If you’re a parent of teenagers, you already know how difficult it can be to get your teens to take care of their stuff. Anything you buy for them could be ripped or broken in the space of a fortnight, or have been lost or left behind because they forget to take it with them.
And as a parent, that can get pretty annoying! It costs a lot of money to make sure your teenager has everything they need to go out into the world with, and you just end up wishing they’d be more responsible about it.
Let’s make that easy for them. Here are a few things you can do to encourage your teens to take care of their phones and tablets.
Lead the Way
Teens love pointing out when their parents are being hypocrites. It’s the kind of thing they’re looking out for, now they’re growing up and learning how the world works. The rules we could get them to follow as children are now out of the window and they’re not coming back!
That’s why leading the way is essential. If you want your teens to take care of their gadgets, show them that you do too!
For example, use screen protectors on all your devices, and don’t share the passcode to get into them. Similarly, make sure your phone is always charged, and try not to forget to put it in your pocket before you leave the house!
Let Them Help Pay for Them
If your teenager has had to front some of the money themself, they’re automatically going to be more careful with their possessions. After all, they’ve had to put at least a bit of their own pocket money into the deal, and even teenagers know that money is hard to replace again!
Of course, you don’t want your teen to have to pay massive amounts for something like a new phone. Even if they have a specific model in mind, and you’d like to get them what they want, you can head online to find a smartphone deal for the exact model at a lower price.
This way they get what they want and you can still apply the responsible teaching of having them help pay for it.
Set Your Own Online Safety Rules
It can be hard for parents to keep up with what their kids are doing online. The idea that they could be talking to anyone, and may not understand what details about their life should stay private, is a very worrying one.
But at the same time, it can be hard to ask your kids to follow online safety rules when you’re not 100% sure of them yourself. So firstly, get to know the rules of the online world! Then, institute a few of your own rules regarding them in your home.
It’s possible to get your teens to look after their gadgets. You’ve just got to make responsibility feel more real to them!
