The internet is filled with great things for kids of all ages. Unfortunately, it is also filled with potentially harmful contacts and sites that they should not be accessing, for both their benefit and the health of your computer. There are lots of ways to control your kid’s internet access to protect them and your computer.
- Net Nanny – Net Nanny software is available in Windows, Mac and mobile applications. A full-featured program that allows you to set different criteria for each child. It not only protects from inappropriate sites, but also predatory messaging and email. It also allows you set date and time restrictions for each child, and provides monitoring reports to you.
- Control Kids This is a Windows based software. It monitors all websites visited and all computer keystrokes, in addition to blocking specific websites or types of content. It also blocks credit card transactions.
- Cyber Sieve – SoftforYou provides this internet control product. It provides the typical website blocking of inappropriate content and allows separate settings for different individuals accessing the computer. It also sends reports to you with screen shots of your child’s activity to allow you immediate and complete control from remote connections.
- PureSight PC – Monitor chats and facebook, access reports and alerts from anywhere, set time limits to internet and chat use, all with this software. In addition, this software has a high level of language protection that looks for bullying tactics.
- CYBERsitter – In addition to monitoring facebook and chats, this software also has an additional mobile app, CellTRAKR, that will monitor your child’s mobile activities. With ongoing reports, you can know when and where your child is using their cellphone and in what way.
- K9 Web Protection – FREE and yet thorough, this downloadable internet control package incorporates all the standard web browsing protections, including very strong and customizable search engine filtering.
- Web Watcher – Monitor and control your kid’s internet, email and chatting. This software will record and report on every aspect of your child’s online and offline activity, in addition to setting web content filters and timing restrictions. It also captures screen shots so that you don’t have to try and interpret reports.
- Kidswatch – There are some nice extras in this parental control software. The ability to set one-time passwords to override time limits for special situations like online homework assignments. It also has special options for restricting access to Windows settings for the computer savvy teen. You get all the other top child protection features, including immediate email alerts when your child has experienced a danger zone activity.
- PC Homesoft – If you’re looking for software that will provide your computer protection, as well as your child, this may be what you’re looking for. It provides options for protecting Windows files and your registry from changes, preventing the download of software without a security password and also allows you to hide files that you don’t want accidentally accessed or changed by your kids or others who use your computer.
10. Physical control – In spite of the sophistication of these parental control software packages, kids are often times more computer savvy than their parents and can find their ways to avoid the limitations of those softwares. If you truly want to control what child or teen accesses, the best ways are good old fashioned physical actions. Sit with your kids, or at least be in the same room while they are on the computer, so you can see what they are doing. If you don’t want them sneaking onto the computer at night or when you are out of the house, hide the modem or take it with you.
Don’t leave it up to your kids to monitor themselves, they need their parents involvement and oversight in this area.
