Getting Started Guide

If you are thinking, “I need to protect my kids online, but I just don’t know where to start”, you are not alone. The vast array of devices and apps can make it seem like a daunting task. See why I do not set up parental controls FOR parents, but rather help empower them to do it. I think it helps parents to understand that there will be times that this process will be frustrating. It isn’t always easy and it requires some education and effort. I hope the following steps make it a little easier and help you get started with this important parenting responsibility:

1. Join the Sensible Cyber Parenting group. It is a closed facebook group where you can get help and discuss issues with the tech experts and other parents in the group. Click here to join.
2. Recognize the need to protect.
   • If you “trust your kids” or think “they would never”, I hope that I can convince you otherwise.
   • If you understand the need for protection, but you think your kids are to young, they probably aren’t. 
3. Establish your family technology policies and enforce them.
   • Use our family technology contract or create your own.
4. Prepare your kids’ minds to have the proper response to bad content.
   • It is vitally important to help their brain react properly to what they may accidentally see even with the best efforts on your part.
   • Talking to Your Kids About Pornography
   • Protecting Your Child’s Brain From Pornography   
5. Take an inventory.
   • Make a quick list of every internet connected device in your home.
   • Start a sheet of paper for each of those devices.
   • On each sheet list the following:
     • Who has access to it?
     • Does it have access to an internet browser? (Devices with browsers)
     • Does it leave your home?
6. Protect your whole network.
   • As with most types of security, the best approach is a layered approach.
   • Start by protecting your router
   • See other Router Filtering category posts to the right.
7. Use built-in controls.
   • Take advantage of the controls that the manufacturer provides.
   • Protect each device with the controls it came with.
     • Add user names, passwords and other information about each device to its page you started. Obviously, this will need to be stored where your kids do not have access to it.
     • Built-in controls for some of the most popular devices and game systems.
8.  Add additional protection as needed.
   • Is it needed? There is no easy answer here. Consider the following:
     • Age of the child
     • What apps are allowed on the device?
     • Thoroughly investigate apps before you allow them.
     • App Information
     • Understand that if you block pornographic websites, pornographic images can still be accessed through an app like facebook, instagram. The images are coming from facebook.com in that case.
     • It can be harder to remove access to an app once it has been allowed/purchased.
     • How robust are the built-in controls?
     • Does the device leave the house? If so, your router settings won’t protect it.
     • Products like Circle  or Net Nanny offer added mobile protection and control options — think layers, remember.
   • Take advantage of trials before you purchase.
   • iOS Family Settings
   • Other products that you can read about here as well.
9. Get Support
   • Providers of parental control products usually have good support.
   • The device manufacturers don’t have too much support, but they usually have decent support documentation on their websites.
10. Be your child’s “friend”.
    • As mentioned in the family technology contract above, you want to be a “follower” or “friend” for any social media accounts that you allow your child to have.
11. Begin when your kids are very young and start with very tight controls.
    • If you start young, it is a way of life.
    • If you start with tight restrictions, you can always loosen them.
    • Once an app or website has been allowed, taking it away is difficult.
12. Finally, if you are a Christian parent: you are not alone in this battle. It is your responsibility as a parent to do everything you can to protect your kids with the resources that God has given you, but you also have a Helper who has absolute power to intervene where your efforts fail, so pray and ask Him to help you.