Back-to-School SafeSearch Checklist: Protect Kids Online This School Year
New school year, new devices, new risks. Whether your kids are starting kindergarten or middle school, now’s the time to get ahead of online safety. This back-to-school SafeSearch checklist helps you protect your child’s school and home devices in under 15 minutes.
📌 Step 1: Enable SafeSearch in All Browsers
- Google: Go to google.com/preferences, turn on SafeSearch, and lock it
- YouTube: Scroll to the bottom of YouTube.com and enable Restricted Mode (lock it too)
- Bing & Yahoo: Set to Strict in settings
🌐 Step 2: Apply DNS Filtering at Home
Even if your child disables browser settings, DNS filtering keeps SafeSearch in place across all apps and browsers.
- CleanBrowsing Family Filter: 185.228.168.168
- OpenDNS Family Shield: 208.67.222.123
Or get a Gryphon Guardian Router to enforce filtering automatically
📱 Step 3: Set Up Monitoring on School and Personal Devices
If your child has a school-issued Chromebook or uses a family tablet, install a monitoring app for extra protection.
- Qustodio — Filter websites, limit screen time, and track activity
- Bark Premium — Get alerts for inappropriate searches, messages, or content
🔒 Step 4: Review School Tech Policies
Ask your child’s school:
- ❓ Are school Chromebooks filtered off-campus?
- ❓ Can kids download apps or change settings?
- ❓ Are any monitoring or safety tools already installed?
🎒 Step 5: Talk to Your Kids About Online Boundaries
Filters are only part of the picture. Teach your child:
- ✅ How to spot clickbait and fake content
- ✅ When to come to you if they see something uncomfortable
- ✅ That SafeSearch isn’t about control — it’s about safety
Final Word:
SafeSearch is just the beginning. Layer it with DNS filtering, app monitoring, and open communication to make this school year your safest yet — online and off.
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