With the spread of smartphones, kids are accessing devices that our parents could hardly dream about when they were growing up. Therefore, it is necessary to impose controls through various means, one of which is phone monitoring. However, tracking your child’s smartphone needs care and tact since if you don’t do it tactfully, you could end up spoiling your relationship with your teenager. The disastrous effects of doing so can be compared to burning a house to remove a snake or a granary to kill a rat. Therefore, mSpy phone tracker has compiled these nuggets to help you talk to your teen effectively before starting a phone-monitoring process.
Make Them Know that a Smartphone is not a Right
Before imposing your monitoring process, it is needful to let your child know that the phone they are using is not a right, and hence, you have all the rights to track it. This way, it will put the point clear so that the child does not feel you are violating their rights if your reclaim it. Also, it will create a sense of accountability in them since they don’t own the phone, and hence, you can take it back if they break your terms and conditions.
Be Careful Lest You Breach Trust
One of the biggest things you should be mindful of when discussing this topic is trust. You need to be very careful when communicating your intention to establish parental controls since your child can misinterpret your motives. You should explain to them that you are not doubting or incriminating them. Instead, let them know you are preparing them for future responsibility they don’t have at this moment.
Assure Them You Will Indeed Monitor their Usage
To succeed in your monitoring plan, you have to remind your child that you will indeed monitor them until they mature enough to handle the phone responsibly. This will make them to prepare themselves mentally.
Have a Contractual Structure
If you want your talk to succeed, you ought to package it in a contractual structure. If you do it amorphously, you will fail since there will be no binding agreement and a point of reference against which you can measure deviation or compliance. With a contractual structure in place, your child will know what you expect from them plus any rewards or consequences resulting out of it. Also, it will help your teenager to know what they should expect from you regarding your role in effecting the mutual contract you are working on.
Let Them Contribute
Lastly, your talks will only succeed if you approach it democratically. In addition, allow your child to contribute to the rules you will set in the contract. This way, the binding agreement will not sound like a fiat you imposed on them, but rather, a mutually benefiting document for both of you. Additionally, getting their input will make them have a proud sense of ownership in the whole deal.
Do you want to succeed in your talks to your children regarding your plan to introduce phone control? If you do, then you have all the insights to make the discussion meaningful and successful. It is now up to you to act—accordingly.
