Now that the schools are closed, children have more time to spend with their best friend: Technology.
Waking early to sneak in a couple hours of Minecraft, Roblox, YouTube or Xbox…grabbing their ‘educational’ iPad and Facetiming a friend…sending emails and texts…it’s a new normal that parents will have to navigate!
To be honest, as an adult, we may not know what’s cool or what they’ve been introduced to at school. They’re digital natives and use it in ways we would never dream of.
As parents we won’t be able to watch them every second of the day. No matter how many Cyber-Safety talks we’ve had, how many times they can repeat the rules back, they are children and they don’t always stop to think.
- They don’t realize certain search terms might not be such a great idea
- They trust they are messaging other children
- They may not realize how much time they are spending on devices per day
Protect your Children with Parental Control Software
A Parental Control Software (PCS) package is essentially an internet filter for children. It takes the inappropriate things online and blocks your child from accessing them, seeing them or even knowing they exist.
Adults can override and disable the software easily, so their own experience is unchanged and unmonitored.
You’ve probably even heard of people using “Net Nanny” or “K9 Web Protection” – these are two very well-known and reliable options available. You may not have heard of “Qustodio” and it is currently our favorite package and the one we use in our own household.
As an added bonus, Parental Control Software can also be used to put time limits on device usage, or even log all online activity. While you may not feel the need to review the logs on a daily basis, they can be vital in identifying cyber bullying, sexting, or inappropriate relationships. Parents around the world credit these logs with saving their child’s mental health, and occasionally, their life.
Deciding the rules and limits for screen time is a family decision. PCS packages just help you to implement and enforce your family’s rules.
The best time to install Parental Control Software is now, before your children become comfortable with unrestricted access, and before they see things they shouldn’t.