How can I support parents to know which Apps they should approve to be on their child's iPad? Here's some tips for how to answer this Q.

Supporting parents to make informed decisions about which apps to approve for their child's iPad is essential for creating a safe and educational digital environment. Here are some tips to help you guide parents through this process:

1. Age Appropriate Content: Advise parents to consider the age appropriateness of the app. Most apps on app stores provide an age rating that indicates the intended audience. Encourage them to align the app's age rating with their child's age.
2. Educational Value: Suggest that parents look for apps that offer educational value. Apps that encourage learning, creativity, problem-solving, and skill development can be highly beneficial for a child's growth.
3. User Reviews and Ratings: Encourage parents to read user reviews and ratings for apps. These can provide insights into other parents' experiences with the app and whether it's suitable for their child.
4. Privacy and Security: Emphasise the importance of checking the app's privacy policy. Parents should ensure that the app collects minimal personal information and has robust privacy settings. Look for apps that prioritise user data protection.
5. Parental Controls: Suggest parents look for apps that have built-in parental control features. These features can allow parents to customise settings, restrict certain content, and monitor their child's activities within the app.
6. Offline Access: Parents may like to choose apps that offer offline functionality. This ensures that the child can engage with the app without constant internet connectivity.
7. Ad Content and In-App Purchases: It's a good idea for parents to be aware of whether the app contains ads or offers in-app purchases. Parents may want to avoid apps that bombard their child with ads or encourage spending without their knowledge.
8. Demo and Trial Versions: Encourage parents to explore demo or trial versions of apps before purchasing or approving them. This allows them to assess the app's quality and suitability for their child.
9. School: Let parents know about any apps their child will be using at school so they can load them on at home. (This can be done through MDM to make your lives easier)
10. Regularly Review Apps: Suggest that parents periodically review the apps installed on their child's iPad. As their child's interests evolve, so might the apps they use. Regularly updating and assessing the app collection is a good practice.

By sharing these tips with parents, you can empower them to make informed decisions about which apps to approve for their child's iPad, creating a well-balanced and enriching digital experience for their children.

Not all parents have time to do a really good job working their way through the suggestions above. You may like to guide them to a couple of websites to assist.

Common Sense Media is an organisation that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information for parents on their suitability for children.

Here are two sites with information regarding apps the website authors feel are dangerous for children. I value the way the first site gives you categories of apps and explains why they are unsuitable. These may also be useful guides you could share with parents. Safewise and Bark