Several years ago, Illinois PTA shared information on The Smart Talk, a National PTA program steps you through a conversation with your child about online limits and produces a “contract” based on your discussion. Now, with kids online even more in the pandemic for school, socializing, and fun, it might be time to revisit The Smart Talk to reflect the current situation. And if you have concerns about what your kids are up to online while you’re busy with all the other demands parents are facing these days, Common Sense Media has the Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls to help you out.

As Common Sense Media points out, parental controls are not a replacement for talking with your child about screen-time limits and responsible online behavior. The controls are there to support your efforts to keep your child safe and fun online, and they work best when they are used openly and honestly with your kids and not as a secret spying operation.

The Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls is set up to answer the questions you have regarding controls and to help you determine what your family needs no matter where you are in the online behavior conversation or what your family is comfortable with in terms of controls. The guide is structured to address the following questions:

  • What are the best parental controls for blocking websites?
  • What are the best parental controls for blocking websites and filtering content?
  • What are the best parental controls for setting limits and monitoring kids?
  • What are the best parental controls for kids’ phones?
  • What are the best parental controls for tracking location?
  • What are the best network parental controls?
  • What are the best parental control options for iOS phones and tablets?
  • What are the best parental control options for Android devices?
  • Can I set parental controls in specific apps, such as Snapchat?
  • Do I need to worry about my kid disabling parental controls?
  • Will my kid know that I’m using parental controls?

Check out the Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls to get the answers to these questions. And consider having The Smart Talk with your child even if you’ve done so before so your agreement can reflect your family’s current situation.