I need to take control of my 12 year olds lap top!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t you just take it away and lock it up when he’s not doing schoolwork?

It’s jarring for me to hear “his laptop.” In my house, they are all my computers because I paid for them. I get to say who uses them when, and they stay in my room overnight. Single mom.

Not a single mom but I control all electronics. If you use them inappropriately, you lose them except for school for one week. Repeat. Simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the meantime while you research these methods of parental control... force him to only use the laptop with you over his shoulder. It will be boring for you, but will teach him a lesson. I’m assuming he needs the computer for school work or else you’d just take it away.

Yes, if not for school, it would be banished until who knows when. When I'm with him doing school work I'm sitting right there looking and telling him to get off google hangouts with friends while he is meeting with tutor. His dad said he sat across from him while he met with the tutor despite me saying not too. Need to move over to the relationship forum to address this. Child also took computer off my bed and took it to his room to use. Lock down must happen. I will look at parental controls. Was hoping to get some recommendations here.

Why does he have his computer when he is with the tutor?

Get a lock box and lock it up when he's not using it. Make it clear he takes it without permission he loses it for one week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone recommend effective and easy to set up apps that l can use to both monitor and lock/shut off my computer? I also need to block certain words from being used; would love to be able to permanently deactivate privacy/incognito mode. He's also found a way around the home wifi and is using a friends or has figured out how to get on xfinity. Driving me bonkers and is not safe. He's 2 and apparently tech savvy. I am computer dumb.

First, in the short term, I would like to set up my own password to his computer so that I have to turn it on and log in before he can use it.

If it is a mac, this:
https://www.intego.com/contentbarrier

Np. My kid just googled how to reset the admin and bypasses the whole damn thing.