Mumsnet users share how you safeguard your children around digital technology in the home with Sky Kids

[EllieMumsnet]

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In this digital age devices such as: laptops, mobiles, tablets, game consoles and TV's all come second nature to many of our children as they are used frequently from a young age in the home. Although they can help children learn and play in so many amazing ways, it’s also important to keep them safe and ensure what they are viewing/playing is appropriate. With that in mind Sky Kids would love to know all the ways you try to keep your children safe when it comes to technology in the home and how you still allow a healthy/fun relationship with technology in your family.

Here’s what Sky Kids has to say: “At Sky, we care about helping to keep kids safe in the home. That’s why alongside parental controls on the Sky Kids App, we’ve also launched brand new Kids Safe Mode, where you can keep your Sky Q box locked in the Kids section, so when your kids are in charge of the remote they can only see and explore programmes that are appropriate for them. Wandering fingers won’t be able to adjust settings, delete non-Kids recordings or watch programmes made for grown-ups.”

Do you have timers on all the family’s devices to ensure that the children aren’t able to use them past a certain time? What about parental controls on your television? Or do you have kids safety modes on all the devices they use? Do you worry about what they’re able to access from their devices? Perhaps you encourage an open relationship with your children where you can all ensure everyone is watching age appropriate content/shows? Or maybe you use children specific apps on their phones, smart TVs or tablets so that you are sure they can only access things suitable for them?

Whatever the ways you keep your children safe when it comes to multimedia, share them on the thread below and everyone will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw.
MNHQ

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[BristolMum96]

My child is only allowed to use her tablet under supervision so I can moderate the content better, she's nearly 2.

[MrsFrTedCrilly]

Supervised screen time
Parental controls and a time limit, doesn’t make me popular

[voyager50]

He is only allowed to watch the main television in the lounge and all the inappropriate channels have been removed so that he can't accidentally access them.

[SillyMoomin]

The locked box sounds an excellent idea!

Mine don't know the wifi password, (or the pin codes for the locked adult channels) and everything to use on the app store requires a password verification.

History checked and if it looks like things have been deleted due to spaces in time or dates, then restrictions on phones

[m0jit0]

Dd is only 18 months so she only gets tv/tablet time under supervision

[Blazedout]

My 11 year old has qustodio on his mobile which is fantastic for monitoring and blocking any unwanted apps and websites. He's also unable to download any apps that he's not old enough for. I've set time limits for him and it blocks the phone after a certain time at night.

[CMOTDibbler]

We thought we were pretty on top of it, using content filters, Norton Family etc, only allowing certain apps. And then discovered what could be shared in chat on games! After a lengthy internet ban, ds is back to directly observed use only for very limited times (he's 12).

We don't do phones or devices in bedrooms for anyone, and only have TV in the sitting room. We do have Alexa around the house so there is access to music

[CopperPan]

We only have one TV in the living room, and an old-fashioned desktop computer which is in the lounge, so easier to monitor than using a laptop which they can take into their rooms. We have monitoring apps on their phones (phones only for the over-11s), and wifi restrictions with time limits on internet access.

[Elllicam]

We were fairly relaxed with the tablets and thought YouTube kids was safe but now only let them have Netflix on their tablets with the kids setting. They don’t have a lot of technology apart from that and their Nintendo switch.

[Milkn0sugar]

My rules will be no computers in bedrooms when younger and no smartphones overnight when older.

[PickledChicory]

Nearly 6yr old dd doesnt get tablet unsupervised. Tv under my control too and again supervised.

[Withington]

At the moment it's about supervised screen time and limiting what's allowed. There id only one tv in the house and it's in the living room. Disabling in-app purchases/not having a linked card on the account.

[sharond101]

Devices are always used under supervision.

[somuchinfo]

Slightly off subject, but this morning my dd who is 22 and has a baby put Peppa pig on YouTube from phone to tv so he could watch it. Soon as it started playing it kept saying the word 'suicide' all the way through it. Of course as soon as we heard it keep being repeated she switched it off. I've told her to only use Peppa pig on Netflix or use the official Peppa pig channel on YouTube. I can't help but wonder if a three year old or any age clicked on that particular Peppa and then started repeating that word. Having witnessed it heard it on a handheld device. With parent unaware. Be careful Mums, grans, if your toddler accesses you tube on a handheld device

[foxessocks]

Everything is under supervision only at the moment but they are still very little

[Good0mens]

We use Norton family to monitor what the children are doing online. It's customisable for each child so you can give them increasing amounts of freedom as they get older.

[itsabongthing]

Eldest dc hasn’t just got their first phone with a SIM card.

So far the measures we have in place are not going to sleep with it by the bed (putting it on ‘do not disturb’ mode at bed time), me always having to know the pin code, doing spot checks and having chats about internet safety, people not being who they say they are etc.

[itsabongthing]

She is 11. Am also looking into monitoring apps

[ScarletBitch]

I have gone through every control on my sons PS4 and made sure no one can contact him, nor can he message or add anyone else. I have put limits on time, game and video ratings, restricted mode on YouTube etc, all other devices are set up the same.

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

DC are 6 & 4 but don't have their own phone / tablet - I'm starting to think we're in the minority on this...???!
I want to keep it this way for as long as possible though. They don't need screens. Yes they do watch TV sometimes but they'd rather be reading, drawing, playing etc.
They just don't have the option of internet / YouTube/ apps etc. That keeps them safe digital wise.

[myhamsteratefreddiestarr]

I use parental controls wherever available, please regularly check 10yo DD's friends lists on various things, so that I can make sure she is only connected to people that she knows.

She is also very sensible and tells me if anything odd happens.

I limit screen time a bit, but DD also likes to read and play with dolls so I am not too worried about it.

When she was a toddler though, she was at my mum's house watching stuff on You Tube, and watching Dora, and all of a sudden Dora started swearing! We ran in , and it was an awful fake Dora cartoon and it was full of drugs and swearing. Mum hadn't realised that these things were possible! So then we set all the parental controls on her laptop too, to stop it happening again.

[scarfattack]

Time limits and content already downloaded so nothing new can be added. Only one tv in front room, they don't use my laptop and they don't have phones yet, too young. I'll step up my vigilance as they're getting older but for now they only want the things I've provided so they and can't and don't try to do anything else yet. When I have to loosen the controls I'll step up how much I check etc.

[OrdinarySnowflake]

The tablet has parental controls and they can't download more games on that. They can only access YouTube supervised and we only have tv in the lounge. The tablet is time limited and also stays in the lounge.

I'm sure it'll get harder as they get older though, oldest is 9 and already classmates have their own tablets, tvs and phones.

[Cupcakeicecream]

Everything has parental controls.passwords pins on the TV.tablet limited. Put on airplane mode and just let them use kids friendly games without the internet such as bowling or cbeebies.

[Popcornandbuttons]

My kids are young - 4 and 2 - so any screen time is supervised and I've downloaded various games on my iPad that I'm happy for them to play with. The tv remote is always under grown up control - gonna try and keep it this way for as long as possible.
Honestly it's not a huge worry at the moment as all of their time on screens is supervised and only for short bursts of tike. I've no doubt when they are older this will be a bigger concern.