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Manage iPads at Home

While iPads are a powerful learning tool, it is essential for families to set boundaries around the proper use of the iPad at home. As a parent or guardian, you have the final say as to how much your child uses the iPad at home. Here are some tips on how you can help your child become a safe and responsible digital citizen.

Sample Rules for Home iPad Use
Set standards for your child’s use of the iPad at home:

  • The school assigned iPad is intended for completion of school work and enrichment of learning. Homework and projects should be the focus of use at home. Any incidental personal use of iPads should follow your family rules (musics, internet...)
  • Check your child’s iPad and their school work regularly.
  • To supervise the iPad’s use, have your child use the iPad in a central location like the kitchen or living room.
  • To avoid unsupervised iPad use, charge the iPad in a central location of the home. 
  • If your child is not following your rules, you have the right to limit access to the device.
  • Encourage your student to leave the case on, inspect it often to ensure no damage has occurred to the case, iPad or charger.

Apple iOS 16 Screen Time Restrictions

Screen Time — a feature added in iOS 12 — lets you know how much time your kids spend on apps, websites, and more. This way, you can make more informed decisions about how they use their devices, and set limits if you would like.  The video below shows how to conifgure settings for Screen Time on any Apple iPad\iPhone that has iOS 12 or above.


 

Xfinity Parental Controls

xFi helps reduce the risk of children accessing age-inappropriate content from their devices using the xFi Parental Controls feature. Additionally, you can pause WiFi access over your home network instantly or during scheduled times with the Pause and Bedtime Mode features.  Below is a video that shows how to configure these settings.

Xfinity

Your wireless gateway allows you to block keywords in web addresses and specific sites; you can also control which computers these restrictions apply to.

To set Parental Controls visit the wireless gateway's Admin Tool website at http://10.0.0.1. For further instructions,  click the image below.

 


OpenDNS

OpenDNS is a service that provides content filtering for any internet connected device.  They offer a free service for residential users that provides preconfigured or customizable filtering.  For families that would like additional reporting or the ability to limit devices anywhere they go, they also offer premium services for a subscription.  For more information, please visit https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/ or click on the image below.

 

RESOURCES FOR FILTERING YOUR HOME NETWORK

  • The links below provide information on how you can limit access to screen time or limit access to inapproriate material on your home network.  The process for configuring these settings will differ depending on the company that provides your internet service or possibly even what types of devices your would like to limit.  For additional assistance, we recommend that you contact your internet service provider to discuss what features they currently support.

    What if my internet is provided by a company other than Xfinity?

    There are numerous third party services available to help you monitor or limit your child's access to the internet.  One service that we recommend is OpenDNS.  For more information on OpenDNS, please visit their website at https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/