3 Reasons to Share an Apple ID with your kids

Hi, everyone!  This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and today we are going to talk through 3 reasons to share an Apple ID with your kids. 

In my experience, there is a pretty even split between those parents who give their kids their //own Apple ID// with their first Apple device and those parents who have them use the //parent's Apple ID//.  Either way, it's not usually thought of as a technique to control access and keep tabs on what your kid is doing online. 

As a parent who doles out independence reluctantly, it was natural for me to have both of my kids use my Apple ID to begin with -- before I even knew some of the benefits. And now that my kids are older, it is still one my main tools to //limit apps, view texting activity and find my kids.//  It also can be a major pain in the rear end, so make sure you are okay with the problems it presents if you decide to implement this.  

I require that my kids use my Apple ID. They don't get their own. And I don't tell them the password. Here's why:

1. The first reason //text: Reason #1// is that I can control the apps they are downloading from the App Store //Limit Apps//. Anytime they want to buy an app -- even if it is free -- they have to ask me to put in the password.  I like having control of what they are putting on their phones. AND if your kids are sneaky, like mine, they will us the 15m "open" period after your put your password in to download a whole slew of other apps that you DIDN'T necessary approve. I have the option turned on my phone to //"Automatically download new purchases made on other devices"// for apps. So, they just show up on the //pic: back page of my phone// and I constantly know what apps my kids have AND can check them out easily since they are pre-downloaded for me. Obviously, I could just take their phones and look occasionally, but that takes remembering!  This is the lazy and distracted parents way to keep tabs on their apps.  Two mini //grc:Tutorials//: 1) here's how to get rid of the default 15 minutes of app buying bonanza on your kid's device.  Go to Settings --> General --> Restrictions (put in a passcode to enter this area) --> scroll down to Password Settings and then choose to require a passcode for every app purchase including free ones.  I'll post a video soon about this whole iPhone Restrictions area. 2) //grc: Quick tutorial #2//) here's how to have purchased apps download automatically onto your phone. Go to Settings --> iTunes and App Store --> then turn on automatic downloads for Apps. Remember, this is on your phone. If you do this on your kid's device, they will get all your apps like Pinterest and WeatherBug, which in the case of my kids would make them //emoji: Not Happy//. 
2. Here's the second reason //text: Reason #2// to share an Apple ID with your kids, I can get their //text messages// on my phone or iPad. I turn this function on on my iPad sometimes (not always, but if I sense something strange is going on socially -- then DEFINITELY).  I can find out who they are talking to and what they are talking about. Two things to consider, 1) use this sparingly. I found myself getting a little too caught up in kid drama that it wasn't important to know about -- plus you'll have to let stuff roll off you like curse words and other non-harmful kid talk and 2) most kids are talking by Snapchat now, so texting is less important. Again, I can take their phones and read text messages, but this becomes increasing difficult as their phones become more welded to their bodies and as their bedtimes get later and later. There is less opportunity for snooping. AGAIN, this is a good solution for lazy and distracted parents.  //Mini Tutorial//:  Here's how to turn on your kids' text messaging on your device. Go to Settings --> scroll down to Messages --> go to Send and Receive --> and choose whichever cell phone numbers or email addresses you want to have on your device.   Make sure you set "Start New Conversations From" to your own cell phone number.   This is not quite as important, but you can also turn on FaceTime from their friends on your phone. I NEVER answer their FT calls -- can you imagine how horrified their friends would be my face showed up answering the video call? -- but it's helpful to know who's calling them and at what time. We are totallyr missing this information now that friends don't have to call the family phone. Use the same methodology as for iMessage.  Go to Settings --> FaceTime --> and choose the numbers or emails.
3. Here's //Reason #3// for Sharing an Apple ID -- I use //Find My IPhone// all the time for my kids. Definitely when they lose their phones in the house (which is near daily), but also to find out where they are now that they both have a little more independence. And how about this scenario that we all know so well? You are calling and calling and calling your kid and they are either refusing to pick up or can't hear the phone ring?  Then I make the Find My Iphone sound play on their phone which is undeniably loud and  obnoxious like this //sound// and it won't turn off until they find and look at their phone.  They don't love that I do this occasionally.  //emoji: mad face//  You have to make sure location services are turned on for their phones.  //Mini tutorial// On your kid's phone, go to Settings --> Privacy --> and ensure Location Services are turned on. Again, you can do this by knowing their Apple ID and password or by using the Find Friends app, but I find this a little simpler.  Plus, I don't think you can play the obnoxious sound using the Find Friends app and logging out to sign in as your kid i find to be annoyingly cumbersome. 

So, again, there are ways to do most of these things without sharing an Apple ID, but as a lazy and distracted parent, I appreciate this reminder of apps they are downloading, people they are texting, and their location without having to leave the comfort of my own device. 

Here is the //drawback//. It can wreak HAVOC with your iMessaging and Facetiming.  If you have 3 separate emails and cell phone numbers using the same Apple ID, the phone sometimes can't keep straight who is sending the texts, but that only really applies to people we all send texts to. Which essentially is only my husband in the case of my family. This is why I only turn this on for my iPad, but not my iPhone. Like my conversations with my son will look like they all came from the same person -- like I have multiple personality disorder of something //image// or my husband gets messages from me, but looking like they came from my daughter.  Very confusing and disorienting for him.  The only way to prevent this from happening is to delete all of the history of text strings and text him from a brand new string every time like this: //demonstration//. Same thing with FT -- I can't FT him from a previous attempt like this //demonstration// -- I have to start each as a new conversation.  You also get their FTs ringing on your device, which I don't mind, but if they don't answer right away it can be annoying or disruptive to what your are doing. It can spoil a perfectly good game of Clash Royale (just kidding, I don't actually play Clash Royale). So anyway -- those are the drawbacks, but I like all of the advantages so much that I live with it and make my husband live with it too. 

To sum up -- the 3 reasons why I share an Apple ID with my kids are to:

1) control app purchases

2) spy on texts and FaceTime, and 

3) Use Find My iPhone

I'm including the steps for the mini tutorials in the video description.  Please leave comments about what has worked and not worked for you with sharing an Apple ID. Thanks for watching!