KREN awareness programme for Kosovo schools

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For parents

A parents' guide, age by age

Every age brings its own challenges online. Here you will find family rules, parental control settings and conversation starters, organised by your child's age.

  • Talk without judgingAsk every day what they have watched and played online, and make it clear they can tell you anything without fear of losing their phone.
  • Explore it togetherTry every new game or app together with your child before they use it alone, so you know what is inside.
  • Be their exampleChildren do what they see: put your phone away at the table and ask them before you post their photo, even in the family group.

Choose your child's age

Ages 6–9

First steps online

At this age children watch videos and play simple games, often on the family phone or tablet. Your role is to stay close and choose together what they watch and for how long.

Family rules

  • Devices are used in the living room, where you are nearby, not in the bedroom.
  • Screen time is agreed in advance, and all devices are switched off an hour before bed.
  • No game, app or in-game purchase without asking a parent first.
  • Full name, address, school and photos are never shared with people online.
  • If they see something scary or upsetting, they turn the screen face down and come to tell you, without being scolded.

Parental controls

  • Connect your child's tablet or phone to Google Family Link and approve every app before it is downloaded. Android guide →
  • On iPhone or iPad, turn on Screen Time, restrict content by age and switch on purchase approval (Ask to Buy). iPhone guide →
  • On the smart TV, set a PIN for purchases and apps, and turn on Restricted Mode in YouTube. Smart TV guide →
  • In the browser, turn on SafeSearch and set a child-friendly page as the home page. Browser guide →

Questions to talk about

  • “What was the best video you watched today? Will you show me too?”
  • “What's your favourite game? Can you teach me how to play it?”
  • “Have you ever seen something on the tablet that scared you or made you feel bad?”
  • “If someone you don't know writes to you in a game, what would you do?”

Warning signs

  • They wake up scared at night or talk about frightening characters and videos.
  • They use rude words they have not heard at home, or copy scenes that are not suitable for their age.
  • They get very upset or cry when the tablet is taken away.
  • Purchases or apps that you did not allow appear on the device.

Apps for this age

Choose games rated PEGI 3 or PEGI 7, without chat with strangers, and YouTube Kids instead of YouTube. Social networks are not for this age: according to their terms, most require users to be at least 13.

See app age ratings
Ages 10–12

First phone and online games

Many children get their first phone, join class groups on WhatsApp or Viber and play Roblox or Fortnite. Your role is to set rules together and be the first person they come to when there is a problem.

Family rules

  • At night the phone charges outside the bedroom, in a shared space in the house.
  • In online games, they only talk to friends they also know in real life.
  • Passwords are shared only with parents, not with friends, not even a best friend.
  • No new app or in-game purchase (Robux, V-Bucks) without agreeing with a parent first.
  • In class groups everyone writes politely, and no one shares photos of others without their permission.

Parental controls

  • On PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch, set the age limit, play time and spending limit, and restrict chat with strangers. Parental controls on consoles →
  • On the family computer, create a separate account for your child and connect it to Microsoft Family Safety. Windows guide →
  • On the home router, set a schedule that switches off the internet on your child's devices at night. Router guide →
  • Write the family digital agreement together, with rules for screen time, games and the first phone. Family agreement →

Questions to talk about

  • “Who do you usually play with in Roblox or Fortnite? Do you know all of them in real life?”
  • “How are things in the class group? Is anyone being mocked or left out?”
  • “Has anyone online ever asked you for photos, your password or to keep a secret?”
  • “Which rule feels unfair to you? Let's talk about it together.”

Warning signs

  • They hide the screen or close the app as soon as you come near.
  • They have new online friends you don't know, or receive gifts, game currency or codes.
  • After using the phone they seem sad, irritable or don't want to go to school.
  • Unexpected charges appear in the game account or on your bank card.

Apps for this age

Choose games rated PEGI 7 or PEGI 12 and check whether they allow chat with strangers. According to their terms, most social networks require users to be at least 13, so TikTok and Instagram can wait.

See app age ratings
Ages 13–16

More independence, more trust

For teenagers, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and online games are a big part of their social life. Your role shifts from control to guidance: respect their privacy and be there when they need you.

Family rules

  • At night all phones, parents' included, charge outside the bedrooms.
  • Social media accounts are private, and only people known in real life are accepted.
  • Intimate photos are not sent to anyone, not even a boyfriend or girlfriend: once sent, no one can control where they end up.
  • No one known only online is met without a parent knowing, and the meeting happens in a public place with company.
  • Before every post, ask: “Would I be happy if grandma or my teacher saw this?”

Parental controls

  • On your teenager's phone, keep only a few agreed limits, such as a night-time break and purchase approval, and gradually remove the rest. Android guide →
  • Check privacy in TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat together: private account, messages only from friends, location turned off. Apps and age ratings →
  • Help them turn on two-step verification and use different passwords for their main accounts. Academy lessons →
  • Go through the family safety checklist together and note what you still have left to do. 20-step checklist →

Questions to talk about

  • “What's popular on TikTok right now? Show me something that made you laugh.”
  • “Have you ever seen someone from your class humiliated online? How do you think we could help?”
  • “If someone threatens you with a photo or asks you for money, you know you can come to me without being scolded, right?”
  • “How can you tell whether a news story or video online is real or fake?”

Warning signs

  • They suddenly withdraw from friends, family or activities they used to enjoy.
  • They delete accounts, change their number or seem to panic after a message.
  • They stay up late on the phone and feel constantly tired at school.
  • They receive money, gifts or special attention from someone older whom you don't know.

Apps for this age

According to their terms, most social networks require users to be at least 13, and many offer extra protections for teens. PEGI 18 games and dating apps are not for this age.

See app age ratings

If something happens

The first steps when your child tells you about bullying, a stranger, a scam or an intimate photo.

  1. Stay calm and thank your child for telling you. Make it clear that it is not their fault and that their phone will not be taken away because of this.
  2. Do not delete anything: take screenshots of the messages, the profile and the date, then do not reply to the bully or the stranger.
  3. Block and report the account directly in the app or game, and change passwords if someone has accessed the account.
  4. If someone threatens with intimate photos or demands money, do not pay and do not send anything. If card details were given, notify the bank immediately.
  5. For serious cases such as threats, money scams or intimate photos, follow the steps on the “Help & Reporting” page, where you will also find the contacts, and inform the school if a student is involved.
Help & Reporting

Tools for the family

Family agreement

10 rules to read and sign together.

Open

Safety checklist

20 steps for the family's phones and accounts.

Open

Quiz together

Play the quiz together and see who knows more.

Open
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