No one likes the thought of a child browsing the Internet for school research, or enjoying multi-player computer games, and then stumbling across an inappropriate website.  Yet many of us don’t take the time to set up parental controls with the assumption that it will take too much time or interfere with computer performance.

These quick tips will show you how to set up parental controls on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox.

Internet Explorer 

Internet Explorer has several areas that offer parental controls including content (restrictions on language, nudity, sex, and violence), offensive language, and listing approved or disproved websites.
To set controls:

• Open Internet Explorer
• Select “Tools” from the toolbar
• Select “Internet Options”
• Choose the “Content” tab
• Click “Enable”
• Adjust the slider to select the level you deem appropriate for your child
• Save changes

Google Chrome

Google has taken quite a bit of heat for not having parental controls built-in to Google Chrome. Some parents have complained that restricted sites on Internet Explorer can be bypassed by savvy kids who use Chrome instead.

Firefox

Firefox has no built-in parental controls, but they do offer an extension called “FoxFilter.”  Fox Filter blocks pornographic and inappropriate content for free,  but other services require a fee.

You can’t always rely on the parental controls built in to your browser. However, you can run an easy-to-use solution – Maximum Security – in the background to help guarantee your kids are safe on the web.