How to allow kids to only access a few websites?

I don't want to restrict the bad sites, instead, I want something that will only allow a few sites which I specify for them to be able to connect to and the entire web blocked

can that be done? please advice how

 

Possible at least theoretically, but may not be very practical.

If you're not worried about IE being a FF/Chrome-downloader then this would help. Similar whitelisting functions might be available on FF/Chrome with add-ons.


The problem is modern websites draw tons of stuff under other domain names. If you whitelist it could go broken easily. Your kid may also load new browsers (possible without admin rights if it's a "green" build). Filtering via router might be more robust against the later.

 

Set up your own DNS server and only resolve the hosts you want.

 

That's wishful thinking people. Kids aren't that stone age to know if you block it they will want to get to it. Rather sit down next to your kid and have them explain to you why they want to go to those sites and if they can't then you should have a "Real" Parent to Kid talk about what is right and wrong. Others may not like this reply but if you want your kids to have "Real" world knowledge you should expect they will find this site from others computers then your home censored computer. So let's be Realistic about it ok. For all the web blockers kids find a way around them never heard of any blockers working. Now if you edit the PC "hosts" file like block

127.0.0.1 www.sex.com

Now if they type this at home it will come up a white page saying site can't be reached. That will effectively stop them. But there so many sites that even doing this would be a fruitless effort and it comes down to "Talking" to your kids not "Lecturing" them. This is what alot of Parents can't or unable to talk about the hidden closet stuff because kids nowadays see it on TV, Internet and magazines...so if you think blocking computer sites stops them think again.

 

I understand and agree with this, but it's not my kids (don't have any) it's for my Ex Boss

 

I agree with the sit down and talk. If the kid is technically inclined like I was, they'll find a way to get around the restrictions. I remember when my parents tried to limit my daily computer time, so I installed a keylogger and removed the parental controls and locked them out of access to the PC.

 

Just tell your ex-boss to crack a whip a couple of times...much easier than all the PC-based parental controlling...

 

That back fired, did it?

 

That will be a stickler...wait ..ex boss...then you need to tell him kids are smarter then you think. Restrict them and they will find a way....family talk not lecturing talk will do far more to educate his kids on proper computer usage.

This is like the story I think from California and the school use of iPad they thought the locked the kids out of using certain controls and all they had to do was go online and there was the hacks to remove those restrictions and they had free reign of the iPad.

 

OP you didn't actually say how the devices are used. if a handset, I assume "everywhere", and it impossible under current circumstances.
If you're talking about young people being allowed only to use a device "at home" [whatever that constitutes] access can be controlled at the router level - static IP's, restrictions, whitelist, and monitoring.
but once you allow a search engine of any sort, Boom.

 

Right, I guess it isn't simple then they are kids who will be using a laptop so their mother wanted to restrict them from accessing anything but a few handful of sites which she specifies

 

I don't entirely agree. I think educating your children and monitoring them is OK, which is what I do with mine. But some level of restriction is good. A parent can't always be there to monitor and even the best child has curiosity. Even my kids I tell them if they're watching a video and they hear a naughty word to either turn off the audio or switch to another video (they are huge YouTube consumers...)

I wish you could vote for the rating of videos (as in E, G, Y (Young 6-10), PG, PG-13, R, X), or have YouTube monitor "naughty" words and let parents filter out those with those in them. I mean heck they can pick out a song in the background of a video that can barely be heard and nail you with a copyright infringement notice, why not at least do something useful like filtering out the bad words either have them muted or block the video altogether at the choice of the parent.

But I don't see any good way around this stuff though. Setting up a DNS server, etc is a lot of work and there are so many sites out there. Not to mention "innocent" websites can have issues too. Just my example of YouTube, even though I let them watch videos of gameplay of their favorite video games (like Mario, Kirby, Minecraft, etc) which seems entirely innocent, well I can't believe the number of "F" and "S" words slewn around and every variation thereof. It's too bad too.

 

Instead of limiting their access, I'd rather monitor what they access.

You'd profit that way around.

And also what HTWingNut said.

 

Once almost 10 years ago I had a trainee who was rather smart and productive as long as he didn't play any flash games. Basically every evening after he left, I added the sites he used that day into the hosts file. For those 6 weeks or so he did not figure out what was happening to the computer. I didn't bother saying anything, it was funnier to watch him wonder what the damn happened to all the sites he found. Besides sometimes he would actually do something useful instead

 

Just use parental control. It offers both monitoring and restriction features.

 

I think that it's just immposible to makesome websites closed for children. If they want to visit them, they can do it and nothing stops them.

 

Most Software of this kind works the opposite of what you want. You put the criteria in and the software stops them form going to those sites. That's more practical then say you find a new site good for them you would have to add it to the list. My company even uses this kind of software and they actually caught a pedophile using the software.

Also the ones talking about the kids knowing more. Well you have to use accounts with you as the administrator and the ones you want to control without rights.

 

Went through that phase with my boy before and believe he came out more self disciplined in the end.

 

All this teaches them is that you don't trust them...how hard is it for the Parent to just sit down and talk to the children? Seems we lost this ability to do simple conversation would go alot longer to enlighten their minds instead.

That is a fruitless effort. Children are not that dumb.

How about just sit down and have a family conversation with no lecturing it's that simple and yet parents for some reason can't even do this.

 

Another myth again....

 

That's the problem the more you lock them out the more rebellious they become.

 

There is tons of porn through google and bing image/video search if you turn off the filter. You can see it without going to the site