After Christmas, many families welcome new technology into their homes. The start of a new year is the perfect time to review your family’s rules around devices and make sure expectations are clear. Setting boundaries early helps children develop healthy habits and stay safe online.
Key Points to Consider
- Agree on screen time limits and stick to them.
- Talk about online safety—privacy, sharing personal information, and what to do if something feels wrong.
- Encourage balance: time offline for family activities, hobbies, and rest.
- Keep communication open so children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences.
Simple Strategies
- Charging and overnight storage outside of bedrooms.
- No Tech Zones such as the dinner table.
- Parents to know all passwords for devices and apps.
- Explore monitoring options to help manage device use.
Built-in Free Tools:
- Google Family Link – Great for Android; manage apps, screen time, location, and content filtering.
- Apple Screen Time – Ideal for families using iPhones/iPads; robust controls across Apple devices.
- Microsoft Family Safety – Best for Windows PCs and Xbox.
To support you, we’ve created a short Well-being Video and a helpful poster, available on our Well-being Chat page: https://youtu.be/0Qvo9xfzg0w
Please also take a moment to watch our Safeguarding Video, which outlines our commitment to keeping children safe: https://youtu.be/4CggI74X4QQ
Let’s work together to make technology a positive part of family life in 2026!