According to research, 91% of children own a cellphone by age 14. If your child is among them, there are a few ways that you can use their favorite gadget to encourage responsibility, accountability, and common sense.

1. Get Educational

Educational apps can be a great supplement to your child’s schooling. Some are razzle-dazzle games that make learning fun; others are more businesslike programs that will help your child manage their notes, schedules, flashcards, or study breaks. Educational apps are very versatile, so don’t be afraid to look around. They’re also available for every age group, so you can find everything from phonics and early reading for preschoolers to advanced calculus or language learning for high schoolers.

2. Set Limits on Usage

Unless your child has exceptional self-control, you probably don’t want to hand them a smartphone and say, “Have fun!” Instead, you’ll want to exert some control over their usage until they prove themselves responsible enough to handle it on their own. For example, you might have limits for screen time that are proportional to their report card grades. You might block certain websites until they do their chores. These tactics are a nice way to teach actions and consequences.

3. Make Them Financially Responsible

If they’re a teenager with a job, this trick is easy: They can pay for everything. Just put the phone in their name, and they’ll be responsible for all of the bills, overages, and roaming charges. Another possibility is buying a pre-paid or rechargeable phone and having them earn their own money to buy more minutes. Finally, if they’re a very young child, you might foot the overall bill but ask them to pay for any extras like apps. They can use their allowance for it.

4. Use Them for Navigation or Sleuthing

The modern smartphone is capable of so much more than browsing social media. Encourage your child to explore these possibilities by expanding their horizons on their phone. If you’re driving somewhere, for example, let your child poke around a map app and plan your route for you. If you’re wondering about the answer to a question, don’t just have them ask Alexa: Get them to use a search engine and hunt for the truth the old-fashioned way. Creative problem-solving is a valuable life skill, and it can be taught and honed right there with a screen.

5. Teach Them Cybersecurity

Parents often worry about their child’s safety online. The good news is that you can lessen their risk by teaching them basic cybersecurity tips. The fundamentals include things like maintaining privacy, avoiding identity theft, and understanding the importance of passwords and phone locks. If your child can demonstrate responsibility with these topics, they can prove themselves ready for a cellphone with fewer restrictions.

These are just a few tips for teaching responsibility through cellphone usage. Remember: If you start early, you can instill good habits that last a lifetime. How your child uses their phone today can influence how they’ll use phones forever.

Published by: Martin De Juan