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."

No houserules other than if you lose/ break your phone you will have to wait for Christmas or your birthday for a nice new one- until then it's a basic model!

No rules as such. My eldest (12) is not really that bothered but my youngest (6) is gadget mad. She loves my iPad mini but we restrict usage to appropriate game apps, and in app purchases have to be authorised by my password, so she can't buy anything without permission.

My children are 3 and 6. They aren't allowed on the internet but they play games and do educational things on my tablet. Also all in app purchases are blocked. I do limit the time they play on them too.

children 8 and 4. They have access to our computer and iPad.

They have their own shared profile with strict settings, if they are online, they must use this. They also have their own Netflix profile with child restrictions/

They are not allowed to go online without an adult sat next to them/in the same room as them, they are only allowed to go online if they ask first, and share information about the site they are going to/seek permission to go that site. If they break this rule, they lose access to all computers for a week. DS aged 4 does not have this freedom himself, but his sister helps him to choose, or we do. They are under no circumstances allowed to browse the internet, youtube, google, etc (although safety and security is all strict). If they want to search a particular topic, we sit with them to do this. They are allowed access to: cbeebies, cbbc (DD) milkshake, disney channel, and a few other child specific sites, as mentioned already, with permission at the time.

In addition to internet, or, to be honest, instead of is encouraged - they have some apps on it - educational/learning games for each of them relevant to their ages. DD is encouraged to help DS learn how to play his games.

They are not allowed on the computer at all without permission. They must ask, and accept no means no. If they argue about this, they lose access to all computers for that day, longer if they are particularly rude about it. In fact, if there are any arguments about the computers or iPad at all, they lose access to them.

Access is limited to 30 mins at a time. Unless I am cooking, am sick, or am on Mumsnet or otherwise need them to be quiet. Or, unless they are using it to watch a film.

No computers/ipad before bed. or while eating. Never ever at the dinner table. Not allowed to use every day. If an adult wants, or needs to use the iPad or computer, they give it back without arguing.

My children are obsessed with gadgets too though, if I let them, they would be on a tablet or computer all day. They forget they belong to me and DH and have to be reminded quite forcefully that they are ours.

Oh, also, DD has mine craft on the x-box. We chose it on the x-box, rather than on the tablet, as we can all play it together, it's more inclusive, as it's quite intrusive into the front room on the x-box, so we either all chip in and have a go at building and creating etc, or it's not on at all. On the iPad, DD is likely to just be absorbed in it with less interaction.

No mobile phones for either child. They have no need for a phone.

We use parental controls on YouTube everything else is password protected and must be asked for and only used when we are supervising.

A set amount of credit per month and once its gone its gone

internet off by 8.pm and only allowed in living room

parental locks and internet monitoring
no apps allowed to be purchased without permission

We have one main rule, no tablet's, phones or iPods etc are allowed to be used upstairs if they have access to the internet. I'm the only one that knows the wifi password so have to connect them and I check they are disconnected when they go upstairs.

Our main rule is to set down when the kids can go on the tablet or laptop. They can download basic apps but nothing that needs a payment without me putting in the password for google play.

we don't really have any rules but do keep an eye on my son also we do not have gizmos at meal times

My 5 and 2 year olds rarely have internet access, except to watch things on Netflix that we choose together. If my eldest asks me a question that I think will benefit from pictures or videos then we look it up on the internet.

Phones and tablets are kept away at mealtimes and for the first hour on arriving home to give us all a chance to chat about our day. They're allowed tablets to help with homework and once that's find they can have an hour a night on games etc. this rule applies to me and my husband too.

Mine are too old & independent now for me to enforce rules as they've lived away from home independently. However, when they're at home, it's no devices at the table- we let the answerphone kick in on the land-line too.

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!

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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Don't steal my charger

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.