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."

[dobedobedo]

Oh I forgot. I also know all his passwords for email and Instagram, kik etc. I periodically check his accounts and he's not allowed to add or speak to anyone he doesn't know in person.

[Eva50]

I have 3 boys (18, 16 & 8). There are no rules for the older boys. I used to be quite strict but they have always been very good. Ds3 is more likely to push his luck. He has an iPad mini, an x-box and an old basic phone. He doesn't really use the phone and has no online access on the x-box. I only let him use the iPad when one of us are in the room with him and I keep a close eye on what he is doing.

[sharond101]

Talking comes first is the number one rule with technology in our house. We have some time set aside for gadgets and outwith that we try and be a family.

[CointreauVersial]

Our number one rule is no electronics at the table. We always eat together, and it is such a valuable time for face-to-face communication and family bonding. No one is allowed to look at their phones or iPads.

[CantEvenKeepAnOrchidAlive]

We don't have 'rules' per set but we limit the use of technology with DS who is 3.

We bought him a Kindle so we could take advantage of the Free Time : everything he uses is barred from in-app purchases, he can't access the internet and there is a time limit whereby it turns off after a certain length of usage. Buying a Kindle for a toddler may seem excessive to a lot of people but the Free Time really appealed to us, you need to input a pass code to log out of it so DS can't transfer to the Kindle homepage.

He's allowed it if its appropriate I.e not right before dinner or just before bed. But if we're at home during the day and he asks to watch an episode on cBeebies, I'll happily let him have it. I don't see much point in making sure he only has it at certain times of the day - he has limited time, if its used before lunch then tough, he waits until the next day before he can have it.

The time limit is 20-30 minutes a day, depending on what he wants to do on it. That's not necessarily in one go, it can be 2 lots of 15 minutes (or an episode of Andy's Dino Adventures on cBeebies iPlayer!). He can go days with out using it and only gets it if he asks for it, he doesn't need it everyday.

[SaltySeaBird]

DD is too young and the worst technology offender in the house is me. I do find myself constantly staring at my phone and it drives my DH nuts.

As she gets older I'm going to have to seriously curb my own usage in order to be able to enforce any usage restriction rules on her.

We will definitely have no usage at the meal table (I'm the only one guilty of that at present).

It does drive me mad when we are watching a film and DH starts looking at his phone and then asks what has happened. But I do it too so another rule will be no phone when watching a film together as a family activity.

[CheeryCherry]

Three teenagers in my house, few rules as we've had many talks about safety, bullying, con artists etc. We often discuss stories which have hit the news regarding technology. No phones at the table or out for meals. I'm lucky as my children have active social lives doing 'real' things as well as time socialising on Facebook, instagram and so on. Nobody pays for apps or downloads and they are well aware of identity issues.

[HaremScarem]

My youngest is now 17 so we have NO house rules other than no one is allowed to steal my recharger

When they were younger they didn't have internet enabled phones so that I could control their access to the internet using parental controls on their devices AND the parental controls we had set up on our home network.

I set up all the appropriate limits (time/duration etc) on our home network specific for each child and device. For example during term time they might be allowed an hours internet access between 6 and 8 in the evening during the week but three hours at the weekend. If they needed or wanted extra time I could override the parental controls.

Even now my DC are 'adults' all porn etc is blocked from our home and mobile networks.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

I too have charger stealing, lead napping, plug moving bastards to contend with.

DH is the worst because he's a computer geek who brings lap tops and gadgets home from work, he has so many cables in his study all is lost if he naps yours.

[ChaffinchOfDoom]

my dc are still young, but they must ask permission before gaming on my phone
never at meals
useful awaiting food at restaurants though...
it's mainly time limiting Minecraft though. They love it. I balance it by going for long walk with them/ enforcing garden playtime

[Rummikub]

I don't have any rules as such just guidelines. I will consider all reasonable requests if asked nicely! No parental controls either, but they are aware of Internet safety. They ask if they can down load stuff. All devices off an hour before bed time generally. No devices taken out of the home eg to a restaurant (one of my dislikes). I can check their history but ask if that's ok. It's all worked well so far.

[HilaryMantelshelf]

Not many rules for our 17 year old, other than age restriction, disabling in app purchases, and not so subtle requests that she puts it down when we're out for a meal ( she never has it at the table at home).

She's pretty sensible though I hope

[iwantavuvezela]

No real rules, but as my DD gets older (now 7) this may change. She will ask to use my iPad, and this can be played with for 10 to 30 mins. We watch youtibe things together, and she has some games loaded on my iPad. I would say during school time the iPad is used about 3 to 4 times a week in little chunks of time. Only on a long car journey or flight is she allowed as long as she likes on the iPad, and then I download a tv programme or a movie for her to watch. But this is used to stave off boredom and whining in car or airport! All iPad usage is done in the family area and I am usually cooking etc, never used "on her own".
No mobile yet as she is too young. I have about 3 games on my phone (which are for emergencies such as stuck in a doctors waiting room and needing to keep her occupied or quiet), but the games are fairly boring so this is hardly used!

In terms of her own technology she has an innotab, but it is hardly used as I think the quickness of iPad, the type of apps etc renders much of this useless!

[ShyPhilosopher]

Our house rules (for our youngest 3) tend to be:

• No phones/devices at the dinner table
  
• Internet only to be used in the living room or study
  
• Always ask before downloading something
  
• Don't give any of your personal details out online - if in doubt, get help from mum or dad
  
• No Facebook or chatrooms
  
  We also say our youngest 2 have to stop playing electronic games/browsing online at 6pm. We have parental controls set up which automatically disconnect the kids from the internet at 6pm & ensure they don't access sites that might be unsuitable for them. They are very quick to let us know if there's a site they need, but can't access & as long as it's suitable we add it to their 'allow' list.

[Gorja]

Well I have four kids. Two have hudls and the other two younger ones share a blackberry.

The two younger ones, four and six, are only allowed the blackberry downstairs. They also use the computer downstairs so I can see what they are doing.

The older two, ten and nine have their hudls upstairs. No limits but I do know the passwords. The only rule is if I ask to look at them they let me. Other than that I trust them to be sensible and tell me if anything upsets them or makes them feel uneasy. I also trust them to turn them off at a resonable time and not stay up all nit on them.

They have had them for a year and I have had no concerns about their usage. They seem to spend much less time on them than their friends who have lots of rules around their usage.

Seems to be working for us at the minute.

[petalsandstars]

Mine are only little so don't have their own devices but the 3yo likes YouTube which I sometimes let her see on my phone if I have to keep her quiet somewhere - peppa pig clips or nursery rhymes usually. She likes to watch them at the grandparents too.

I too need to break the habit of a quick fb etc check at the dinner table.

[HaremScarem]

I'm a bit concerned that it sounds like some parents haven't taken steps to ensure that their DC can't access inappropriate websites on the internet and that they rely on 'trusting' their DC . The problem with this is that the DC may accidentally access porn or other revolting stuff.

There are some disgusting people in the world who think its clever to insert hardcore porn or disturbing images into the most innocuous looking websites.

You might trust your child but can you really trust everyone else?

I accidentally accessed porn when I foolishly tried to look up some information about my tongue tied DC. I googled 'tongue thrust' . (Well, I won't do that again). This was years and years ago when it was much harder to find user friendly parental controls. If I google the same phrase now I get lots of clean medical information.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

Im not bothered if my DDs see porn by accident, I'm sure they'll have the sense just to close the web site and go else where.

Just as I'm sure they are avoiding the worst of the Gaza pictures.

Sex in all it's forms is part of life as sadly is violence.

Trust is part of growing up. DD2 has had a lap top since she was 6, it's her pride and joy she listened to the be sensible talk, at 13 she's still sensible (but she wouldn't listen).

[Glitterfairys]

We don't really have any rules as such although I don't like tablets taken upstairs as I like to keep an eye on what they are doing and will quite often check what they are playing or looking at .
My boys are still quite young though and my 9 and 4 year old mainly play Minecraft together. I do have security settings on too so they can't buy anything or go on sites they shouldn't and we talk quite frequently with my 9 year old ds about internet safety and he is aware that not everyone is who they say they are on the internet .

[WarmHugs]

My two are only 3 and 4, so the rules are simple.

They have to ask permission. We don't have time restrictions, on a rainy day they might use for an an hour or two, but then not again for 2 weeks.

They are not allowed to purchase anything. I have had to hide my password from my 4 year old as she knows my pin code.

They are not allowed on YouTube unless sat directly next to me (Cbeebies apps they can sit on another sofa). We discovered that people make evil videos and tag them "Thomas the Tank Engine" or similar. Restrictions don't really help with this

That's it really!

[Doubtfuldaphne]

my ds is 14 nearly and his internet use is monitored by norton so i know exactly what sites hes going on. I did feel it was a bit ott so tweaked the settings as it wouldnt let him go on anything at first. He would spend his whole life on the computer if he was left to it, so he has rules on how long he spends playing online.
His phone hardly gets touched really so I don't have rules on there and it must be turned off by 9pm on a school night.

[Autismmumma]

Both T and D have iPads, we've set them up so they can't download any apps/do anything on games that might require money without the password (they don't know it), parental controls enabled on YouTube and on broadband. Both iPads are not to be used at mealtimes and they leave them with me overnight.
T has a mobile but it has no access to Internet/apps.

[ScrambledEggAndToast]

My DP has set up DS (11) iPad and xbox so that the internet doesn't work between 9pm and 6am. I have no idea how he managed this feat but it's really good because it stopped the sneaky YouTubing at 11pm in bed when he should have been asleep Also, sites which are unsuitable for DS's age group have been disabled on the iPad. DS is not allowed to use the XBox before school or before he has done his homework, not a popular rule but he does tend to get his work done quickly!! Personally, I tend to come off my iPad about an hour before bedtime as it helps me to relax and sleep better if I haven't been in front of a screen.

[500internalerror]

I'm horrified that someone would let a 9 year old on kik :(

[500internalerror]

Our house rules (for 9&10 year olds);

Their iPods aren't connected to the wifi - I transfer apps from my phone for them. They are only allowed them for a specified amount of time over the weekend, but it's pretty much up to them whether to take it in one chunk or not.

Internet access only on main pc on living room. They go on specified sites. No fb or anything as they're far too young.

They're also too young to need a mobile, so no worries there yet.