Simple access Control

The most basic form of access control to the computer is to create a logon account and put a password on the account. Obviously don't tell your kids the password and when they want to use the computer they will have to ask you to log them on. This will ensure they can't sneak off to play on the computer before completing homework or you can check homework before letting them have play.

This can be fairly demanding on you as a parent as you need to be around to log them on.

Automating access Control

Once the kids were logged on, one of the problems we wanted to solve was to put a time limit on using the computer. Not that we as parents couldn't limit the kids usage (and we still do), its just that more often than not we would loose track of time (and the kids would never remind us) consequently they would play until boardem or bedtime set it.

Microsoft Windows Vista has a feature called Parental controls which allows Parents to set a time window that kids can log onto the computer. The Vista implementation of this is not particularly flexible as its tied to when the hour changes i.e. 7pm or 8pm etc. Vista also doesn't appear to be able to provide a daily / weekly usage allowance.

If you are running an earlier version of Microsoft Windows like Windows XP, you don't even have these basic features.

There are many companies claiming to write child control software and Parental control software i.e. Net Nanny, Cybersitter, Safe Eyes, Cyberpatrol McAfee Parental Controls. The problem (at the time of our testing) with many of these programs was that whilst they offer many functions and features they didn't reliably address our simple requirements. After testing many products we found Salfeld PC Security / Parental Controls delivered exactly what we were after. Salfeld child control.

So for example using the Salfeld child control oftware we can setup a schedule that provides only 1 hour on the computer during the week and 2 hours on the computer at the weekend. This can be further limited to a maximum of 8 hours per week or 32 hours per month, the most restrictive limit always takes effect. (you could further limit this so that of the 1 hour per day they could only access the internet for 30 minutes of this time)

During the week the kids are not to use the computer before school and they have time limits set each evening. Note the flexibility of the software allows us to set the log off time to be 8:10pm. You can also specify turn the computer off rather than log off.

And when their time quota is up, the program logs them off the computer for the day. Salfeld warns the kids that their time is almost up by beeping to them. This provides them with time to save any work or games. Whats more after explaining to the kids about the software and how their time limits work they quickly learn to accept the control.

These profiles for computer time quota and log on / log off can be associated with a log-on for the computer. So if you have two kids and a seperate log-on account for each of the kids they can have a different quota.

And if they need the computer for homework, once the homework is complete if needs be you can very simply just allocate them more time.

Security Note

As a reccomendation do not allow your kids to have an account that has "Administrative" priveledges. An administrative account will have the ability to undo any security or access restrictions that you install and so defeets the object. Besides its not necessary for them to have "Administrative" priveledges.

This page was Last updated Mar 2009