How Can I Monitor My Child’s Computer Remotely

Keeping kids safe on the internet is a priority among parents. In this digital era, the young ones are vulnerable when they are online.

Cyber-bullying, sexual harassment, and identity theft are just some of the most serious problems that are confronting children about their internet use.

Do you want to have peace of mind without depriving your kids of online privileges? Then you need to find a way to monitor their computers remotely. How is this possible?

There’s one promising solution – parental control software. Keep on reading and we’ll talk more about the latter, specifically what it can do for remote monitoring of young internet users.

What is Parental Control Software?

In a nutshell, parental control software is an app or program that lets parents monitor the online activities of their children. While it is more common in smartphones, it can also be installed in computers, including laptops and desktops.

Some might disagree, but a simple way to describe parental control software is to compare it to a spy. It is like having eyes on your kid’s computers without being physically present. Even when you are miles apart, you can have control over what your kid is doing online, such as the websites being visited or the videos being watched.

How Does Parental Control Software Work?

The process is fairly straightforward. First, you need to download the program. In most instances, you will need to have physical access to the computer that you wish to monitor to install parental control. From here, you can do the necessary configurations, such as setting the keywords you wish to limit or apps you want to block.

You will also need to install the same parental control software on your phone or computer. This is where you can access the parent dashboard. It is also where you can see your kid’s activities, such as browsing and location history. In most cases, it will reflect updates in real-time.

What Can You Monitor Using Parental Control Software?

Now that you know that parental control software will help you monitor your kid’s computer remotely, let’s be more specific. Below, we’ll talk about what exactly can you monitor:

• Location: This is a feature that is often present in smartphone monitoring, but it can also be done through computers. You can see the current location of your child, so no need to worry when he or she is not answering. To add, you can also see all the places your child has been.
• Keyword Searches: You will have an idea of the keywords that your child has been searching for. This is a great way to understand the behaviors of kids better. In the same way, you can also warn them.
• Web Visits: By remotely monitoring the computer of your child, you can also see the websites he or she has been visiting. Consequently, there are built-in features that can let you block specific website URLs, themes, or keywords you believe are age-inappropriate.
• Social Media: Do you want to know what is happening when your child is using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms? Then a parental control software will let you be a spy!
• Chats: Third-party chat apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and Line can be dangerous. Kids can be talking to strangers. To limit their conversations, you can also monitor chat apps remotely.
• Photos and Videos: If you are curious about the photos and videos that are saved in your child’s computer, then the right parental control app can be powerful enough to give you a peek.

The Best Parental Control Software

The options will be almost endless. Nonetheless, this should not be an excuse to decide in haste. If you have no idea about what to use in remotely monitoring your child’s computer, below are some of the top options worth considering.

1. Norton Family Premier

The name itself is already a compelling reason to believe that this is one of the best options to consider. Whether in PC or Mac, this is one of the most promising solutions in creating a safer online space for kids.

You can monitor the time they spend online and set screen time limits so that they have time for more important things. You can also monitor the videos that they are watching or the website they are visiting. Even better, you can receive instant alerts, such as an email when they visit a blocked website.

2. Qustodio

You can get started for free, which is a great way to try their parental monitoring features. After the free trial, you should sign-up for the paid subscription, which will let you unlock the app’s full potential. It works on both Windows and Mac OS X computers.

You can monitor the apps, games, and websites that they are accessing or using. You can also set the necessary restrictions to prevent them from accessing age-inappropriate content. With using this software you can also monitor YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp, among other common platforms.

3. McAfee Safe Family

If you are looking for robust parental controls for computers, then McAfee is another name that is surely hard to rival. They are offering a 30-day free trial, so this is the perfect opportunity to see if the app will work for your needs or you should look for others.

Once installed, it will have powerful monitoring features. The dashboard will let you see what kids have been up to at a glance. Alternatively, there is an option to send requests, which will make the rules more flexible.

Conclusion

With the things mentioned above, one thing is clear – you can monitor your kid’s computers remotely. Gone were the days when you need to sneak-in every day to monitor their web visits or keyword searches.

All that you need to do is to install parental control software. From here, you can start monitoring. To add, there are other powerful features that you can do, such as set screen time limits.