4 Smart Ways to Protect a Curious Child With Parental Controls

Digital devices intrigue children. These gadgets are beneficial but expose curious youngsters to inappropriate content, malware and other dangers. How do you let your child gain from them without becoming ensnared?

Parental Controls provide balance and security. They encourage the safe use of devices and protect inquisitive children.

What are parental controls?

Parental Controls refer to filters in digital games, Internet programs, software and mobile devices.

• Categories

There are three broad categories of controls. Content filters check and filter web data. They limit access to inappropriate content.

Monitoring programs are available as well. Besides tracking how your child uses devices, they indicate his location when he is accessing them.

Usage controls manage your child’s computer activities and come in many forms. Computer Usage Management Controls fall under this category. They enforce the downloading of filtering software.

• Platforms

These checks work on routers, devices, and applications. Network controls are set on your router and affect devices connected to it.

Device controls work on specific gadgets. Most digital devices come with parental controls which function as long as there is an internet connection.

Application controls take effect on software or Internet programs. Youtube and Google, for example, have parental control settings.

4 Ways to Protect an Inquisitive Child With Parental Controls

You need not be a technological whiz to set up parental controls. Here are four smart, yet simple ways to put them in place.

1. Configuring Routers

Your router is a tool which directs Internet traffic to the devices connected to your network. It allows you to filter the information going through them.

Many routers come with parental controls, but if yours does not, you can configure it using OpenDNS, a software which protects Internet users from phishing, fraud, and inappropriate content. This software lets you choose the websites you want to block.

2. Parental Controls on Windows

Windows operating systems have built-in Parental Controls. You can determine what time your child can use his computer and what programs he can access. Encrypt your administrator password or he may bypass the Parental Control settings.

To access Parental Controls on Windows 7, navigate to the Control Panel and click on the application. Select your child’s account, then tap on the button next to “On, Enforce Current Settings.” You can then browse through the programs that your child uses. Click on Time Limits to determine when he can access the computer, and drag your mouse across the time slots you want to block.

If you use a Windows 8 system, access the Control Panel. Click “Family Safety,” then “Manage Settings on the Family Safety Website.” Log into the Family Safety account using your Administrator Password, then select “User can only use the Websites I allow.” Turn on Web Filtering to manage the internet programs your child accesses.

On a Windows 10 computer, log into the MicroSoft Family account using your Administrator Password. You can choose to receive emails about your young ones’ computer activities using the Activity Reporting settings. You can tweak Web Browsing, Application, and Screen Time settings as well.

3. Parental Controls on Osx El Capitan

El Capitan, the operating system for Macs, allows you to track your child’s computer use. Accessing parental controls on it is straightforward.

First, set up a restricted account for your child. Click on the Apple icon at the top left-hand corner of the screen. Go to System Preferences, then controls. Mark the button next to Create a New Account. Fill up the required fields, then click “New User.”

El Capitan lets you limit the use of applications to an age range. To begin, select your child’s account from the sidebar and click on the Apps tab. Tick Limit Applications so that your child can use only apps specified by you.

Click on the reveal arrows next to Other Apps to scan and select relevant programs. You can place restrictions on the apps your child can download. Choose from the available options, such as “restrict apps to 17+.”

4. Third-Party Software

Third-party applications may serve your needs better than computer based ones. There are countless free filters and Internet suites available.

One of these filters is Norton Family, an application by the creators of Norton antivirus software. Others include activity monitor Kid Logger and K9 Web Protection, an efficient web filter.

Set up parental controls and use them to shield your curious young child.