Planning for back to school

Back-to-school

If you’ve got school-age kids, it’s likely you’re no stranger to the mad dash to get things organised for their return to the classroom. With a lot of schools now issuing laptops and email addresses to kids as young as 5, there’s no better time to prepare yourself. Start by discussing the ground rules around the use of the laptop, and implement parental controls to ensure they stay focused. If the computer doesn’t have an internet security suite on it already, make sure you get one with good parental controls.

If you’ve got a desktop computer hidden away in an office or study, consider moving it into a common area such as the living room or kitchen. This way you can help your kids with their homework while you get on with dinner, all while monitoring their online activities.

Although a large number of schools now accept homework submitted by email, a printer is still a necessity for most households. If you don’t have much space, a multi-function centre adds scanning and photocopying functionality and takes up much less space than a separate printer and scanner.

Gaming parental controls

Traditionally, parental controls were fiddly and difficult to manage. Now, it’s as simple as a few clicks. Even all of the major gaming consoles have them built in, letting you decide what sorts of games your kids can play. You can even set different levels of filtering for different accounts. The parental controls are all modelled off the Classification Board’s ratings. If you’re not sure where to find these settings or want to find out a bit more information, the IGEA (Interactive Games and Entertainment Association) has developed a series of easy-to-follow videos on how to set up parental controls on different consoles as well as your computer. Visit them at www.igea.net.

Smartphones

If your child is of mobile phone age, remember that the smartphones these days are all geared up to surf the net, so you can be sure that they're watching YouTube videos, chatting to friends on facebook, and sending sms messages at all hours! Discuss usage times with your kids and ensure you have a suitable phone plan in place to avoid any nasty surprises on your next bill!

The wonders of Wi-Fi

If this new laptop is the first in your household or you haven't previously thought about going wireless, it's a good way to avoid tantrums and arguments about whose turn it is to use the internet. By going wireless, all the computers can access the internet at the same time. That's if you have more than one. If you do decide to go wireless or have already, make sure it's secure, that way nosy neighbours can't steal your internet.

However you decide to set the kids up for back to school, nothing beats having an open dialogue with your kids about their needs and the technology house rules.

Have more questions or need help? Contact Gizmo on 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au