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Family Management

Manage family members, permissions, safety features, and access control for your FamilyCast family hub.

Family Member Management

Adding Family Members

Invite and manage family members with role-based permissions.

Topics Covered:

  • Adding parents, teens, and children
  • Invitation process
  • Family member types and roles
  • Co-parenting setups
  • Multi-generational homes
  • Guest access

Who Can Add Members: Account owners and family admins


Kids Safety

Create safe, age-appropriate display experiences for children.

Safety Features:

  • Safe Mode for kids' displays
  • Age-based content filtering (3-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13-17)
  • Private calendar event filtering
  • Kid-safe photo albums
  • Message moderation
  • Access restrictions
  • Activity monitoring

Perfect For:

  • Parents wanting age-appropriate content
  • Filtering sensitive information from kids
  • Bedroom displays for children
  • Teaching digital responsibility

Managing Access

Control permissions, display access, and security features.

Access Control:

  • Permission levels (Owner, Admin, Parent, Teen, Child, Guest)
  • Display access control
  • Calendar editing permissions
  • Photo album access
  • Message sending permissions
  • Security settings (2FA, passwords)
  • Activity logs and monitoring

Perfect For:

  • Setting appropriate permissions by age
  • Managing who can change settings
  • Monitoring family member activity
  • Securing account

Family Roles

Account Owner

Full Administrative Access:

  • ✅ All dashboard features
  • ✅ Manage billing and subscription
  • ✅ Add/remove family members
  • ✅ Delete account
  • ✅ Manage all integrations
  • ✅ Configure all displays

Who: Account creator (primary parent)


Family Admin

Administrative Access (No Billing):

  • ✅ Manage family members
  • ✅ Configure displays
  • ✅ Manage integrations
  • ✅ Edit all calendars
  • ✅ Manage photos
  • ❌ Billing access
  • ❌ Delete account

Who: Co-parent or trusted adult


Parent/Guardian

Standard Parent Access:

  • ✅ View all family content
  • ✅ Edit family calendar
  • ✅ Manage own calendar
  • ✅ Send messages
  • ✅ Upload photos
  • ✅ View all displays
  • ❌ Add/remove family members
  • ❌ Manage integrations
  • ❌ Configure displays

Who: Standard parents


Teen (13-17 years)

Limited Access:

  • ✅ View family calendar
  • ✅ Manage personal calendar
  • ✅ Add own events
  • ✅ View family photos
  • ✅ Send messages (approved displays)
  • ❌ Edit others' calendars
  • ❌ Manage displays
  • ❌ Add family members

Who: Teens 13 and older


Child (Under 13)

View-Only Access:

  • ✅ View personal schedule (on display)
  • ✅ See age-appropriate family content
  • ✅ Check off chores (if enabled)
  • ❌ Dashboard access
  • ❌ Calendar editing
  • ❌ Photo management

Who: Children under 13


Safety and Security

Safe Mode Features

What Safe Mode Does:

  • Filters calendar event details
  • Hides private/sensitive events
  • Shows only approved photos
  • Filters inappropriate messages
  • Simplifies interface
  • Age-appropriate visuals

Age Levels:

  • Preschool (3-5): Very simple, parent-curated content
  • Early Elementary (6-8): Simple schedule, approved content
  • Upper Elementary (9-12): More details, broader access
  • Teens (13+): Full access with optional restrictions

Content Filtering

Calendar Safety:

  • Auto-filtered from kids' displays: Work meetings, medical appointments, financial events
  • Display options: Show as "Mom Busy", time block only, hide completely, custom message

Photo Safety:

  • Kid-safe albums: G-rated, no embarrassing photos, age-appropriate
  • Automatic filters: Adult events hidden, private moments filtered
  • Manual curation: Parents preview and approve

Message Safety:

  • Young kids (under 10): Parent pre-approval required
  • Tweens (10-12): Parent review and approval
  • Teens (13+): Can send to approved displays, parent notification

Privacy Protection

Personal Information:

  • Use first names only (not full names)
  • No addresses on public displays
  • No phone numbers
  • Generic school names
  • Hide sensitive appointment details

Guest Mode:

  • Temporarily hide personal schedules
  • Show only public family calendar
  • Disable personal messages
  • Switch to photo-only mode

Family Setup Scenarios

Traditional Two-Parent Family

Setup:

  • Both parents as Account Owner + Admin
  • Kids as Child or Teen roles
  • Shared family calendar
  • Individual photo albums per child's room

Displays:

  • Kitchen: Shared family hub
  • Kids' rooms: Individual safe displays
  • Living room: Photo slideshow

Co-Parenting (Divorced/Separated)

Option 1: Shared Family Hub

  • Both parents have admin access
  • Shared calendar for kids' events
  • Custody schedule clearly marked
  • Both manage displays in their homes

Option 2: Separate Accounts with Shared Calendar

  • Each parent has own FamilyCast account
  • Share kids' calendar via iCal link
  • Each manages own displays
  • Updates sync between accounts

Multi-Generational Home

Setup:

  • Grandparents as "Extended Family" role
  • Custom permissions (between parent and view-only)
  • Grandparents' own display in their area
  • Access to family calendar
  • Ability to add their own events

Single Parent Family

Setup:

  • One parent as Account Owner
  • Kids as Child or Teen roles
  • Focus on visual schedules for organization
  • Message reminders for self-reliance

Best Practices

Start Restrictive

  • Begin with maximum safety settings
  • Gradually relax as child matures
  • Trust builds over time
  • Age-appropriate expansion

Regular Reviews

  • Monthly: Review display content, update ages
  • Quarterly: Adjust age settings, review permissions
  • Annually: Major permissions review
  • After birthdays: Update age level

Open Communication

  • Explain why safety matters
  • Involve kids appropriately
  • Build trust through transparency
  • Teach digital responsibility

Privacy Respect

  • Don't embarrass kids publicly
  • Keep discipline private
  • Respect developing privacy needs
  • Balance safety with autonomy

Troubleshooting

Can't Add Family Member

Possible Issues:

  • At subscription member limit
  • Email already in use
  • Invitation expired
  • Invalid email address

Solutions:

  • Upgrade plan if at limit
  • Resend invitation (expires after 7 days)
  • Verify email correct
  • For young kids: No email needed

Family Member Can't Access Feature

Check:

  • Their role and permissions
  • Feature availability in subscription plan
  • Age restrictions
  • Custom permission overrides

Solutions:

  • Adjust role if appropriate
  • Grant specific feature access
  • Verify age setting correct

Display Shows Wrong Content

Check:

  • Safe Mode setting
  • Display assigned to correct family member
  • Album appropriate for audience
  • Layout includes right components

Solutions:

  • Enable Safe Mode for kids
  • Reassign display to correct person
  • Switch to kid-safe album
  • Choose appropriate layout

Need Help?

Family Management Support:

General Help:


Get Started:Add Your First Family Member