Your old iPad could be a great thing for
your children if you know how to configure it appropriately.
At present, iPad has gone through three
generations. iPad does appear more and more in home and serve children. Thus,
how could you manage to turn it into a useful (as well as safe) thing for your
children? Here are 6 recommended steps.
iPad
may become great for kids.
Step 1: Get rid of everything
When giving an iPad away, you have to remove
all of your things. This requires you to connect iPad to the synchronized
computer then make back-ups (in case you want to restore data to a new tablet).
Next, select that iPad in Sources list of iTunes then in Summary tab, click
Restorr button. ITunes will download and install the latest version of iOS. Set
your iPad’s configuration as New and you now have a device appearing like a
brand-new one.
Step 2: Create plan for synchronization
If the children are still little, you must
be responsible for downloading apps and synchronizing in the name of your own
account. By this way, not only will you know exactly what is on the iPad but
you can also manage to buy, organize and configure apps.
Older kids may ask for their own iTunes
accounts. Once being allowed, they will appreciate having independent decisions
to download apps and media, instead of those you impose on them. Accordingly, you
are going to create separate accounts on your Mac for them as well as make the
children use Apple IDs. As a result, children’s apps will be involved with their
accounts and they won’t gain any access to your apps whose contents may not be
suitable for kids.
Step 3: Restrictions
iOS provides many options to turn Safari,
YouTube, iTunes and Ping off as well as disable the ability of installing and
removing apps. Besides, you may allow the children to download apps and media
according to their ratings (such as movies having U and PG ratings and apps
which are suitable for 12-year-and-above ones) and refuse purchases in apps,
games having lots of players and adding more friends in Game Center.
To activate Restrictions on iPad, run
Settings, type General, type Restriction then select Enable Restrictions on top
of the screen. You will be prompted to input and confirm a passcode containing
4 characters. If someone wants to change your setting, they must log in with
that code first.
iOS 5 lets you make restrictions for
location and account. Type Location in Restrictions box then disable location’s
information by switching Location Service into Off.
Otherwise, you can also turn off Location
Service for special apps which are listed under that section. Because parents
don’t like letting everyone know where there children are. It is good rule to
turn on Location for apps (ex: Maps, weather forecast…) that inform users of their
surroundings. However, you may prefer turning it off for apps (ex: Find My
Friends, Twitter, Facebook…) that notify other about your iPad’s position.
Step 4: Get and configure Email
In case your kids don’t have any email
account, you can get free one from Gmail or Yahoo. Both providers require users
who are at least 13 years old though they have no idea to get the real ages of
users.
Unwanted emails become a problem for iOS
device because unlike parental controls of OS X, you are unable to monitor emails
sent to your kids as well as the source. Fortunately, Gmail and Yahoo allow you
to create lists of limited senders of users but they not prevent restrictions
for senders who are not listed. The same situation happens to iCloud accounts. You
may set up basic filters on iCloud website but they cannot prevent emails being
sent to your kids’ account. In conclusion, it must be sure that your children are
able to control responsibilities coming with email and ready to let you know when
they receive inappropriate messages.
Step 5: Pick apps for iPad
If you prefer a total control over apps
that you children may install into iPad, turn off Restrictions (if they were
activated) then sit down together with your kids and select some suitable apps.
Once finishing, you should turn on Restrictions and switch off Installing Apps.
This prevents children from installing further apps.
Keep an eye on Netflix! It is a great
source for streaming movie to iPad but its restriction finds difficulty being managed.
Although you can create separate profiles for every member of the family, Netflix
applies parental controls generally. Once you inactivate parental controls, your
kids will gain access to available movies via either Watch Instantly service or
your streaming queue. And of course, when parental controls are turned on, they
don’t allow grown-ups to watch adult movies until you change these settings. Besides,
parental controls can be adjusted on Netflix’s website.
Step 6: Talk
Whenever you consider of whether children
should get along with technology or not, sit down and talk with them. This talk
is about the importance of setting restrictions of using iPad, authenticating your
parental rights to monitor your children, and warning about the risk of supplying
personal information to the Internet. Your approach should be accorded to every
single age. You don’t have to scare you kids away with an imagination about “an
Internet boogieman” as well as be so over-protective that your teenage children
may not be allowed to watch a movie for 18-year-old people. Your advices should
be like those for a new tourist in a strange city where you all know streets,
risks, opportunities and funs.
Windosill
(from Vectorpark), for instance, will turn iPad into a great device for children
if you spend time configuring the tablet carefully.
