The Best Parental Control Apps For Monitoring Your Kids Electronic Devices

When we inevitably hand over the newest Apple phone your child just ‘had to have’ or leave them to complete an online school assignment, it often comes with a sense of dread. There’s just so much information out there, mostly good, quality information, but there are also threats. Threats to our children’s sense of innocence, their well-being, emotions, and sense of self. We know there are predators online looking to take advantage of young children. There are plenty of websites we’d rather our children not encounter. As parents, keeping track of what our children are exposed to online is yet another aspect of parenting that has changed over the years. If you’re looking for the best parental control apps for monitoring your kid’s electronic devices, the following apps and services are a great start.

Best Parental Control Apps to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

FamilyTime Online Monitoring App

FamilyTime is a great option for parental controls and monitoring your child online. It allows you to manage their screen time and block sites and applications easily. If your child needs to reach you, they can do so with one simple click and you’ll always know where they are with the FamilyTime GPS technology built into the app.  

Bark Parental Monitoring Services

Bark offers an extensive parental monitoring lineup. It monitors over thirty platforms and has the ability to track your child’s activity across all social media. With Bar, parents can also monitor texts and emails on an unlimited amount of devices. Parents are able to set controls to filter content and manage the amount of time children spend on a particular device and receive alerts when their child visits a questionable site.

Net Nanny Service Packages To Monitor Kids Electronic Devices

Net Nanny is available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows, and macOS and allows parents to choose how many devices it covers. Whether you opt for coverage of just one desktop computer, five devices like phones or tablets or a range covering up to twenty devices, with Net Nanny, you’re able to choose the best parental control package for your family. Not only does Net Nanny block pornographic sites and specific apps, but parents can also choose to block any website they choose or manage screen time on allowable sites.

Norton Parental Control Options for Monitoring Kids Online Activity

Norton is well known in the internet safety and antivirus arena. The company also features a parental controls option as part of the Norton 360 Deluxe service. It allows you to monitor activity on an unlimited number of devices. Norton Parental Control will protect your child online and tracks their location for you when they are out and about. Norton also helps parents track their child’s web browsing history, social media platforms, texts, phone calls, and downloaded apps.

WebWatcher Helps You Monitor Your Kids Sent and Received Texts

Webwatcher is one of the best parental control apps for monitoring texts your child sends and receives. It not only allows you to see all of their messages and texts but also lets you see deleted texts, photos sent and received. WebWatcher can track visited website history and provides a history of call logs, social media platform usage.

Parents will find a sense of peace with this particular app in that it also provides GPS location, so you’ll always know where your young child is, even if you can’t be there with them. You’ll receive alerts when specific words or searches are conducted and your child will be unable to disable any notifications. WebWatcher is available for Chromebook, Android, iOS, Mac, and PC.

Tips for Keeping Kids Safe Online Beyond the Best Parental Control Apps

Apart from implementing a parental control service to monitor your kid’s electronic devices, there are many things you can do to ensure their safety online. The first step is to have an open line of communication with your child when it comes to internet safety. Be sure they know the rules about giving out personal information and chatting with strangers on the internet. Despite our best plans, kids can be very resourceful when they want to be. Remind them that there are reasons for internet rules and consequences for breaking the rules.

It may be a hard sell, but keeping electronic devices in a central location in your home, allows you better access to monitor what they’re doing online. Older children may balk at this, so depending on your comfort level and level of trust, use your discretion on this one. Make sure your children know that everything they post online can last forever or discover later. Yes, even Snapchat; there are always ways to find online activity. Remind your children that potential employers will likely Google them before they even make it in for an interview. Conducting themselves appropriately online is not only to keep them safe but to also ensure their future respectability.

Finally, modeling good behavior online yourself is a great way to set the example of responsible internet use. It’s easy to get caught up in a back-and-forth in Facebook comments, in this day and age, but refraining from this goes a long way as an example to your children. Use the internet for building a business, discovering a new hobby, and researching the vast amounts of information available to model the proper use of electronics in your home. Your children are always watching, no matter their age.