HOME PARENTAL CONTROL OPTIONS

This page is intended to provide some basic information for parents who wish to implement parental controls and filtering on their child's device while at home. Please note: MSD of Warren Township does not evaluate, endorse, or support the products listed or linked on this page. This information is being presented as a convenience for parents in their efforts to filter their home networks. The preferred approach for parental controls of student devices is to filter and control Internet access using your home network. There are three main approaches to this - you may choose the approach that works best for your family:

  • Use your router's built-in parental controls - This is generally the lowest-cost method and is built in to most routers but in some cases the setup may be involved. Please do a search for the link to the manufacturer of your home router for more information (for example, “Netgear parental controls” or “Linksys parental controls")

  • Use a web-based service such as OpenDNS - This may be an effective option if your router does not have built-in parental controls. Depending on the plan you choose, there may be a cost involved.

  • Purchase a standalone product that plugs into your network such as Circle by Disney - This may be the easiest option to implement, however, depending upon the product chosen, there may be a cost involved. When choosing a product, please ensure that the product does not require installation onto the your child's device directly.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR PARENTS

  • Keep the computer in the family room or another location where you can see what your child is doing.

  • Use Parental Controls to limit the sites your child can access.

  • Limit the amount of time your child uses the computer.

  • Talk to your child about cyber safety and cyber bullying.

  • Remind your children:

  • Never give personal information such as name, birthday, address or phone number.

  • Never download pictures or documents from strangers.

  • Never use any personal information when creating a screen name or email accounts

  • For additional information please check out - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-parental-controls

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Tips For Parents on Raising Privacy-Savvy Kids

Online Safety and Cybersecurity Tips for K-12 Kids, Family, and Friends

Common Sense Media