What are your house rules for mobile phones and devices? Tell O2 for a chance to win an iPad Mini NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by O2 to find out about Mumsnetters' house rules for mobile phones and other technology devices.

Here's what O2 say: "We know families are using technology more than ever, with most households now having several devices online at any time, whether it be their phones, their laptop, their games consoles, their tablet, or their smart TV. But we also know that parents are very unsure about the rules they should set around usage. So we?d like to open a discussion about how you set - and follow - digital house rules for your family, to help other parents feel a little more confident about setting their own.?

So, what technology rules do you have for your DCs? Do phones have to be switched off overnight? Perhaps your DCs have a limit on how much time they can spend online on their phone?

Do you use any rules to keep your DCs safe online? Maybe you check their social networks profiles? Or perhaps you have parental controls in place to stop them accessing particular sites? Or maybe you prefer to keep the house rules to a minimum?

Whatever your house rules are, O2 would love to hear about them!

Everyone who comments on the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win an Apple iPad mini with Retina display, 16GB Space, thanks to O2.

Please note comments on this thread might be used by O2 on their website or on their social media channels: please only add a comment if you're happy for your comment to be used.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

PS - O2 also say "We think that technology is amazing, but we also know it can be a little confusing.
Join our Gurus in store to discover how you can make an app or learn how to keep your family safe online.
Our workshops are free and open to everyone. Sign up here, You're all welcome."

[AngelieMumsnet]

Thanks for all your comments! magentastardust has won the prize draw :)

[funkyfreks]

No rules in the School holidays and Saturday nights.. but when they go back to school all electronic devices are strictly forbidden until all homework is complete and we have empty plates after dinner.
Then they can have a choice of what they would like to do for an hour.

The only exception is if they need to use the computer for homework. :)

[Mandahul]

I have had the discussion about sensible use and unacceptable use with my 2 boys and I give them free rein over their devices. However ! I have full access to all devices at all times including all passwords etc and do often check history and messages etc. I also have full access to the location software that I have put on the devices and often check when they're out and not answering phones exactly where they are. My children are fully aware of this and understand it is for their own protection and I believe it gives them a little sense of security knowing I am able to help them and locate them if they get into any trouble. My boys are 12 and 14 now and I think it's important they learn their own sense of security on devices with the knowledge we, his parents, are always in the back ground ready to step in if necessary.

[igu04366]

My kids are too young to have their own phones but they do use apps on our phones and are really confident in the use of technology. We let my oldest son borrow a phone after dinner once he has done his homework. He tends to use it to play games or to watch videos. We control the purchase of apps and he is only allowed it for a set period of time. When he has his own phone I think we will have to set limits on its use.

[Coddfish]

I put on loads of passwords etc. and they are only allowed to stay on the kids apps that I have set up for them. My eldest is only 6 so I haven't yet needed to monitor more independent use.
I have also started to ask other mums when they go on playdates not to let them go onto the internet. There was a scandal in the playground recently where several young boys in year 3 looked up internet porn during a playdate. No restrictions were on the tablet so they looked up whatever they wanted. This scares the life out of me!

[Smith84]

They aren't allowed on any of the tablets or smartphones without asking, we have tight security and their time is limited

[tinam1]

No using at the dinner table, and all homework must be completed first.

[Ritakd]

Our kid are a mixture of ages but for the teens with devises we have some flat rules:
No phones at the dinner table
No devices after 10pm or overnight
We have to be friends on all social media
We occasionally do random checks to monitor the content.

[rjsmum11]

err we have tablet... not a table :) (well.. we do have one of them but it's irrelevant)

[rjsmum11]

We have a table, we have internet security set up with our router/service provider. DS (11) is allowed to download Apps from Amazon if they're free but otherwise he must ask.

No chargers to be plugged in overnight. That's the only internet source he has. We often check the browsing history also but feel pretty secure with the router permissions set to disallow specific subjects.

[kel1981]

my two are 10 and 5 neither have phones but my 10yo has an ipad. The rules are they play on it downstairs, they dont have it at bedtime or on a morn before school. No telly on a morn before school and they dont have tvs in their rooms. Have a rule for me and my husband that we dont have phones at the dinner table, because Iwas sick of him taking calls while we were eating!

[kel1981]

my two are 10 and 5 neither have phones but my 10yo has an ipad. The rules are they play on it downstairs, they dont have it at bedtime or on a morn before school. No telly on a morn before school and they dont have tvs in their rooms. Have a rule for me and my husband that we dont have phones at the dinner table, because Iwas sick of him taking calls while we were eating!

[Annbunce]

I try to encourage my girls not to charge their phones in their bedrooms, but unfortunately they take no notice.
I periodically check the friends on my 13 year olds Facebook account to ensure that they are 'friends' and family.

[Brabra]

Don't steal my charger

[ElzBevan]

Only my eldest (10)has a mobile, she also has a laptop, and both the boys (5 and 7) have tablets. DD's phone is because she has another family with her bio dad, so she uses it to keep in touch with them all - she literally has family mobile numbers, and the phone is a basic model that texts/calls only!
Her laptop is password protected by me, and i chec it once a day. The boys tablets are synced through MY amazon account, and passworded so they can't access the internet.

[lilrahi]

We have a plethora of gadgets in the house, including phones, iPads, Android tablets, laptops etc.... Set limit of 2 hours a day, no downloading apps.

[Flickabella]

I have a 8 and 10 year old who use lots of electronic devices. They gave to ask before installing apps, switch everything off at bedtime, let me read message/emails and not to use them at the table!

[wef1984]

3 Children, son 13 has laptop, xbox and mobile phone uses social network fb but I have password so can check at any time.

Daughter 9, has tablet and ds (not connected to the internet) tablet is childs version with parental settings goes off at 9pm and wont come back on till 9am, she knows not to download anything without my say so and I trust her.

Daughter 6, uses my phone, laptop and brothers phone knows to ask to play on anything and usually just watches kids shows on netflix.

[reggaeliz]

My daughter cannot use phone or laptop until she as finished all her homework and she as to leave it off when she goes to bed for school and if catch her with any of them its taken for a few days.

[kep1979]

My boys are 8 and 10. We set limits on how long they are allowed on their devices (laptops and ds), and also which sites they can go on internet. I check which Youtube sites they look at (mainly that annoying bloke playing Minecraft!).

Also on the Xbox they can only add friends at school or relatives, and if any bad behaviour or language they get deleted (off game rather than real life lol )

The boys also are aware (through school internet safety lessons and us talking to them) about not giving out personal details online, so they have obscure usernames, never reveal their names/ages, and the tell me if they see anything weird/worrying.

[amistillsexy]

3 DSs here, aged 7,8 and 10.

None of them have their own devices. They have a laptop (my old one) to share, and DH and I each have a smart phone, a tablet and a laptop. We have a landline.

No phones at the table.

Whoever is nearest to a home handset answers. I have taught the boys to answer politely ("Hello, how can I help you?", which lulls cold callers into a false sense of security prior to being put on to me!).

Parental controls on the children's laptop, and children only allowed to use any device when I say so, and the Internet only if they tell me what they're doing on it. Any deviation from what they've said will result in a ban for quite a while!

I've offered to get DS1 an I pad for his birthday, but he'd prefer Lego. That sums them up, really

[sarah3875]

This is quite interesting. My boys are 5 & 7 and about to get their first tablet each. They play children's games on my iPhone and I am fed up with having no storage!
I'm pretty sure I will have lots of rules (passwords set by me/left downstairs of a evening/taken away as punishment)- that may well get broken but that's life. Children are also going to see content that isn't appropriate at some point in their life's and I think it's teaching them how to deal with it rather than protecting them from every tiny thing. I remember sneaking downstairs in the early hours at about 7 years old and watching clockwork orange followed by trainspotting!! I think I turned out ok...

[cadencealex]

I limit the time that they are allowed and always make sure that they aren't watching anything inappropriate. Usually just playing hours and hours of youtube videos relating to Minecraft!