Ask HN: What is your policy regarding smartphones for your children?
[Random parenting advice from the internet]<p>My child is grown but grew up during the iPhone era.<p>Anyway, I had a policy.<p>It lasted until middle school.<p>Then we had a conversation.<p>And worked things out together.<p>That&#x27;s my recommendation because in the long run, conversation and negotiation are the only tools you really have.<p>Good luck.<p>----<p>Appendix:<p>1. FOSS is your value. Your child is not you. If your child thinks FOSS is cool, it&#x27;s cool. If they think it is lame, you are being lame.<p>2. Parental controls are only as good as someone else&#x27;s parents. Your child can look at naked people on someone else&#x27;s phone.<p>3. Around middle school, your child&#x27;s peers begin to have massive importance. It is not that you cease to be important. But you are going to have to share influence. Even if you try to forbid such sharing.<p>4. It is better if parents grow as their children grow. Growing is on you because you are the adult.