Internet Parental Controls: How to Control Wi-Fi Access for Kids

When it comes to parental internet controls, sometimes it feels like you try and try but kids still figure out a way around your efforts. Whether they do intentionally or by accident, it happens. Kids are becoming more and more tech-savvy, and as a parent, you want to protect your child where and when you can. Kids find ways around firewalls, find un-secure sites, and when you block a website, another one pops up. 

To take action on protecting your child’s internet use, here are a few parental internet controls you can try to limit Wi-Fi access for your children.

Talk to your kids, set boundaries and expectations when online.

Talking to your kids and setting boundaries help start the conversation on internet safety, responsibility, and your intent to monitor their internet privilege. This discussion has the potential to educate your child.

Enable parental controls on your kids’ game systems and mobile devices.

Any of their gaming consoles, cell phones, iPods, etc., have internet access. These gadgets have web browsers just like a laptop or PC, which means that they pose the same internet threats. Fortunately for you, these devices also feature parental controls that allow you to restrict unwanted content. Periodically, check to see if the password that you set is still valid. If not, then the device owner may have tampered it.

Scan all wireless accent points in and near your home.

You’ll want to scan for neighboring WiFi access point near your home to check that they are secure networks. In other words, your child will need a password in order to use it.

The best way to do this search is from areas in the house where your child might try to connect to other hotspot networks nearby.

An example is a neighbor or a business in close range. If your child attaches to an unsecured wireless network access point, all of your in-home Wi-Fi filters become useless. If you find any, make sure to block them from your recognized networks.

Put the PC or device in an open environment in the home.

Making sure kids are not locking themselves with their devices away in their room. This last recommendation is a great way to keep your child in a social family environment. And it is a way to keep an eye on what they are visiting online. Kids are less likely to visit “bad” content with people looking over their shoulder.