Parental control applications play a crucial role in digital parenting by helping parents manage children's online activities. However, most existing applications emphasize restrictive monitoring and surveillance, often at the expense of trust, transparency, and digital autonomy. This study evaluates current parental control tools through the lens of Social Learning Theory, Attachment Theory, and Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) to identify gaps in fostering collaborative digital parenting. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research involves qualitative interviews, focus groups, surveys, and usability testing with parents and adolescents (ages 10–15). The study examines how digital parenting strategies influence family relationships and child autonomy and explores the effectiveness of collaborative design features such as gamification, shared dashboards, and participatory goal-setting. Findings will contribute to the development of a guidance-based framework for parental control applications, shifting from a surveillance model to one that supports education, trust, and cooperative decision-making. The study’s insights aim to inform developers, policymakers, and educators on best practices for designing ethically responsible and culturally adaptive digital parenting solutions.