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The internet has countless websites on just about every subject that you can think of. However, not all of these topics are going to be G rated. Some of them aren’t even going to be child friendly enough to be R rated. As such, when your child gets old enough to start using the computer and internet, it’s a good idea to do some childproofing for the web. Here are some basic procedures that will allow you to do just that.
Step 1: Set up Independent User Profiles
In order to prevent your child from undoing any of your installations or other precautions, you will want to set up a user profile for them. Make sure this is not an administrator account, that it is password protected, and that it’s the only profile they have access to on the family computer.
Step 2: Set Some Rules
Before you go about locking things down, let your children know the ground rules. Develop reasonable standards with them for what can and can’t be done, and educate them on the risks of web chatting with strangers, providing personal information, and so forth.
Step 3: Keep Visible Eyes on Them
One way to prevent your children from exploring, due to curiosity, confusion, or raging hormones, is to make sure they know people are watching. Placing the computer in a well trafficked area will help with keeping them literally watched, but letting them know that you track their web activity will help them avoid any inappropriate sites.
Step 4: Check for Built In Controls
There are a few basic controls that can be added with Windows XP and above. There are also some advanced parental controls that are granted by many of the major internet service providers. See what you have to start with, and decide if more is needed from there.
Step 5: Buy Blocking and Monitoring Software
There are dozens of brands which provide software that will let you restrict sites, get reports of your child’s behavior, and monitor the amount of time your child spends online. This will let you catch any issues before they become too severe.
