For parents, the internet offers tonnes of positives, including entertainment for your kids, learning/education tools, and even an outlet for creativity! It can also be a scary place so it’s wise not to let your kids wander around without limits. Thankfully, parental controls can help you be a great digital parent and ensure your kids are staying safe.
While some devices and routers come with parental controls built-in, they’re not always that comprehensive and might not offer you a whole lot of control beyond filtering content. Being a great digital parent isn’t just about filtering content; it’s about controlling internet use in a way that can be beneficial. In this article, we’re going to go over five ways you can be a great digital parent. And the best thing is, you can implement all of these tactics through one robust solution: the Circle Home Plus (Gen 2).
1. Filter the content your kids can access
Set up an internet filter that sets limitations or restrictions on the type of content your kids have access to, including the apps, devices, and services they use. The Circle Home Plus can do all of this for you and more. The parental controls also allow you to choose a filter for each member of the family that’s totally customisable for their age and interests.
2. Set screen and time limits
Too much screen time is bad for your kids’ development but it’s not always easy to limit their internet usage. It’s reported that kids as young as 8 years old have an average screen time of 6 hours per day, and it only goes up from there. Those aged between 11 and 14 are reported to have an average screen time of 9 hours! While it would be great if most of those hours were spent learning or watching educational content, the reality is that’s probably not the case. Thankfully with Circle’s Time limits, you can set screen and time limits for your kids across multiple devices. With time limits in place, you can ensure your kids aren’t wasting most of their waking hours on social media or YouTube when they should be studying or doing something else more beneficial.
3. Pause the internet
Internet addiction is a real thing and unfortunately, kids can get hooked from a young age! Some kids just can’t get enough of it and at times, it can distract them from important things like schoolwork or even connecting with family. They need to be reminded that access to the internet is a privilege and having the ability to pause the internet is a great way to do that. Circle’s Pause the Internet feature is a parental controls solution that makes enforcing the rules around screen time quick and easy. No more nagging your kids to set down the iPad or turn off Netflix and start their homework. Circle lets you easily pause the internet within the app so your kids have no choice but to get off it!
4. Use it as a reward
Consequences and rewards go hand in hand when it comes to creating structure for kids. They learn from both and Circle’s Rewards feature can help encourage your kids to do more of what you want. Motivate your kids to clean their room or do a chore by rewarding them with more screen time. Circle’s built-in reward system allows you to do this with ease. Over time, you might see your children doing chores without even being asked all for that screen time!
5. Turn on mobile tracking
Locating your kids’ mobile devices is all about keeping them safe. Having the capability to check in on them will give you peace of mind that they are where they should be. On the other side of the coin, if one of your kids is going through a rebellious phase, it’s extra important to keep tabs on them. There’s no better way to do that than tracking their smartphone and mobile devices. The location feature in Circle can also save the day when one of your kids’ loses their mobile phone.
Did you know that Circle Home Plus connects with your router to manage every internet-connected device on your home network? That’s what makes it even more effective as a parental control solution. There are even more features that haven’t been mentioned on this list. If you want robust parental controls, this is a great choice, and it’ll definitely make you a better digital parent.
