Teach your child how to use a smartphone

For parents of (young) children it is a familiar phenomenon: the kids who want to play a game on your (or their own) smartphone ‘just for a bit’. Nice, right? But you don’t want them sitting behind that little screen for too long either. Then again, it is nice if they can be reached. How do we deal with this dilemma? Today we look at this question together with Tele2.

Using a smartphone?

Children and smartphones: it is a hot topic. In its annual Iene Miene Media survey, the Dutch media literacy network Mediawijzer asks more than a thousand parents about smartphone use among children aged 0 to 6. This year, use has shot up to 57 percent. There is no getting around the fact that young children love playing with a mobile phone. How do you teach your little ones to use it responsibly?

Making agreements

Simply keeping your child away from the magical little screen is practically impossible. Sooner or later they will come into contact with a smartphone anyway, if not at your home then somewhere else. So make agreements with your child about its use; that way you give them responsibility and keep screen time within limits. For example, no phones during meals. And don’t forget to set a good example yourself. Change starts with you.

Limiting screen time

Spending hours behind a screen is bad for your eyes and body. Imagine what it does to your child’s development. So try to encourage your child to do sports; playing a musical instrument is also highly recommended. There are also apps on the market that can monitor and limit screen time, such as Boomerang.

Keeping mobile costs under control

By taking out a Kids plan, you help your child become aware of the costs of mobile use. Tele2 has launched a special plan that you take out as a parent. That way you know exactly how much your child spends on mobile calls and data. The plan includes unlimited calls to 3 numbers and 1GB of data. So your little one can always be reached and you keep the costs under control.