Tweens are that magical age between 9-12, where they are older than a “big kid” and not quite a teenager. Tweens are generally focused on acting like their older teenage counterparts but still need more parental support and guidance. If you have a tween at home, the chances are high that they have asked for a smartphone. Parents of tweens face the important decision of when to get their child a phone and want to know, “What is the safest phone for Tweens?”.

In this article, we will teach you about the safest phones for tweens. This is a critical step in the tween journey. We will also address parents’ common questions about protecting and monitoring their children’s phones. 

Should I let my 12-year-old daughter have a phone? 

Common Sense Media recently reported that by age 12, roughly 71% of children had a phone. That number jumps to 91% by age 14. While this data helps to understand when your child’s peers might get a phone, it doesn’t mean that all 12-year-olds have the maturity to handle the digital world. 

Here are some factors to consider if your tween is responsible enough to own a phone:

Responsibility:

1. Can they take care of their belongings?
2. Do they complete chores and other tasks without constant reminders?
3. Can they handle money responsibly?

Digital Citizenship:

1. Do they understand online safety and cyberbullying
2. Can they handle peer pressure?
3. Are they aware of online privacy settings?

Decision-making:

1. Can they think before they act?
2. Can they be honest about their mistakes?

Communication:

1. Do they communicate openly and honestly with you?
2. Can they handle conflict resolution maturely?
3. Can they express their needs and feelings clearly?

By considering these points, you can better understand your child’s readiness for the responsibility of a phone. It is also important to consider the purpose of the phone and your family’s rules and expectations for behavior. 

Based on these criteria, if your child is not ready to take responsibility for a phone, a safety phone for tweens like the Bark smartphone is a great option. The Bark phone is the safest phone for tweens because it has features that you, as the parent, can control. It gives parents the option for filtered and monitored websites or no internet at all. 

The Bark Phone is the safest phone for tweens. I use it with my kids, and here’s why:

Helpful features of a Bark safety phone for tweens:

• Web filtering or No Internet- 

It blocks inappropriate content and keeps the user off of websites you choose by category or specific URLs. You can also choose to have no internet capability at all. 

• Message monitoring – 

You can get detailed reports from SMS messages to apps like WhatsApp and Kik.

• Safety alerts – 

If a message on your child’s phone is indicative of cyberbullying, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, violence, or inappropriate pictures, you will be alerted right away. 

• Location tracking – 

Monitor your child’s location to ensure they are where they are supposed to be and to find the phone if it gets lost or left behind. 

• App control – 

This feature allows you to turn off certain apps at select times and requires approval to download apps. 

• Restrict Device functions 

You can disable the camera, restrict R-rated movie downloads, and even wipe the phone clean of data should it be stolen.

Should I look through my child’s phone?

The World Wide Web is a scary place for parents to entrust the safety of their child’s identity and innocence. If your tween has a phone, it may be very tempting to look through it in the interest of protecting them. Our private lives exist on our phones, and many people, tweens included, would feel it to be an invasion of privacy if a parent sneakily goes through their phone. 

To avoid conflict with your tween and take a proactive parenting approach, you can install a monitoring app or use a safety phone for tweens like the Bark app or smartphone. Discussing the use of this app or safety phone ahead of time with your child will help them understand why you are putting these protections in place. 

How do I make my phone safe for a tween? 

There are two main ways to make a phone safe for a tween: 

1. Using a parental control app
2. Using a safety phone for tweens

Thankfully, Bark offers both of these options. 

The Bark Parental Control app is installed on both your phone and your child’s phone, but unlike other parental controls, your child cannot turn it off. The Bark app gives parents peace of mind without having to snoop through their tween’s phone. This AI-powered parental control app monitors messages, provides immediate safety alerts, filters or blocks inappropriate websites, and tracks the phone’s location. Parents can also restrict the device functions (like the use of the camera) while receiving comprehensive reports on their child’s use. 

The Bark phone is a Samsung smartphone developed as the safest phone for tweens. Parents have the option to have web filtering or no internet at all. It also provides GPS that can’t be turned off, social media monitoring, safety alerts on texts and pictures, call blocking, and remote lock and wipe.

Tweens like this option because it looks just like a typical smartphone, but parents like how it protects their tween.

Smartphones are a major part of today’s culture. From keeping us connected via messaging and social media to helping us run daily tasks, the use of a smartphone is now a life skill all tweens and teens need to learn. While the digital world can be filled with hackers, thieves, and online predators, there are safety phones for tweens and parental control apps that can protect our children. Use the guidelines outlined in this article and get help from Bark. Keep your tween safe while learning how to interact with the online world. 

Affiliate links in this article have the potential to earn a small commission.

Sign up for the LHCH weekly Newsletter to get more helpful recommendations for parenting, technology, college planning and more!