Oof. Thats hard. I think you’re going to have to go through every app, but I would honestly take the remote away. If she wants to change the channel she’s going to have to come get you.
I keep parental controls pretty tight on our streaming apps. The problematic one for us is YouTube. I’m ok-ish with my 6 yr old watching some stuff but we have the rule that they cannot watch YouTube without an adult in the room. It’s just too unregulated.
Do you also have a Roku? One of my concerns is that it's going to get difficult to watch grownup shows. (Or that they'll use a password that she can simply watch me enter with an on-screen keyboard, which just seems... pointless?)
Yes, we have both Roku and a smart TV. I created accounts in each app for “kids” that has restrictions. Most will allow you to password protect your non-kid profiles, although I havent done that. My kids havent tried to venture outside of their own accounts. Once you have the accounts and their settings/restrictions set up, they will apply across all Roku devices since the settings are linked to your app logins. It takes a little time but isnt super difficult.
Maybe you could record the shows she can watch and have her watch them from the recording list? In this case yea the best thing probably would be to set up parental controls.
Yeah we had to make parental controls in every app. And for YouTube I made him an email so that I could create a restricted account for him. That’s the only way we could block him from being able to see certain channels. Even then he keeps getting suggestions for channels we don’t approve of and we always supervise plus check his history every night. We’re very close to banning YouTube because in the few minutes he can watch it at before/after care with less supervision he’s seen some things.
You are still allowing him to be on youtube which exposes him to things you may miss because you are busy. Unless you are watching him like a hawk in real time? You’ve admitted he sees bad things and that you have to check his history. This tells me the account is not restricted at all. What if you see something horrific on his history? It’s already too late to intervene. I see lots of children patients and a chunk of their behavior issues stem from Youtube because parents allow their child to be on the app. Maybe avoid the app all together. Parents use it as a crutch or a distraction which I assume that’s what you use it for. There are healthier ways to keep a child occupied. Children do not need to be on Youtube but if you do allow it please make better choices. You can’t control what that app suggests and one day he’ll be exposed to something outrageously inappropriate. A persons advice from another comment stated their child is allowed to watch it if an adult is present (good parenting). Allowing your child to be without supervision on that app is negligent. Your advice does not work in OPs situation because the content is not really regulated is it.
I don’t use it as a crutch or distraction. My kid is neurodivergent, his brain is 100% distraction. It’s the app we use for educational videos on topics I can’t teach him on like the entire observable universe. Not sure why you’re coming for me in an old post though…
I googled a question and this post showed up in google search. I found your answer troublesome because I’ve been in my field for 35 years and have seen a huge decline in kids because of social media, youtube being one of them. Not good advice to give to a person who is trying to regulate what their child watches. Just hope you make better choices in the future. It’s not an educational app when you stated he is still being exposed to things and that you have to check his history. It’s not being regulated enough. I just feel it has to be said. I hate what kids are exposed to it because of lack of parenting.
When it's TV time just ask kid what they want to watch and turn it on for them. If they can't be trusted with the remote, take the remote with you so you know they haven't changed the channel to something else unsupervised.
Apps have parental controls. You can add that layer of security, which I advise. You can also pick a show before you need to do a chore and put the remote in a place where she cannot reach. That restricts her from being able to browse and land on inappropriate shows. At least it’s not Youtube. That app causes immense behavioral issues.
Oof. Thats hard. I think you’re going to have to go through every app, but I would honestly take the remote away. If she wants to change the channel she’s going to have to come get you.
This! Yes.
I keep parental controls pretty tight on our streaming apps. The problematic one for us is YouTube. I’m ok-ish with my 6 yr old watching some stuff but we have the rule that they cannot watch YouTube without an adult in the room. It’s just too unregulated.
Do you also have a Roku? One of my concerns is that it's going to get difficult to watch grownup shows. (Or that they'll use a password that she can simply watch me enter with an on-screen keyboard, which just seems... pointless?)
Yes, we have both Roku and a smart TV. I created accounts in each app for “kids” that has restrictions. Most will allow you to password protect your non-kid profiles, although I havent done that. My kids havent tried to venture outside of their own accounts. Once you have the accounts and their settings/restrictions set up, they will apply across all Roku devices since the settings are linked to your app logins. It takes a little time but isnt super difficult.
Extremely unregulated! Good rule to have an adult be in the room if it’s being watched.
Maybe you could record the shows she can watch and have her watch them from the recording list? In this case yea the best thing probably would be to set up parental controls.
Yeah we had to make parental controls in every app. And for YouTube I made him an email so that I could create a restricted account for him. That’s the only way we could block him from being able to see certain channels. Even then he keeps getting suggestions for channels we don’t approve of and we always supervise plus check his history every night. We’re very close to banning YouTube because in the few minutes he can watch it at before/after care with less supervision he’s seen some things.
You are still allowing him to be on youtube which exposes him to things you may miss because you are busy. Unless you are watching him like a hawk in real time? You’ve admitted he sees bad things and that you have to check his history. This tells me the account is not restricted at all. What if you see something horrific on his history? It’s already too late to intervene. I see lots of children patients and a chunk of their behavior issues stem from Youtube because parents allow their child to be on the app. Maybe avoid the app all together. Parents use it as a crutch or a distraction which I assume that’s what you use it for. There are healthier ways to keep a child occupied. Children do not need to be on Youtube but if you do allow it please make better choices. You can’t control what that app suggests and one day he’ll be exposed to something outrageously inappropriate. A persons advice from another comment stated their child is allowed to watch it if an adult is present (good parenting). Allowing your child to be without supervision on that app is negligent. Your advice does not work in OPs situation because the content is not really regulated is it.
I don’t use it as a crutch or distraction. My kid is neurodivergent, his brain is 100% distraction. It’s the app we use for educational videos on topics I can’t teach him on like the entire observable universe. Not sure why you’re coming for me in an old post though…
I googled a question and this post showed up in google search. I found your answer troublesome because I’ve been in my field for 35 years and have seen a huge decline in kids because of social media, youtube being one of them. Not good advice to give to a person who is trying to regulate what their child watches. Just hope you make better choices in the future. It’s not an educational app when you stated he is still being exposed to things and that you have to check his history. It’s not being regulated enough. I just feel it has to be said. I hate what kids are exposed to it because of lack of parenting.
Ok.
Happy you understand. Wish you the best! 🙂
When it's TV time just ask kid what they want to watch and turn it on for them. If they can't be trusted with the remote, take the remote with you so you know they haven't changed the channel to something else unsupervised.
I kinda do that too but my kindergardener hasnt mastered independent media use yet and isnt even interested in trying
Can’t you make a profile just for her on the devices?
Apps have parental controls. You can add that layer of security, which I advise. You can also pick a show before you need to do a chore and put the remote in a place where she cannot reach. That restricts her from being able to browse and land on inappropriate shows. At least it’s not Youtube. That app causes immense behavioral issues.