Excessive usage of iphones has been eating into your kids’ sleep schedule, studies, and other activities. The Screen Time feature allowed you to restrict the usage, but now kids know workarounds. Here’s what you do.
The screen time feature was launched in iOS 12. It gave parents a decent amount of control. As a parent you can restrict the hours of usage, limit and restrict access to specific applications, and put a downtime on your child’s device with the help of the screen time feature by iOS.
It gives you a good way of controlling how much exposure your child is getting to the internet, and how many hours they’re spending on their smartphones. You can lock the screen time app with a passcode, so that the kids can’t get access to it. These controls are especially useful for kids who are not readily capable of self-regulation.
But guess what? Your kids are smart, and they’re are innumerable videos and articles that teach them how exactly to bypass the parental controls on their phones. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can stay a step ahead of your child.
You can be as strict as it gets
This is for critical situations where you aren’t able to control your child’s mobile usage with the screen time application.
You can put a downtime on wifi usage for your child where they can no longer use the internet after designated hours.
You can also regulate your child’s browsing habits from the internet provider where your child isn’t able to access certain sites with the internet connection.
Make sure your screen time passcode isn’t stolen
The little rascals can be sneaky. They can decipher the pass code from a reflection or from the movements of your finger. Be discreet while putting up the passcode. If you want to apply the screen time restrictions, be careful about it.
If your child is tech savvy, they can put a screen recorder on while you put in the passcode. So, whenever you type the passcode in make sure there aren’t any red circles around the screen.
If you ever find out that your child was trying to screen-record the passcode, you can have a conversation about it. If you still feel the need, you can disable the screen recording. Follow the steps.
1. Go to settings and tap on screen time
2. Go to content and privacy restrictions
3. Click on content restrictions
4. Select screen recording
5. Select don’t settingsChanging the date and time
It’s a matter of time before your child figures out that the downtime feature is based on the iphone’s time. So, they can fool the system by changing the time zone. For instance, if the downtime is set as per Eastern time, they can set the system 12 hours ahead by changing the phone to Indian standard time.
There’s no way for you to know if they’re doing it. But you can take steps to stop it.
- Go to settings
- Select screen time
- Select content and privacy restrictions
- Select location services
- Select system services
- Find setting time zone
- Toggle it off.
Once you have turned it off, get back to the location services option and select don’t allow changes.
Also Read – What is Share Focus Status? Learn Its Importance for iOS Owners
Restrict uninstalling and deleting apps
When you restrict an application with screen time, the system identifies the app by a code. But if the app is uninstalled and reinstalled the restrictions are no longer applicable. So, in order to gain access to an app during downtime, your child can simply uninstall and reinstall the application.
You can stop this by using the following steps.
- Go to settings
- Select screen time
- Select content and privacy restrictions
- Go to iTunes & App store purchases
- Select “don’t allow” for installing apps, deleting apps, and in-app purchases.
Apart from these, if you want to stop your child from sending messages through Siri, you can follow the steps.
- Open screen time
- Select allowed apps
- Find Siri & dictation
- ToRestrictions
Conversation is key
Restrictions like these can strain your relationship with your child. They can view you as extremely controlling and might grow a feeling of animosity toward you. Hence, it is very important to discuss these restrictions with them. They should feel included in the decisions that you are making for their own good. You should remain in control but they shouldn’t feel controlled.
If you face repeated roadblocks with parental controls and if your child seems to be insolent beyond retribution, you should see a child psychologist. You also need to ensure that your approach to parenting is not hindering your child’s growth or further distancing your child from you.
Conclusion
Parenting is a tough job in 2023, more so if both the parents are working. A tool like screen time can help you manage your child’s screen exposure but it needs your careful attention to succeed.
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