Never Allow Your Child to Figure Out Your iPad Password

Kids are growing up with technology that we old-timers thought only existed in Star Trek. Touch-screen gadgets smaller than a book with more computing power than desktops that cost thousands in the 1990's, and this is the new "normal" for kids.

Back when I was your age These gadgets are great for learning, but they're also great for gaming.

A common technique used by game developers is to allow the game itself to be downloaded, but then make you purchase "upgrades" to actually be able to advance in the game. It's dirty, but it's capitalism in all its glory.

My stepsons received tablet-controlled robots for Christmas (from a grandparent, of course). To control it, you have to download an application (or app) into your tablet.

Since the tablets are linked to my account, I made sure to set the tablets to require a password before downloading ANYTHING. Not all tablets offer this feature, but I'm grateful that ours do. This was learned the hard way, of course, as one stepson downloaded $100 worth of apps and upgrades without permission and without money of their own to pay for it.

His tablet became my tablet until the bill was taken care of.

That was the perfect post-mortem opportunity to talk about money with the kids. But we're preventing that from ever happening again.

A UK man learned this lesson the hard(er) way. His 7-year old rascal-of-a-son memorized the password to the man's iTunes account, promptly downloading the Jurassic World app. The boy needed his dinosaurs upgraded, so he upgraded them...to the tune of over $5,700. He didn't lollygag, either: at one point he blew through $2,000 in one hour.

Fortunately for the man (perhaps more so for the son), Apple eventually refunded the entire amount spent, and just in time for Christmas.

Here's hoping that the man gave his son a board game for Christmas. Monopoly money is harder to spend in the real world.

H/T: The Epoch Times