This post is proudly sponsored by Family Link App from Google. I am part of Mom It Forward Influencer Network.
As always, the opinions stated herein are my own.
Navigating technology can be challenging when you have kids! Let’s face it – technology isn’t going away, so it’s our responsibility as parents to teach our children how to use it properly. So how to manage your children’s tech use?
While parents would like to admit that we’re able to manage our children’s tech use, I think we could use a little assistance. Our biggest hurdle is managing the amount of time kids spend on their device and setting limits as well as a cut-off time during homework time, or bedtime. Another issue has been managing the content they see as well; they easily can come across inappropriate content while surfing the web, or discovering videos online.
The Family Link app from Google is a free tool to help parents manage the kinds of content their kids see, and the amount of time kids are spending on their devices. It’s also a great way to keep conversations going about what healthy technology looks like for the family.
What I love about Family Link is that it can help parents:
- approve or decline apps kids want to download from the Google Play Store
- hide apps on the device at any time
- approve purchases your kids want to make in their favorite apps
- restrict content kids can see in the Play Store by maturity rating
- block specific sites, only allow a curated set of sites, and apply filters that attempt to block mature content in your Family Link settings.
Another concern is how much time our kids are spending on their devices. Family Link allows parents to:
- set a daily limit for each day of the week, so once that time is up, the device is locked and they can only make calls if they need to
- set a device bedtime
- remotely lock your kid’s device anytime
- see app activity reports so you can keep an eye on what they are using on their device.
Bonus points – Family Link also allows you to see where your child is located, as long they have their device on and with them. Since my younger son doesn’t have a data/phone plan yet, we can easily know his whereabouts when he’s off playing with friends.
You can download the Family Link app from Google and begin setting some smart ground rules to help guide your kids as they explore the online world.
