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QUESTION:
"My 12-year-old is wanting a phone. What are your thoughts? He is getting to the age where he doesn't want mommy with him wherever he goes and I don't like not having a way to contact him. Are there any apps or anything that I can track his location with and also see if he is on anything he isn't supposed to and shut his phone down at a certain time?"
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TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
"I think it’s a good idea to get your kids a phone, especially nowadays. My 3 step-children…11,12 and 13 all have phones so they can communicate with us when they’re home as well as their mom & grandma when they’re with us. I don’t know any specific apps for that, but I’m sure google can give you many options as well as which ones work the best!"
"Flip phones work just fine"
"My 11 year old got a phone this year. He and I both have iPhones, so I am able to track his location at all times. It also helps when he is with his friends because we can stay in contact with one another. If you can afford it, then I say go for it."
"Life 360 for location and family link that you can control what apps, websites, time limits and everything through it. You can see his location on Family link also."
"iPhones have screen time. You can manage it straight from your phone. And life 360 is a good app for tracking."
"We have life 360 it is free. There is also an app that you can dowload that sets a time limit on his phone and you have to unlock it from a code on your phone its called parental control"
"Get a cheap Samsung and get Family Link. You can see where they are, set time limits, have it shutdown during certain hours, and you have to approve downloads."
"Life 360 is a tracking app. I use it with my family. My kids have iPhones and they have great parental restrictions ability. U can block apps, give time limits for anything … talking text, social media. U can even shut the phone off when u want it so they sleep at night. U can limit who they talk to as well."
"My 10, 13, 14-year-olds all have phones. We use Family Link to monitor allow app installing and to set times and restrictions on their phones. My 10-year-old has one because she dances 5-6 hours a week and I don’t stay for the long hours she is there. I text her when I am outside and she is dismissed when she shows the front desk that I am there. My older two are involved in sports and other activities so they all have phones to contact us when needed if we aren’t there"
"My 12-year-old has one. No restrictions. The trust was given with the phone."
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