When is it the Right Time For Parental Monitoring?

The best time to install a parental monitoring application to your tweens cell phone is at the time of purchase. Before purchasing a cell phone, parents need to have a conversation with their tween to discuss the rules of the cell phone and the parental monitoring application. It is very important to have an open conversation with your tween and explain what the function of a parental monitoring application is and how it is to help with safety while using a cell phone.  Tweens need to understand that parents would not send their tweens down a dark alley alone so why would parents let tweens explore the digital age technology without protection. If your tween can understand the purpose of a parental monitoring application is for their protection from wrongdoers and not to hinder their independence, this will help make your parenting job a little easier.

A parental monitoring application can help tweens from cyber-bullying, online predators and pornography. Make sure your parental monitoring application has these functions: control the websites visited, control the applications downloaded, approved contacts and parent alerts, as well as, time restrictions. For an example, if the parent does not want the tween to view certain websites because the materials are not appropriate, these sites are blocked from the tween. 

The combination of open communication and the right parental monitoring application is a good balance for both the parents and the tweens to assist with the safety of technology and gaining independence as tweens.