Technology Best Practices For Parents Of Middle Schoolers
Understand your child’s device activity by looking at usage history
How much time do they spend per day in front of screens?
When are they using devices?
What are they spending that time doing?
If your child has a device with apps, what apps have they downloaded?
2. Set up parental controls on any device that your child uses including smartwatches, phones, tablets, home computers & video game consoles. Focus on
App restrictions
Browser restrictions
Communication restrictions
Time settings - set up Downtime and Focus Time Window
3. Have a plan for managing non-school use of Chromebooks at home
4. Mute or disable notifications for noisy apps during school, study and sleep windows
5. Talk to your child about texting etiquette. Coach them if they are new to texting
6. Keep track of old phones
7. IF your child is on social media, talk to them about appropriate online behavior
8. IF your child is on Snapchat, fully understand how it works. Ask your child to show you their My Eyes Only camera roll. Disable the Snapmap. Set up the parental controls
9. IF your child uses an Apple watch, disable Siri and block Safari & Chrome
10. IF you child uses an iPhone, disable Airdrop, spot check their NOTES App for secret messaging and update parental settings to disallow the creation of a second Apple ID
11. Discuss technology with your child. Explain why you are taking steps to keep them safe and what those steps are.
12. Consider creating a family technology contract for the school year. Put your expectations What, When and How much screen time is allowed in writing and have your child sign off.
