Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Messenger Kids, as there has never been a more relevant topic than raising kids in the digital age with access to social media.
In a time of hyper-connectivity, it can be overwhelming as a parent to determine what options are going to work the best for your family while still keeping our kids safe online. At the holidays in particular, we want our kids to be able to interact with family and friends who are spread across the globe, but in an age-appropriate way. Enter…Messenger Kids by Facebook!
Messenger Kids is a messaging app by Facebook designed for kids to be able to interact with their friends in a safer environment they will enjoy and parents can easily check in on their kid’s activities, plus kids can practice their Internet skills (i.e. safe media sharing, boundaries, etc.) with low stakes.
Messenger Kids Key Points
- App is connected to the parent’s Facebook account, giving parents control over their child’s contact list as well as the ability to check in on their child’s messaging threads
- Parents can use Sleep Mode to set “off times” for the app to manage their child’s screen time
- The fun stickers, filters, and GIFs allow kids to interact with one another in a fun, yet age-appropriate way that helps them grow their digital citizenship
- FREE TO DOWNLOAD and use with your (the parent’s) Facebook account!
Use Messenger Kids this Holiday Season
Special for the holidays, Messenger Kids is rolling out some fun festive features kids and grown-ups alike will love! From seasonal stickers & artwork to interactive effects, messaging with friends and loved ones just got a little more fun. And what could be more fun than interacting with your kids AS SANTA?! With Messenger Kids, you can activate the ability to chat with your kids as St. Nick himself direct from the Messenger app!
We checked in with a couple of our MkeMom writers who use Messenger Kids in their family to learn more about how it works!
“In our house, we’re not ready for our tweens to have phones of their own. But they’re old enough to be home alone for short stretches of time, and we need to be able to check in with them. This is where Facebook Messenger Kids has been an incredible tool for us.
Our kids have access to Facebook Messenger Kids on our family iPad. They can use it to text us or call us when they’re home alone. (They mostly send us stickers, silly emojis, and voice memos of belching 😉 It’s been a really convenient way for us to keep tabs on them, give them spurts of independence, but also not have to give them a phone when none of us are ready for that.
My favorite part of the app is that it’s directly connected to my and my husband’s Facebook accounts and gives us more control over the kids’ accounts. They can ONLY message with someone we have added – They can’t add anyone to their contacts without us knowing. This gives me a lot of peace of mind, because I want to know who’s communicating with my kids.
We also live far away from family, so this is an easy way for our kids to keep in touch with cousins and other relatives they don’t see often. I would have loved to text with my cousins as a kid!
Facebook Messenger Kids has been a great compromise for our family, giving a little freedom and responsibility without diving in to the head-spinning world of giving our tweens a phone.” – Jess, Waterford
“Messenger Kids is a great app If you want relatives and friends to keep in contact with your little ones, without having to set up an actual Facebook page for them. Let’s face it, social media these days is terrifying for children! I have a 14-year-old and 12-year-old and I monitor their phones like crazy. I didn’t want one more thing to have to worry about so my husband and I agreed — No Facebook.
Then I saw the Messenger Kids app. Messenger Kids lets you manage who your child can talk to. It will not add a new friend to their Messenger Kids contact list without your knowledge. Best part about it, they do not need a separate Facebook account. I can also put the app on my phone and see who they were messaging and what they were talking about. It was so nice for us that we told my niece and nephew about it as well. They are only 7 and really have fun on the app talking to us and their big cousins. Some neat features they have are different silly filters and games. They also have a timer so you can control what time the app goes to “sleep.” That way I can make sure they are not on it too late in the evening.
Overall if you are considering Messenger Kids, I think it is a great, fun and safer app for your children to be able to connect with friends and family from all over, especially this holiday season!” – Lisa, Milwaukee
With a rapidly changing digital landscape, Messenger Kids gives parents peace of mind and allows kids to express themselves creatively and engage socially.
DOWNLOAD Messenger Kids for FREE Here!
Learn more :: Messenger Kids Website | Facebook | Instagram
Download :: Apple | Android | Amazon Fire Tablet
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