While Instagram can be dangerous, allowing my son to open an Instagram account is an exercise in trust for all of us. However, just because I’m allowing him to have an Instagram account doesn’t mean I’m setting him free in the digital space. Instead, I’ve put together an Instagram contract for teens that he will need to sign.

Kids today know more about technology than most adults. Smartphones and tablets, computers, and wearable technology surround them.

Every day, they learn new things about technology. It’s essential for them to understand the responsibilities of living in such a digitally vulnerable world.

Allowing your teen to have an Instagram account will be more successful with a printable Instagram contract for teens and tweens. It’s also essential that you know some Instagram parental monitoring tips.

Online safety is difficult to achieve. Safety isn’t impossible, just tricky. Adding Instagram parental monitoring to the long list of things you already do daily can be hard.

But just like any other list of parenting tips, if you follow the ones that make sense, you’ll be fine. One of the most important tips is to sit down and have a conversation with your teen about the dangers of social media.

To help with that conversation, I am sharing the Instagram contract for teens and tweens that we use in our homes. This can help jump-start the conversation.

Download the Instagram Parent / Child Contract Here

This is a single page document that is easy to print and it helps teach kids the dangers of social media as well as standing by their promises. It clearly details, in a language they can understand, that if they break the rules, the account will no longer be accessible.

An Instagram account contract is more than just saying, “do this or you can’t have Instagram,” it’s a helpful tool for building a strong and trusting relationship with your kids.

This contract makes it easy for kids to see what is expected of them!

Printable Instagram Contract for Teens | Instagram Parental Monitoring Tips

Now that you have a contract in place, it’s important to know some tips to help you monitor your child’s Instagram account.

Age Limits

Instagram helps set the proper age limit so you don’t have to be the bad guy. Currently, the age limit is 13 years old. That means Instagram doesn’t allow you to have an account unless you’re 13 years old or older.

Set-Up

You should be involved in your teen’s Instagram account from the start. First, set up the account with them or do it yourself from their device.

Built-In Settings

Instagram has built-in settings that can help keep your teen safe on Instagram. The most important setting is privacy. Ensure you set your teen’s Instagram account to private before handing it over to them.

Geotags

A geotag is a setting that shows where a picture was taken. Ensure you turn off geo-sharing because no one needs to know where your teen’s photo was taken.

This applies even if their followers are friends; you approve.

Private Info

Every Instagram account has settings that allow you to use personal info to get information. There is no need for your teen to use these settings, so make sure the profile has no private information.

Instagram Contract for Teens | Know What they Can Find

Instagram is good at blocking inappropriate pictures, but sometimes they slip through. Even if your teen searches for something harmless like “Foodie,” they may still come across something inappropriate.

Open a dialogue that shows it’s OK to talk to you about something they accidentally stumbled upon.  

Followers

Requests for followers will come in from people you or your teen won’t recognize. These requests may be harmless spam accounts. No matter who they are, ensure your teen knows that only you can approve new requests.

This Instagram contract for teens will help.

Celebrity Accounts

Be on the lookout for celebrity accounts. If there isn’t a checkmark by their name, they’re fake; do not allow them to follow.

Set Rules for Postings

Make sure your teen knows that pictures of themselves will be online forever, even if they delete them from their account. Make sure they know what can be posted and what can’t.

Read Them Their Rights

There is a heavy debate about what is considered private space as it transfers from the real world to the digital space. Ensure your teen knows that posting pictures of people without their permission is unacceptable.

Should Parents Monitor Instagram – Yes or no?

The answer is yes – a tough yes. There are many dangers that lurk in the digital world, and your teen can be a prime target. Not only can you better spot a fake or someone meaning harm, but just being involved is excellent.

Earlier, I said that allowing your teen or tween to have an Instagram account is an exercise in trust for everyone. The exercise is that your teen trusts you to keep them safe and monitor their account, and you trust them to have this responsibility.

Our relationships with teens and tweens are essential, and the best relationship is built on trust. In fact, there is a service called UKnowKids that can help in Instagram parental monitoring as well as all digital activity.

Using UKnowKids can help you monitor photos, contacts, messages, and more from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. As we enter deeper into the digital age, new tools arise that help parents get the job done right, and UKnowKids is one of them.

Use UKnowKids in conjunction with the Instagram contract for teens, and you’ll be set.

More Parenting Ideas Beyond Instagram Contract for Teens

Helpful Tips for Parenting Teens | Teens are not the same as toddlers or kids. There is a whole lot that needs to be done differently, but you’ve got this.

Lessons Learned You NEED for Parenting a Teen | No one can tell you how to be a parent, but they can offer some advice based on past experience.

Parenting Tips to Help Children Succeed | In fact, having a community of parents you can rely on helps keep us sane.

4 Easy Meals That Let You Focus on Family | Eating properly is not always easy when you have kids running around. But that’s not to say it’s impossible.

Activities for Kids Before Electronics | Keeping kids off of technology might be your goal, and it might not be, but there are some fun things you can do instead of using a tablet.