matter of trust....that technology can be used in a positive way.

So use Find My iPhone as a last resort (I can "find" my wife that way), but there's no reason for a parent to have Find Friends and constantly monitoring their kids. Raise them well enough to establish trust. So, yes, Find Friends is too intrusive if we already have Find My iPhone.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Also with the 5c you can install IFTTT (if this then that) and have the phone automatically text you when they get home (or leave, or arrive/depart from other locations)

How's this better than teaching them the responsibility of informing you?

 

[The Doctor11]

Another way to look at it is that if the kids for some reason go missing you can find them.



I've been out of school for twelve years, but when I was in school phones were not allowed. Of course, that didn't stop most people.

In regard to your contract comment, I doubt the OP is expecting this "contract" to hold up in court.

Well at my school we can use are phones anytime but in class.

 

[TWO2SEVEN]

Well at my school we can use are phones anytime but in class.

That doesn't surprise me. When I was in school you were not even supposed to have them in the building. However, that was a long time ago.

 

[617aircav]

You're the parent, not a contract. They should treat you as such.



So use Find My iPhone as a last resort (I can "find" my wife that way), but there's no reason for a parent to have Find Friends and constantly monitoring their kids. Raise them well enough to establish trust. So, yes, Find Friends is too intrusive if we already have Find My iPhone.

A parent can monitor kids as they wish. There is no one size fits all to parenting.

 

[I7guy]

You're the parent, not a contract. They should treat you as such.



So use Find My iPhone as a last resort (I can "find" my wife that way), but there's no reason for a parent to have Find Friends and constantly monitoring their kids. Raise them well enough to establish trust. So, yes, Find Friends is too intrusive if we already have Find My iPhone.

Already a done deal. My "kids" are not really as such and they have been raised well enough that we all trust each other with our lives and finances. Frankly in this instance it sounds like your family doesn't have a lot of trust. If they did have trust you would see this as a positive tech not a negative tech.

 

[kelub]

My daughter's 12 and can take her phone to school. In fact now they have projects where they use their mobile devices as learning tools. The past couple of weeks she's been opting to leave her phone at home, and that's been an abnormality.

Find Friends is *not* intrusive. "Teach you child to be honest and respectful" give me a break. My daughter IS honest and respectful, most of the time. She's also... 12 years old, and prone to mood swings and irrational behavior. They're kids, not robots. Just because "Find Friends" or similar is used doesn't mean the parent is constantly tracking them. It's just a tool that can be used if/when necessary. (My daughter doesn't have a data plan so it only works when she's on wifi anyway; it's mostly used to locate her phone when she leaves it someplace in the house or at my in-laws and can't find it, which is seldom.)

"Contracts are lame" - I've not done the contract thing, but I could see where it could be useful. No, it's not going to hold up in court or be "legally binding." But it can also be a useful aid in reminding a child what they agreed to in exchange for the privilege of having a phone. Sometimes verbal agreements can be forgotten as time goes by, and a written contract or agreement could be just as useful as a weekly chores list that's put on a refrigerator.

The restrictions part of the phone is one of the reasons why I buy into the Apple ecosystem. All of my kids have devices, and all have restrictions put on the level of apps they can play, tv shows & movies they can watch, etc without me having to micromanage them. They also have to come to us for the Apple ID password to download apps, and we've veto'ed plenty of app requests - sometimes simply because the app they want is a shady IAP-loaded turd. In those cases we'll help them find a similar app that has better reviews and help them learn how to be more discerning in their choices.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Already a done deal. My "kids" are not really as such and they have been raised well enough that we all trust each other with our lives and finances. Frankly in this instance it sounds like your family doesn't have a lot of trust. If they did have trust you would see this as a positive tech not a negative tech.

That's baloney. A parent who trusts his or her kids does not use Find Friends to monitor them, especially given we already have Find My iPhone in the case of an emergency.

----------

Find Friends is *not* intrusive. "Teach you child to be honest and respectful" give me a break. My daughter IS honest and respectful, most of the time. She's also... 12 years old, and prone to mood swings and irrational behavior. They're kids, not robots. Just because "Find Friends" or similar is used doesn't mean the parent is constantly tracking them. It's just a tool that can be used if/when necessary. (My daughter doesn't have a data plan so it only works when she's on wifi anyway; it's mostly used to locate her phone when she leaves it someplace in the house or at my in-laws and can't find it, which is seldom.)s.

You cannot use Find My iPhone if/when necessary because.....?

 

[TWO2SEVEN]

That's baloney. A parent who trusts his or her kids does not use Find Friends to monitor them, especially given we already have Find My iPhone in the case of an emergency.

----------



You cannot use Find My iPhone if/when necessary because.....?

How many kids do you have?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

How many kids do you have?

Two.

 

[I7guy]

That's baloney. A parent who trusts his or her kids does not use Find Friends to monitor them, especially given we already have Find My iPhone in the case of an emergency.

----------



You cannot use Find My iPhone if/when necessary because.....?

I see what you did there. You used the word "monitor", I used the word "abduction". "See" the difference?

How many kids and how old are yours?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I see what you did there. You used the word "monitor", I used the word "abduction". "See" the difference?

How many kids and how old are yours?

I'll ask again. Find My iPhone is any different because...?

 

[I7guy]

I'll ask again. Find My iPhone is any different because...?

My friend, we appear to be on different wavelengths with different family backgrounds with different expectations. That's okay. We can still all get along.

We all agreed to find my friends, this way we don't have to remember each other's Apple ID, or use iCloud.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

My friend, we appear to be on different wavelengths with different family backgrounds with different expectations. That's okay. We can still all get along.

We all agreed to find my friends, this way we don't have to remember each other's Apple ID, or use iCloud.

Fine if you all agreed as a family. When it comes to younger kids who have no choice, there's really no reason to use Find Friends when you already have Find My iPhone and you're in control of their iCloud accounts (including entering password for them when they want an app). Hence too intrusive in that circumstance IMO. But fine if they agree to Find Friends when they're older. That's all I'm saying.

 

[I7guy]

Fine if you all agreed as a family. When it comes to younger kids who have no choice, there's really no reason to use Find Friends when you already have Find My iPhone and you're in control of their iCloud accounts (including entering password for them when they want an app). Hence too intrusive in that circumstance IMO. But fine if they agree to Find Friends when they're older. That's all I'm saying.

If my kids didn't agree to it I would not force them but they would not have an iPhone.

This is not 30 years ago and unfortunately things will get done differently in my house. You don't have to agree fine, but it's my decision as a parent and I don't need a bunch of forum posters who know nothing about my family telling me how to raise my kids. Especially when I didn't solicit any advice.

Now don't take this the wrong way, it was not directed at you per se.

 

[Shrink]

If my kids didn't agree to it I would not force them but they would not have an iPhone.

This is not 30 years ago and unfortunately things will get done differently in my house. You don't have to agree fine, but it's my decision as a parent and I don't need a bunch of forum posters who know nothing about my family telling me how to raise my kids. Especially when I didn't solicit any advice.

Now don't take this the wrong way, it was not directed at you per se.

Not knowing about an individual, a relationship, or a family has never, unfortunately, stood in the way of the some apparently omniscient posters here from commenting, advising and/or criticizing how others live their lives.

And worse yet, there are some who even solicit this input...amazing!