What in your opinion is the best software to keep your kid safe?
Motivated Online Monitor (or MOM for short).
Mom (or Dad) controls internet access and/or devices and takes them away when necessary.
The best software to keep our kids safe online is the pre-loaded, original manufacturer's equipment in a parent's brain, instinct and heart. Here are the installation instructions.
1. Adhere to age restrictions (no social media accounts or access before age 13).
2. Require kids to share with their parents all passwords, history and activity at all times.
3. Be vigilant about fake sites and apps that appear to be innocent calculators and such.
4. Restrict computer access in bedrooms and where the child is unsupervised.
5. Deny computer/electronic use during school hours and overnight.
6. Establish clear usage boundaries and consequences.
7. Talk with your kids; educate them and interact with them.
8. Don't just shove a tablet or phone in their faces when you're grocery shopping.
9. Recognize that computer access is a privilege, and you pay for it, so you're in charge.
Covenant Eyes. I think it's covenanteyes.com but not totally sure.
Once a kid sees something, they can't UN-SEE it. It's too late by then after you check their phone and see what they have been up to. I think parenting is being pro-active and not so "trusting", especially in this day and age. They see and hear enough without having unlimited access to the internet on their phones/tables/computers. JMO. Good for you for checking into this. Good luck.
We used basic comminucation with each other.
I'm not a believer in parental spying devices.
Use wisely, communicate and be open with your teens.
You! You are the best thing to keep your kid safe! Open communication! Tell them all what's out there, the good, the bad & the ugly & how you can't un-see things and that's there is plenty of time to explore it all...just not now!
Let them know what is and isn't acceptable and then remind them that NOTHING goes away once it's out there on the net...or even the computer hard drive for that matter. Once they understand that basically EVERYTHING they click on or type can be seen by you, if you wanted to look, I bet they will be just fine. You gotta stay on it tho. Ask them what they are up to occasionally, just keep the lines of communication open, that really is the best way, in my humble opinion. Heck, bluff if you have to, I mean if they know you aren't as computer savvy as they are, just tell them you can take it in to the geek squad and see it all.
Kids are a lot smarter than we think they are and chances are you put blocks or special software on there & they will be around it in an instant!
~For what's it worth, my husband is a computer programmer/genius and he doesn't put any of that stuff on the kids computers, he just tells them the truth, that at any given moment if he wanted to see what they were up to he could see it all!
I agree completely with TF. We have two boys, 12 and 18, and this has worked very well for us.
I totally agree with Elena B., we do that. In addiction we use parental control software on pc and phone (naturehealth children's care and default windows parental control on pc, dinnertime app on phones) just to schedule time and to limit inappropriate websites or apps. I don't spy, I check, my daughters know I've passwords and I make check now and then to have proof everything is ok and the set up limits are not violated. It's plenty of good parental control softwares and it worth installing them, just look for one that fit your needs.
I don't have anything on the computers. I did listen to a talk at church one time that suggested all devices should be used in areas where everyone in the household can see what other people are doing.
As for a teen? They should be mature enough and have enough knowledge to understand that people on the internet aren't who they pretend to be. Most people he knows and is on the internet with are peers or family. But when they do gaming or other things like that they will meet and interact with complete strangers.
Be open and honest with your teen. Talk to them. They need to fully understand that even adults get kidnapped, raped, murdered because they trusted someone on the internet. Being careful about their private information is a skill they need to use their entire lives.
