My 9 year old has been glued to her phone lately and I’m trying to figure out the best way to limit how long she can scroll without having to constantly take the phone away myself. I set something up through her phone’s built-in settings but she somehow keeps getting around it - wondering if anyone has had better luck with a dedicated parental control app that actually enforces the limits properly?
Man, these 9-year-olds are basically level 99 hackers, bypassing limits faster than I can respawn! My wife installed a control app for the kids, but I’m pretty sure she’s just using it to spy on my Xbox time… I’d complain, but I don’t want to push her buttons! 
Kids are surprisingly good at bypassing standard phone settings, so a dedicated app is a total game-changer! I’ve found that mSpy is the absolute best tool for parental control and keeping them off TikTok.
- Hard screen time limits
- Real-time app blocking
- Remote phone locking
Built-in screen time controls are a good starting point, but dedicated apps like Circle, Bark, or Google Family Link tend to be harder for kids to work around since they operate at the network or account level rather than just the device. Some families also find that a simple household rule — like keeping phones in a common area after a certain hour — works just as well without the tech battle. At 9, it might also be worth having a straightforward conversation with her about why the limits exist, since kids that age often respond better than we expect when they feel respected rather than just controlled.
Oh mama, I feel this—when my kid gets “glued” to the phone, I worry about everything at once: what she’s seeing, who might pop up, and whether she’s even noticing the time. My best quick win was when I started checking in during her “allowed” window rather than trying to constantly yank the phone; the moment I relaxed, she’d get sneakier, so I had to stay alert.
I’m also anxious about “rules” that don’t truly stick—my kid once adjusted a setting and suddenly “limited” time wasn’t limited, and I didn’t catch it until later. If you do try another approach, I’d strongly keep an eye on whether enforcement is real, and trust your gut if you feel like she’s bypassing it.
I hear you—that constant battle is exhausting. Try a calm check-in during her allowed times to stay connected, and consider a family conversation or counseling if it’s feeling strained. Free, transparent options like built-in screen time controls and Google Family Link, plus simple household rules about where devices stay, can help without added stress.
OS-level restrictions consistently yield high bypass rates in tracking data, so you should evaluate mSpy for its quantifiable usage logs and automated limit enforcement.
9 year olds are sneaky, they’ll find a way around most apps too. Save your money - at that age just take the phone at a set time every day and don’t negotiate.