Protecting a child on laptop! HELP!

BillScarab

It's an interesting dibate. Personally I just use the in built Vista Parental controls and they seem to do a good enough job wth my two (9 & 6). It is important to set them up asa standard user and not an administrator though.The PC is also in the dining room and we are often in and out so can see what they are doing. Things may be different when they are older though.


Luckily I know far more about the computers and the internet than them and hopefully always will given that I've always worked in IT, so it will be harder for mine to pull the wool over my eyes.

I really don't like the idea of trying to record what they do. How would you have felt when you were younger if your parents had recorded your telephone calls? They do need some privacy and to a certain extent to make mistakes for themselves.

It's a very fine line, I like DBerror's method of withdrwing privileges if they do things they shouldn't as it helps teach them responsibilty.

Lakeuk

Just keep the laptop in a family room and take an active interest in what your child does on the laptop

If your child at any point gets an unhealthy addiction to a site or web based activity then go the opendns route and block the site in question

familyfitz

As many of you seem more informed than I am and hence could probably tell me quicker than me suss out....could you tell me how to set up the controls on Vista. Need to do on my laptop as kids now starting to use net on this computer. Other computer is XP so also need to set up controls there.
Not needed to do this previously as kids just played bought games but as I said, starting to want to surf!

TIA

GunJack

this really is a minefield, and to a degree depends on your own standards as a parent. My boys are 10 and 7, and their current interests on the net are online RPGs and looking for cheats for console games. I have got parental control software on the main pc they use, and on their xmas laptops I am wanting to put something on to try and ensure they don't view inappropriate material.

However, as others have said, there is a fine line between protection and "spying"...no control/restriction software is infallable, but something not too intrusive is, I believe, better than nothing.

..and I still believe this, after seeing some of the YouTube search results when the search phrase was something to do with pokemon

patchkipper

Like the earlier post, if anyone can advise how to set up the controls on vista I would very much appreciate it.

Additionally, if anyone has any tips on an internet security that I can download I would appreciate it.

Thanks very much.

Marty_J

WOT is a pretty good add-on for Firefox which displays whether links and sites are safe or not.

tweeter

Op, you can bank on it that someone your kid knows will have no controls on their computer. He might already be able to run rings round you, as there was a case in the paper of a grandmother complaining that her 9 year old grandson had put a keylogger on her computer.

madforIT

You might find this a good read
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/let-your-geeky-kids-play-online-with-kidzui/
thinking of putting this on my daughters laptop.

BillScarab

patchkipper wrote: »

Like the earlier post, if anyone can advise how to set up the controls on vista I would very much appreciate it.

Additionally, if anyone has any tips on an internet security that I can download I would appreciate it.

Thanks very much.

There's an article about Vista Parental Contriols here

You can also change yoru DNS to OpenDNS which will also allow you to restrict websites.