How to Kid-Proof the Computer: Making the Mac Safe for Play

I recall when my oldest son was a toddler and I introduced him to computers. Computers have changed a lot since that day in the late 90s. Unfortunately, as technology evolves and becomes more advanced, so do the risks that can come with it. Tiffany recently shared how she “kid-proofed” her Mac, and I am sharing that now with you with permission.

How to Kid-Proof the Computer: Making the Mac Safe for Play

No matter how many times you tell your little ones to go outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, kids love cool technology. Worse, even if you purchase little tech just for them, your children will always want to use the “big” computer to be more like you.
The truth is kids can absolutely benefit by playing with more advanced devices ― even your precious Mac computer. By introducing them to different machines and different operating systems, you will provide your little ones a boost in tech-capability and confidence. You should let your kids explore technology and experiment with your computer ― but only if you have the proper safeguards in place.
Setting Digital Limitations
Whether you are kid-proofing a family computer or your personal device, you should start by creating separate user accounts for you and your kids. You might even set up different accounts for each child, to reduce the likelihood of sibling disagreements regarding desktop backgrounds and icons.
To do this, head to System Preferences and find the Accounts icon beneath the System heading. From there, you can create distinct users by selecting the plus sign and adding as many accounts as you want. Your account should be the only one with administrator privileges, and your kids should never learn your password ― or else they will have the power to do true damage to your settings and data. Your kids should have “Managed with Parental Controls” accounts, which will be explained further below.
Installing Parental Controls
You can navigate to the Parental Control settings from the account setup pane, or you can return to the System Preferences pane and locate Parental Controls under System. From here, the age of your little ones and the amount of freedom you want to grant will guide your decisions.
Simple Finder is a fast and easy way to secure your computer against tiny meddling hands. It essentially hides files and prevents the opening of the Finder to search the system. However, this method is not completely safe; determined users with computer experience can still open files through Spotlight or even disable Simple Finder through Terminal. Yet, for inexperienced kids, Simple Finder is a quick fix.
You shouldn’t neglect the other tabs within this pane. Within the Content tab, you can find ways to restrict how your children browse the web. Apple offers default filters for profanity and dangerous websites, or you can customize your list with approved and prohibited sites of your own. Under Mail & iChat, you can select who can send and receive messages from your kid, and under Time Limits, you can prevent access to the computer during inappropriate times, like on school nights or after bedtime.
If you have had a problem with your child or teen flouting computer rules and restrictions in the past, you might be most interested in the Logs tab. Here, you can manage records of your kids’ browsing history, chat history, and application use over a period of time. Then, you use the information to have a frank talk with your child about internet safety and online boundaries in the future. .
Safeguarding Everything Else
Neither you nor Apple can accurately predict what kind of trouble your kids will get into online, so your parental controls will probably never be ironclad enough to prevent your little ones from visiting some shady corners of the internet. Enter: antivirus for Mac. Every computer needs some type of malware protection because even experienced computer users can stumble into malicious content. Trustworthy security programs will thwart the vast majority of attacks, keeping you, your kid, and your computer safe.
Securing Your Files
Kids and computers don’t always get along. Whether due to a visit to an innocent-seeming website that turns out to be malicious, or some spilled milk on the CPU, your computer could easily go belly-up under your child’s care.
That’s why it’s important that you regularly backup your system. Cloud backup is easy enough to install and use, and you don’t have to worry about keeping track of another digital device. The iCloud is already available for most Macs, but for extra storage (and less expense) you might try some other Mac online backup services.
Enforcing Computer Rules
Finally, you are the first and last lines of defense when it comes to kids on the computer. As a parent, you are responsible for teaching your kids the proper behavior with all electronic devices. Here are a few rules you might want to enforce on your computer:

• Ask permission before using a device or going online.
• Never share private information, including passwords, addresses, and phone numbers, online.
• Never interact with strangers on the internet.
• Talk to a parent or adult about anything seen online that seems dangerous or uncomfortable.

You can draft your own rules and post them next to your computer to ensure the entire family sees and adheres to them. However, you should frequently talk with your kids about online safety, to be certain they understand the risks and rewards of learning about technology.

Do you have any tips for “kid-proofing” a computer?