Doing your part as a grandparent also involves making sure your technology is safe for the kids to use. If you are wondering which controls to install on your desktopcomputer, laptop, or tabletcomputer, the answer may be right at your fingertips -- literally! The top three online browsers -- Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari -- each offer settings and add-ons to help make your grandchild's online experience more age-appropriate. With a few tweaks, you can block sites, filter search results, and also create a white list of sites which are fine for your grandchildren.

As helpful as they are, however, control settings are merely one part of this keeping-kids-safe-online puzzle. And the settings will need tweaks as your grandchildren get old. You'll likely want stricter settings as soon as your grandkids are just starting to go online, and gradually ease up as the children need fewer protections. Most of all, speak with your grandchildren about responsible online behaviour -- and model it, too. Together, explore ways to customize the tools your grandkids use for college, entertainment, and socializing. Learning how to use technology appropriately and finding how to make it work for your requirements are crucial to getting the best out of technology -- while minimizing risks. (Learn more about placing controls.)

Set up Google SafeSearch
SafeSearch filters out the most sketchy websites and images, and it is a fantastic first step in keeping the web a safe place for children to explore. You will need a Gmail account and be logged in to install SafeSearch, and you'll need to set this up for each browser and device you use. Make sure every browser uses Google as its search engine; follow the directions below to check.

In Google Chrome
Click on Menu (at the top right of your browser window, the Menu generally appears as three parallel lines; it must say"Customize and control Google Chrome").
Click Settings, then scroll down to Hunt.
Under where it says"Place which search engine is used when hunting in the omnibox," the drop-down should say Google. Next, click on your account (the icon on the top right). Under Your Personal Info, scroll down and click on Settings. Under SafeSearch filters, select Turn on SafeSearch and then Lock SafeSearch.

In Mozilla Firefox
Click on Menu (at the top right of your browser window, the Menu generally appears as three parallel lines; it must say"Open menu").
Click Options, then click Search.
Under Default Search Engine the drop-down must say Google. Next, go to Google.com. Scroll to Settings, then select"Search settings"

In Apple Safari
In the Preferences menu, click on Safari.
Click on Search Engine and select Google. Next, click on your Safari icon and go to Google.com. Scroll to Settings and choose"Search settings" Under SafeSearch Filters, select"Filter explicit results." Tap Save. Tap the question mark icon next to SafeSearch Filters to enable that setting for all your devices.

Customize your browser

Each browser offers unique features to stop kids from stumbling onto age-inappropriate content.

In Google Chrome
Create a supervised user accounts. Click on Menu, select Settings, and scroll down to Individuals. Here, you can add a user, such as your child, whom you can manage by clicking"Control and see the sites this individual visits when they use your browser" You'll find a dashboard where you can set up search filters to block undesirable content.
Make your Chrome browser off-limits. Also under Individuals, deselect Enable Guest Browsing and"Let anyone add a person to Chrome." Both of these settings prevent others from using your browser.
 On the Preferences page, click"Show advanced settings" Under Privacy, click"Content settings." Under Pictures, click"Do not show any images."

In Mozilla Firefox
 Proceed to the Menu and click Add-ons. Click on the Search icon and type in the sort of feature you want to add, such as"parental controls" or"search filter." Choose an add-on dependent on the features and reviews. You can experiment with various ones since they're easy to add and remove. Normally, the add-on's icon will appear at the top of the display so you know it's working. Test it by looking for something it's supposed to filter. If it does not work, click on Extensions .

In Apple Safari
 Also in Restrictions, scroll down to Allowed Content. Here, you may set age restrictions for downloadable articles and sites. Under Websites, check Limit Adult Content. Next, you can add websites to the Always Allow and Allow lists.

To see the complete list of the tips for grandparents on how to make the internet safer for children, please go GrandparentsLink.com