Parental Monitoring: How to Monitor My Children’s Internet Usage
Keeping children safe is at the forefront of every parent’s mind, especially when it concerns the Internet. Having conversations about online safety, establishing boundaries for a child’s Internet usage, and setting parental controls are necessary steps to ensure that children are both informed and safe while online.
3 Key Parental Monitoring Tools
1.
Establish parental controls on your home Wi-Fi network. By securing your network and using a managed Wi-Fi system, you not only have control of the devices on your network, but can also secure those devices through parental controls. Parental monitoring features on a managed Wi-Fi system allow you to establish Internet usage time limits and monitor the websites your children have access to. Some managed Wi-Fi solutions allow you to set up profiles for each child, and then customize parental controls for each profile.
2.
Set up parental controls on your children’s devices. Many tablets, smartphones, computers, and gaming consoles have their own parental control features that allow you to manage the content your children are allowed to access.
3.
Use parental control software. Parental control software is specifically designed to keep your children safe while they’re online. There are a variety of parental control software options, each with a unique set of features. Some of those features include: per-user settings, content filtering, filter HTTPS sites, access schedules, social network monitoring, and remote management.
Start the Conversation
It is important to talk to children about Internet safety. Do this early – while they’re young – and continue to have the conversation as they get into their teen years.
While parental controls offer helpful tools to keep your children safe while online, children need to be aware of their activities and have the knowledge to spot harmful online situations. Discussing Internet safety with your child is a critical step to help them protect themselves.