Just got my son his first phone for his birthday. Installed Life360 so I can track him, set screen time limits through Apple, and made him promise no social media. He promised but I know he's gonna find workarounds. What apps should I actually be worried about? What am I missing?
Life360 and screen time limits is a solid foundation. Just remember the promise part matters more than the tech - you've gotta follow up on those conversations as they grow. Good move getting ahead of it at 12.
You're doing the right things here. Between juggling my three kids' activities, I've learned that keeping tabs and setting boundaries early saves so much headache later. The promise he made is honestly the most important part.
Life360 is smart. At least you know where he is. But you might want to be chill about checking it constantly or he'll figure out real quick that you're tracking him and get resentful about it. Screen time limits make sense though.
12 is reasonable for a first phone if he needs it for practical stuff. Life360 is good for safety but maybe sit down with him and explain why you're using it instead of just springing it on him? Transparency goes a long way with kids that age.
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You're doing the right things but just make sure you're talking to him about responsibility too, not just setting rules and tracking. That's the balance that actually works. Source: I'm learning this with my two.