5 Ways to Make The iPod Touch Suitable for Kids

 

Have you noticed how every kid either owns an iPod Touch or is clamoring for one as a gift for their birthday or Christmas? If you’re considering buying one for your children, here are five things you can do to make the iPod Touch more kiddie-appropriate.

1. Set Up a Monthly iTunes Allowance
Did you know that you can limit your child’s purchases with the iTunes monthly allowance feature?
Let’s face it: kids can never have enough of games, apps, music and books. Armed with an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, there’s no knowing how much damage they can do to your credit cards at the iTunes store. iTunes Allowances is a clever solution that lets you set up a monthly  budget within the store for your kids to use.

Here’s how to set it up:  Launch iTunes and go to the iTunes Store. In the right column, click on “Send iTunes Gift.” Select “Learn More About Gifting.” Scroll down to the Allowances section and click on “Set up an Allowance.” Then fill out the basic information. You might need to create a separate Apple ID for your kids if they don’t have one already. What’s great about this is that your kids don’t share your Apple ID and therefore don’t know your password to log in and bill purchases to your credit card on file. It’s also a great way to teach them financial responsibility.

2. Get a Child-Proof Case
iPod cases  are a must to protect from the accident-prone kid. I love the adorable Griffin Technology  KaZoo Case for 5th Generation iPod touch, which not only scores high on the cuteness index but also provides great protection from drops, falls and spills.

3. Set a Maximum Volume Limit
It’s probably not healthy for your kids to listen to Justin Bieber on full blast. To protect their hearing you can set the volume limit to an acceptable level. To set a volume limit on the iPod Touch go to Settings > Music > Volume Limit. You can also set up a password for the volume restriction so your children can’t tinker with it.

4. Download a Child-Safe Browser
If your kids surf the Internet using Safari on the iPod Touch, they might stumble upon objectionable content.  It’s probably a good idea to disable the browser by going to Settings > General > Restrictions.  As an alternative, download a child-safe browser such as Mobicip, which filters the Internet based on the level you choose (elementary, middle or high school). You can also view your child’s browsing history and set up a blacklist of website you don’t want them to visit.

5. Prevent In-App Purchases
If your credit card is linked to iTunes,  it’s easy for kids to make in-app purchases and rack up the charges. Who can really blame them for wanting to buy Smurfberries for their Smurfs’ Village game? However, you can take turn off the in-app buying ability. To find out how to do this check out our previous post, “How to Prevent Your Child From Making In-App Purchases.

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