Step 1 of 7 • 0% Complete
1
Location
2
Accounts
3
Admin
4
Filter
5
Account
6
Review
7
Time

Step 1: Computer Location

Your computer should be in a shared family space where the screen is visible to anyone walking by.

Think about your home for a moment. You have a front door, and you lock it. If a stranger knocked, you wouldn't let them sit with your children behind closed doors. Your computer is another door—but this one leads to the entire world. When a screen is visible to others, it naturally discourages viewing inappropriate content. This simple step prevents most problems before they start.

Good locations:

  • Living room
  • Kitchen
  • Family room
  • Hallway or common area
The screen should face the room, not a wall or corner. Anyone walking by should be able to see what's on screen.

Step 2: Set Up User Accounts

Create separate user accounts for each family member. Think of this like giving each person their own bedroom with different rules.

Why separate accounts?

  • Children should not be able to change system settings
  • Children should not be able to install programs
  • Each person's activity is tracked separately
  • You control what each child can do

Mac Setup:

  1. Open System Settings
  2. Go to Users & Groups
  3. Click Add User
  4. Select Standard account type for each child

Windows Setup:

  1. Open Settings → Accounts
  2. Go to Family & other users
  3. Click Add someone else to this PC
  4. Add children as Standard user or Family member
Children must have Standard (non-administrator) accounts. This prevents them from undoing your protections.

Step 3: Secure Admin Password

The administrator password should only be known to both parents. With this password, anyone can install or remove software, change parental control settings, and access other users' files.

Password requirements:

  • Choose a strong password that children cannot guess
  • Do not use birthdays, pet names, or easily guessed information
  • Both parents should know the password—store it in a password manager (such as 1Password, Bitwarden, or Apple Passwords) rather than writing it down
NEVER share the administrator password with your children.

Step 4: Install Filtering Software

Filtering your home computer is an essential step in preventing unwanted material from being accessed. An effective filter should also include some means of providing accountability. Even with the best intentions, anyone can stumble upon harmful content through accidental misspellings, misleading search results, or malicious ads.

Covenant Eyes ($15 USD/month)

Covenant Eyes is focused on combatting sexually explicit content. A monitoring app is installed on your device, and a second app on an accountability partner's phone. The monitoring app analyzes screen content on a regular interval and notifies your partner of any potentially explicit content, along with a blurred version of the image.

Covenant Eyes also offers filtering, which enforces "safe searching" and blocks known explicit content.

Content involving violence, gambling, drugs/alcohol may not be filtered by Covenant Eyes. Consider combining with network-level filtering (Firewalla) for the most robust coverage.

Installation:

  1. Sign in to your Covenant Eyes online account
  2. Access the Covenant Eyes "Member Portal"
  3. From the menu, select "Download"
  4. Choose your operating system (Windows or Mac)
  5. When prompted, click "Run" and follow the prompts

Detailed installation guides:

Qustodio (Free / $55 USD/year premium)

Qustodio allows parents to set up filtering based on the type of website, and then choose what happens when a child accesses a site in that category—it can allow access, allow access while alerting the parent, or block it completely. You can also block specific websites altogether, regardless of the website's category.

Installation:

  1. Go to the Qustodio get started page
  2. Choose your operating system and click "Download"
  3. Once downloaded, click the file to run the installer
  4. Follow the prompts (you'll need your Qustodio login to activate)
Qustodio Get Started →
Install filtering on ALL user accounts, including parent accounts. This prevents children from using a parent's account to bypass filters.

Step 5: Install Accountability Software

Accountability software monitors activity and sends reports to a designated person. This adds a layer of protection beyond filtering.

Filtering vs Accountability:

  • Filtering blocks content before it's seen
  • Accountability records what's viewed and reports it to someone you trust

Together, they provide comprehensive protection—filtering prevents most exposure, while accountability catches anything that slips through and creates natural deterrence.

Covenant Eyes offers both filtering and accountability in one package. It captures screenshots of concerning activity and sends weekly reports to your chosen accountability partners.

Qustodio also provides accountability through email reports. Parents receive regular reports showing which websites were visited, search terms used, and how much time was spent on each app. This is accountability too—knowing that activity is being reported helps everyone stay on track.

A Note for Parents

This guide focuses on protecting children, but these protections are for you too. We all face temptations. Installing filtering and accountability on your own devices helps you avoid stumbling. Having an accountability partner keeps you honest and provides support.

Don't exempt yourself from what you require of your children.

Step 6: Review Reports Weekly

Configure your accountability software to send weekly activity reports to parents.

Accountability is useless if no one reads the reports.

Setup steps:

  1. In your accountability/filtering software settings, configure email reports
  2. Set reports to be sent weekly to both parents
  3. Set a weekly reminder on your calendar to review them together

What to look for:

  • Blocked attempts – sites that were blocked by your filters
  • Search history – what topics are being searched
  • Time patterns – late night activity is often problematic
  • New apps or websites – unfamiliar services being accessed

Step 7: Set Screen Time Limits

Set boundaries for when and how long the computer can be used. Balance matters more than specific hours.

Mac Setup:

  1. Open System Settings → Screen Time
  2. Set Downtime (when the computer is locked)
  3. Set App Limits for categories like Games and Social
  4. Lock Screen Time settings with a passcode

Windows Setup:

  1. Open Settings → Accounts → Family
  2. Click Manage family settings online
  3. Select the child's account
  4. Set Screen time limits and schedules

Guiding questions: Is screen time crowding out...

  • Sleep? (children need 8-12 hours)
  • Physical activity? (at least 1 hour daily)
  • Chores and responsibilities?
  • Family time and conversation?
  • Devotions and spiritual habits?

If yes, reduce screen time until balance is restored.

No screens after parents are asleep. Most problematic usage occurs late at night.