It’s not easy being a parent in the digital age. You likely have concerns about what your children are up to when they’re using their smartphones or laptops. It’s almost impossible to keep them away from all of the dangers lurking on the internet. However, with the right parental control software, you can protect them as much as possible. The right software will also be easy to use so you won’t have to worry about spending too much time or hard work with it. Keeping your kids safe doesn’t have to be a chore.
The specifics of what you can do with parental controls vary depending on which product you choose. In short, they all allow parents to limit what their kids can and cannot do on electronic devices. The better ones have some sort of location tracking so parents can keep up with their child’s whereabouts. A report is usually given on where they have been over a period of time.
Everybody knows that there is a lot of stuff on the web that is not safe for children. Parental control software usually allows parents to create a profile for each child which includes information such as that child’s age and what kinds of sites you want to restrict that child from viewing. There tend to be a lot more restrictions for younger children. If you’re unsure about what you want your teenager to see, some suites will have a pre-configuration default profile for every age group. You can view these settings for some ideas.
Benefits of Parental Control Software
Protect your kids from potentially harmful strangers with the ability to track calls & SMS messages. Who does your child text and call every day? Who is trying to contact them? You can turn certain chatting apps off as well, such as FaceTime, if you don’t want them doing video-chatting. You can choose specific times to allow them to use these apps, and then have their phones and tablets locked at bedtime and at dinner.
Here is an overview of popular features on parental control software:
• Advanced social media monitoring (especially FaceBook)
• Smart web filters
• Time restrictions (on each device)
• Games and apps blocking and restricting (on mobile devices)
• Priority support
• Extended reporting on child’s whereabouts, SMS recipients, contacts, etc.
• Call blocking
• “Panic alert” (Android devices)
What is the best program that offers all of these features? Many experts recommend Qustodio. Reviews are very positive as this is a popular program. Choose from a variety of plans depending on the size of your family and the number of devices on which you want to run the parental control software.
There is a free version that you can try for one device as well. Use Qustodio coupon codes to help you get a good deal when you upgrade. This is a great, well-rounded program with all the tools you need for keeping your entire family safe.