I want to put a password on my computer to limit the time my son spends on it, but my teenage son is very smart and my parenting strategies like this often backfire. What if he puts a password of his own on my computer? Then what would I do?
2006-09-21 17:20:42 · 6 answers · asked by www 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Are you looking for a technical solution or a parenting solution?
As a parent, I would say you have serious authority problem if your son locks you out of your own computer and won't let you on. Surely in your years as a parent you have learned effective methods of punishment.
2006-09-21 17:25:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Unless you are very computer adept, not much. Hire a computer technician to list you as the adminstrator and have that account password protected. Then set up another account for yourself, and use a different password, and use that as your normal working account. As the administrator, you can control who goes where and can access all the other info on everyone elses accounts- plus change their passwords. If you don't do this and he does happen to put a password on your account, the computer tech has a program called a password cracker- which will open it up. I know all about this because my husband does this sort of thing for a living- he's the chief of the Help Desk at the local army post. And we have six kids- all very computer adept, down to the 6 year old. This is exactly how we control ours. Also, you can use firewall software to block internet access for any user you want. I do this to keep the younger kids off unless I am aware they are online. We use Norton's, but there are others out there as well.
2006-09-21 18:09:53 · answer #2 · answered by The mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off what you should do is tell him the consequences that would happen if he did something like this. IE: take the computer out of his jurisdiction, or the following?
Why worry about a password. Do like I have done, take the phone cord from the wall( if its cable take that instead) and lock it up where only YOU know where its at. If you are worried that he will still get on and password protect it then remove the POWER cord from the computer and if you allow him to use the computer for homework be sure and MONITOR what he is doing from the time you allow him to get on. I set a time limit for my children and if they are doing what they need to do it won't ever take longer than that for them to get the work done. I also make sure the computer is where I can see the screen at all times.
There are also password reprogram software for minimal cost on the Internet so you could always get a copy of that to keep on hand(in a secure location) in case all of your attempts fail.
2006-09-22 02:09:51 · answer #3 · answered by singlegal001 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
set up an alternate log in (guest), limit access to the password section, and anything else that you don't want him in. this worked with my step son. he's still mad about it 6 months later.
2006-09-21 17:30:10 · answer #4 · answered by srrsmr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
take his computer away from him he is not in charge you are tell him he has a certain amount of time on the computer and that is the end of discussion if he puts a pass word on his computer take his computer privliges away for a month
2006-09-25 15:05:32 · answer #5 · answered by Courtney G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unplug it
2006-09-21 17:28:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋