Convert adult account to child account

Question

When my kids were born I setup google accounts for them so as I could reserve email addresses for them. I don't think kids accounts were a thing back then, so I used 1/1/2000 as a date of birth for each of them to get around the age restrictions.
Now that they'e old enough, I'd like to setup a Family group, but I can't add them because the systems think that they're adults and I can't change their dates of birth in Google because they're under 13 and this results in their accounts getting disabled and eventually deleted.
I could just setup new child accounts for them, but don't want to lose the addresses that I registered for them.
Is there any process that I can go through to get their accounts converted to child accounts?

jp88 · Accepted Answer

Peter Cozens
 
If you change the date on a "false date" child's account to qualify for Family Link, then Google will delete this account, (for breach of Google policies  https://www.google.com/mail/help/terms_of_use.html), with very little chance of getting the account back, although some claim to have succeeded.  (extremely doubtful).
 
The same applies if an underage account is detected by Google, and has been closed by Google.
 
Age requirements for Google accounts, and a recovery method if wrong age entered is at https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1350409?hl=en    See also https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1333913   
 
You will find that the credit card route is the best way to recover the underage account , and you will have to again put in a false age.  You may have to also clear the cache in your browser, before doing this.  There is no guarantee that the account, and any data therein, can be recovered. It appears that the credit card may need to be in the name of the account holder as well;  this could be a problem.
 
The account could then be added to Family Link  (if it is recovered), but your child would need to give permission to be added, and could rescind that permission with Google at any time, due to the perceived age being older than legal requirements for underage accounts.  You need to be aware of this.
 
"Can I use Family Link to supervise my teenager?
Yes, Family Link can be used to supervise teenagers (children over the age of 13 or applicable age of consent in your country). Unlike children under the age of consent, teenagers have the ability to stop supervision at any time, but if they do you will be notified and their devices will be temporarily locked and unusable."  https://families.google.com/familylink/faq/  
 
If a problem for you, best leave the account as closed, and start a new account with Family Link.  Data cannot be transferred from the closed account.
 
For more specific Family Link support, please see https://support.google.com/families/topic/7336731?hl=en&ref_topic=6149867 
 
And a help centre at https://support.google.com/families/?hl=en#topic=7327495
 
If using a Chromebook, see https://support.google.com/families/answer/7680868?hl=en 
 
Or use this link https://is.gd/kYpQyJ  
 
Also https://families.google.com/familylink/  for a general overview, which helps as to how Family Link allegedly works.