Parents should stop being ‘child’s friend’ over phones – children’s commissioner

Dame Rachel de Souza said parenting must not be outsourced to professionals, adding “if we are serious about protecting our children, we have to look at our own behaviour”.

In an article for the Sunday Times, Dame Rachel wrote: “The temptation as a parent to give in to a child’s pleas is a real one. Every parent has been in that position.

“A new smartphone, ignoring the nagging voice in your head that questions it, because ‘all my friends have one’, despite knowing how much time you spend on your own smartphone.”

She added: “You are not supposed to be your child’s friend. Sometimes being the parent means making difficult decisions in your child’s long-term interests, no matter how loudly they disagree. They need you to give them love, understanding, support and boundaries.

“It means listening to your child, always encouraging the height of their aspirations, but not just doing exactly what they want.”

Nearly a quarter of children spend more than four hours a day on an internet-enabled device, a survey for the children’s commissioner suggested earlier this month.

A YouGov poll of 502 children in England aged eight to 15 found that 23% spend more than four hours a day using an internet-enabled devic...
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