Parental controls let you limit what your child can see and do on their phone — without constantly hovering over them.

On Android phones:

1. Open Google Family Link (download free from Play Store on both your phone and your child's).
2. Link your child's Google account to yours. If they don't have one, Family Link helps you create a supervised account for children under 13.
3. You can now: approve apps before they're downloaded, set daily screen time limits, see which apps they use most, and lock the phone at bedtime remotely.
4. Many Android phones also have a built-in "Kids Mode" or "Digital Wellbeing" section under Settings.

On iPhone (Screen Time):

1. Go to Settings → Screen Time → This is My Child's [device].
2. Set a Screen Time Passcode (different from the phone's unlock PIN) so your child cannot change the settings.
3. Under Content & Privacy Restrictions, you can block adult websites, restrict app purchases, and filter explicit content in music and videos.
4. Set Downtime to automatically block the phone during school hours or bedtime.

Online grooming is when an adult builds a false friendship or romantic relationship with a child online — gradually gaining their trust to manipulate or exploit them sexually.

Groomers are skilled at appearing kind, understanding, and trustworthy. They often spend weeks or months building trust before pushing boundaries.

Warning signs in your child's behaviour:

• Becomes secretive about their phone — hides the screen, closes apps when you walk by, deletes messages
• Spends unusual amounts of time online — especially late at night
• Becomes withdrawn, upset, or angry after using their phone or computer
• Receives gifts, money, or top-up credit from someone you don't know
• Switches off or changes topics when you ask who they're talking to
• Uses language or talks about topics that seem beyond their age
• Wants to meet someone they only know online

The goal is not to make children afraid of the internet — it's to help them use it confidently and safely. Conversations work better than bans.

Age-appropriate conversations:

• Ages 5–8: Teach the "SMART" rules — Safe (don't share personal info), Meet (never meet online friends in real life), Accept (don't accept files from strangers), Reliable (not everything online is true), Tell (always tell a trusted adult if something worries you).
• Ages 9–12: Discuss what information is private (full name, school, address, phone number, photos in school uniform) and should never be shared with strangers online.
• Ages 13+: Talk openly about consent — both giving and receiving. A photo or message sent once can spread. Nothing online is truly private.

Create a safe environment at home:

• Keep screens in common areas, not in bedrooms — at least for younger children
• Make it normal to show each other funny or interesting things online — this opens the door for them to show you worrying things too
• Agree on family rules together — children who help make the rules are more likely to follow them