Parenting Tips: Websites and Apps to Navigate Your Child’s Screen Time

Internet safety 101

Whether its scrolling through Facebook, watching Peppa Pig on the iPad, uploading to Instagram or sending multiple snaps on Snapchat – your child’s world is now filled with endless media. The world is becoming increasingly digitalised and like it or loathe it there really is no way to stop it. Your child will encounter media daily.

As a parent, it’s natural to feel concerned, confused and even out of your depth. I’m pretty tech savvy and I once had a two-year-old show me how to use the touch screen computer in my own nursery. Children are acquiring skills and knowledge at frightening speeds and it’s important that we stay abreast of the latest trends.

A report revealed that inappropriate videos have even been popping up on YouTube, masquerading as innocent cartoons and therefore tricking parents and children it can seem that no content is safe. However, used in the right way, media can open your child’s mind, provide endless opportunities for knowledge and experiences and broaden their horizons. The internet can be a wonderful place and apps and games can support learning and help your child to thrive. In order to help you navigate the mind-boggling world of media, we’ve put together a rundown websites and apps that can help you feel confident and in control.

Common Sense Media

A non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children flourish in a world of media, this site is aimed at empowering parents to ensure technology is a positive influence. This site provides information on TV shows, movies, games, apps and websites as well as offering answers to key questions and concerns you might have.

OurPact

Our Pact is an app that allows parents to monitor and control the amount of screen time kids have on their phones. You can schedule bedtimes so the phone turns apps off, you can control the amount of time the kids have to be on apps during the day, and you can even block kids from using apps. It also makes kids responsible as well, because they have to use the Our Pact, Jr. app, which controls the time limit. They hit ‘play’ for when they use it and ‘pause’ for when they don’t need to be using their phones/apps. If they forget, the time might run out. Oh, and you can also grant more time if needed. Perfect.

Childnet International

Childnet aims to help make the internet a great and safe place for children by working directly with children and young people from the ages of 3 to 18. Through the work and research, Childnet learns about real experiences and sees just what children are doing online. The site offers lots of helpful tips and advice to ensure your child is getting the most from the internet so that it can be used to its maximum potential without dangers.

The Children’s Media Foundation

The Children’s Media Foundation acts on behalf of children to promote and protect the quality, variety, and range of media of all types for children and young people in all social groups. Based in the UK, this site also has lots of information that is relevant to all nationalities. They provide a great link to The Good App Guide which gives you all the information you need for choosing educational and supportive apps.

Raising Children

Raising Children is an Australian parenting website with articles that are relevant to parents from all over the world. This site is packed has a whole section dedicated to entertainment and technology. Articles touch on key parental concerns such as cyberbullying and internet safety and there are also answers to all your social networking questions.

Mobicip

Load this onto iPads, phones, tablets and computers to ensure safe content is filtered through to these devices. You decide what your children can and cant access by installing this easy to use software. This app is compatiable with iOS, Android, Windows, Chromebook, Mac, Kindle and Nook.

Netsanity

Netsanity also offers parental controls for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch & Samsung Android devices allowing you to control the devices that your children are using, protect them from inappropriate content and also set time limits for apps and games.