Help to Control Kids' Internet Access
Discussion
Hi,
I'd like some advice on how to control and limit the time my kids are spending on their devices (phones, Ipads, Nintendo). It despairs me to see how much time they've got some sort of screen in front of them and we've tried physically removing them, but they always seem to find another device to use. Is there any software or apps that people would recommend that can do this?
Please note I'm not that tech savvy so nothing too complicated!
Cheers,
Mark
I'd like some advice on how to control and limit the time my kids are spending on their devices (phones, Ipads, Nintendo). It despairs me to see how much time they've got some sort of screen in front of them and we've tried physically removing them, but they always seem to find another device to use. Is there any software or apps that people would recommend that can do this?
Please note I'm not that tech savvy so nothing too complicated!
Cheers,
Mark
I have a mesh WiFi setup which restricts internet access for my kid's devices at home (some routers allow this too). If they are out and about, I use Google Family Link to restrict usage (I'm sure Apple have something similar). Nintendo really annoy me as their parental controls are garbage, you should be allowed to specify hours in the day when they can access the Switch, bit you can't.
I think there are three main solutions:
Use the free tools built into the platform - for Android phones you can use Google's Family link and I imagine there's something similar for Apple devices. It's reasonably easy to set up and use. You create accounts for your kids and can monitor and can take full control over screen time, which apps are installed etc.:
https://families.google/familylink/
There are also settings on the phone to limit screen time and apps under the Digital Wellbeing settings on Android, although they might figure out how to disable it. I use these features myself to prevent my day being wasted by social media.
For plugged in devices (like consoles / TVs), you can use smart plugs to have some control over when they're switched on (at least until they figure out how to switch them on manually). You can set up a schedule so they automatically turn off at a certain time of day, for example.
Another option is to manage it at the router by controlling internet access for certain devices. You're likely to need a new router that has the features, and possibly pay for the service too. This kind of thing:
https://www.netgear.com/home/services/smart-parent...
And obviously that wouldn't stop them playing offline games.
Use the free tools built into the platform - for Android phones you can use Google's Family link and I imagine there's something similar for Apple devices. It's reasonably easy to set up and use. You create accounts for your kids and can monitor and can take full control over screen time, which apps are installed etc.:
https://families.google/familylink/
There are also settings on the phone to limit screen time and apps under the Digital Wellbeing settings on Android, although they might figure out how to disable it. I use these features myself to prevent my day being wasted by social media.
For plugged in devices (like consoles / TVs), you can use smart plugs to have some control over when they're switched on (at least until they figure out how to switch them on manually
). You can set up a schedule so they automatically turn off at a certain time of day, for example.Another option is to manage it at the router by controlling internet access for certain devices. You're likely to need a new router that has the features, and possibly pay for the service too. This kind of thing:
https://www.netgear.com/home/services/smart-parent...
And obviously that wouldn't stop them playing offline games.
I am tech savvy. We have mesh. You can't limit their access through wifi (any small child can find out how to enable IP spoofing etc. these days), you can only turn the main router off (which you probably won't want to do).
Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
I do worry about the impact of it but it's also quite an amusing game, as you add a rule and they figure out how to work around it
For example, we set a time limit on TikTok for our boy. Pretty foolproof, I thought, until I later realised he was quickly downloading as many videos to his phone as he could during the time limit and then watching them later at his leisure.
For example, we set a time limit on TikTok for our boy. Pretty foolproof, I thought, until I later realised he was quickly downloading as many videos to his phone as he could during the time limit and then watching them later at his leisure.
biggiles said:
I am tech savvy. We have mesh. You can't limit their access through wifi (any small child can find out how to enable IP spoofing etc. these days), you can only turn the main router off (which you probably won't want to do).
Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
MAC address filtering?Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
markcp said:
Hi,
I'd like some advice on how to control and limit the time my kids are spending on their devices (phones, Ipads, Nintendo). It despairs me to see how much time they've got some sort of screen in front of them and we've tried physically removing them, but they always seem to find another device to use. Is there any software or apps that people would recommend that can do this?
Please note I'm not that tech savvy so nothing too complicated!
Cheers,
Mark
a cupboard with a lock where you keep all their tech?I'd like some advice on how to control and limit the time my kids are spending on their devices (phones, Ipads, Nintendo). It despairs me to see how much time they've got some sort of screen in front of them and we've tried physically removing them, but they always seem to find another device to use. Is there any software or apps that people would recommend that can do this?
Please note I'm not that tech savvy so nothing too complicated!
Cheers,
Mark
We’ve given up on the technical solutions and mainly work around having times of the day/fixed length periods when ‘electronic devices’ are allowed and then time when it has to stop. Our kids tend to like consistency, so establishing the same time of day etc has worked for us.
Funnily enough, I have realised over time, they never want to watch TV. At their age I was glued to the telly most days, so presumably we’re just fighting the same battle as our parents did, just via a different medium….
Funnily enough, I have realised over time, they never want to watch TV. At their age I was glued to the telly most days, so presumably we’re just fighting the same battle as our parents did, just via a different medium….
johnpsanderson said:
Funnily enough, I have realised over time, they never want to watch TV. At their age I was glued to the telly most days, so presumably we’re just fighting the same battle as our parents did, just via a different medium….
True, but the access to harmful content is more significant on an internet device?If you have Sky Broadband then you can load an app on your phone called Sky Broadband Buddy where you can setup family profiles and control access to Wi-Fi.
This would only restrict Wi-Fi and any device with mobile data will need separate intervention.
I have not tried this feature was doing so would be equivalent to signing my own death warrant.
I just checked Sky Broadband Buddy and despite our son having left home we have got 74 devices registered on our router (all known to me).
This would only restrict Wi-Fi and any device with mobile data will need separate intervention.
I have not tried this feature was doing so would be equivalent to signing my own death warrant.
I just checked Sky Broadband Buddy and despite our son having left home we have got 74 devices registered on our router (all known to me).
apple have family sharing where you can restrict time:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/parental-controls...
google have similar
ban them in their bedrooms, have screen free sunday morning for everyone, set an example, give them more interesting things to do
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/parental-controls...
google have similar
ban them in their bedrooms, have screen free sunday morning for everyone, set an example, give them more interesting things to do
markiii said:
a cupboard with a lock where you keep all their tech?
yep at the end of the day you're the adult so take away the screens. u can go extreme:https://www.amazon.co.uk/iDiskk-addiction-temptati...
thebraketester said:
biggiles said:
I am tech savvy. We have mesh. You can't limit their access through wifi (any small child can find out how to enable IP spoofing etc. these days), you can only turn the main router off (which you probably won't want to do).
Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
MAC address filtering?Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
Circle works pretty well if they're a bit too young for MAC spoofing. Any time they try it you get a new device alert anyway, so no great win there.
https://meetcircle.com/
Ours are too old for that sort of thing now, although we now have a Unifi DMP router that I can throttle, time lock, you name it. I don't, but I could.
If you're into tech and don't mind spending a wodge of cash, it's a lovely platform to live with although overkill for most and I'm sure for the same money, actual enterprise solutions are available.
https://meetcircle.com/
Ours are too old for that sort of thing now, although we now have a Unifi DMP router that I can throttle, time lock, you name it. I don't, but I could.
If you're into tech and don't mind spending a wodge of cash, it's a lovely platform to live with although overkill for most and I'm sure for the same money, actual enterprise solutions are available.
I went the other way. I used to encourage access to the computers.
When my kids were young and they switched their computers on, it came up with a big screen of a multiplication table with the numbers 1-12 randomly put on each axis. There was a countdown timer with a beep which got louder the closer they were to zero time.
If they completed it correctly they could play till the computer went off again. If they failed in either time or got a single figure incorrect it started again.
There was a lot of ranting initially but I would just walk away. Over the course of about a month my children could complete the table in under three minutes. It was enough for them to feel like they owned the math class for a period of their lives. There were a few caveats. Early on I had to make the computer shutdown if they didn't touch it for twenty minutes as they tried to avoid switching it off to start with. They were quite good at getting around it until I had to group policy them to the floor. But eventually they realised it was easier to complete the table
As that got old I made it into crib cards with multiple choice answers, and so on.
It was their collective need to use a computer for games and the internet which allowed me to improve their education. And to be honest you could see the penny dropping when they came home from school and had been endlessly praised by the teacher. The feeling of being the best in the class started to really matter to them in other ways.
Piggybacking their need to play games endlessly was tremendously beneficial.
When my kids were young and they switched their computers on, it came up with a big screen of a multiplication table with the numbers 1-12 randomly put on each axis. There was a countdown timer with a beep which got louder the closer they were to zero time.
If they completed it correctly they could play till the computer went off again. If they failed in either time or got a single figure incorrect it started again.
There was a lot of ranting initially but I would just walk away. Over the course of about a month my children could complete the table in under three minutes. It was enough for them to feel like they owned the math class for a period of their lives. There were a few caveats. Early on I had to make the computer shutdown if they didn't touch it for twenty minutes as they tried to avoid switching it off to start with. They were quite good at getting around it until I had to group policy them to the floor. But eventually they realised it was easier to complete the table
As that got old I made it into crib cards with multiple choice answers, and so on.
It was their collective need to use a computer for games and the internet which allowed me to improve their education. And to be honest you could see the penny dropping when they came home from school and had been endlessly praised by the teacher. The feeling of being the best in the class started to really matter to them in other ways.
Piggybacking their need to play games endlessly was tremendously beneficial.
biggiles said:
thebraketester said:
biggiles said:
I am tech savvy. We have mesh. You can't limit their access through wifi (any small child can find out how to enable IP spoofing etc. these days), you can only turn the main router off (which you probably won't want to do).
Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
MAC address filtering?Solutions we have: a locked box for devices and using whatever screen-time controls are on the devices themselves. Educating the children should be the "right answer" but I feel few children behave like in the parenting books...
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