Do you really want your kids playing games on your Mac? Do you want them to get into your email or start your iChat? Probably not. They are never to young to have their own side of the Mac.
I have a computer in my kitchen ( I like having fast access to recipes) and on it I have a user account set up just for the kids. This is where the games live for the little ones. I even have a step stool at the counter so they can reach it. When a two year old steps up to the computer, I find it best to give them their own space on the computer and not let the mess around in mine. I know what you are thinking, “a two year old on your iMac”. You bet! I have one of the best software programs for toddlers. They love it and I am thankful to have something else to entertain those busy fingers with before they start emptying out all of my kitchen cabinets.
Apple’s Leopard and Tiger have excellent parental controls and I suggest using them. It doesn’t matter how old the kids are from tots to teens you really want them to have their own account and keep them out of yours.
My older kids can login to their accounts and pick cutesy desktop pictures and set up their mail accounts. They can stock their own iPhoto library’s and download tunes into iTunes and use iChat to chat with friends.
With parental control built in I am able to control their mail, which website they can view, who they can iChat with, set computer time curfews, indicate which applications they can use and what system preferences they can change.
For younger kids you can simplify it even further by using the “Simple Finder” when setting up their accounts. Once they login all they are presented with is a desktop and large icons of programs they have permission to use.
I will explain how to set these accounts up and how to use the parental control in the next few issues.
Posted by Robin 