How do you block Steam Online/Offline play during homework time?

[TAG Washington]

Just using the existing family settings isn't sufficient. I tried blocking all the steam ports on the router, but no luck. I want to block the login mechanism to render all the games unplayable while we are doing homework on the computer. It's too much of a distraction...

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Self control

[Cheezus Crisp]

Why don't you just create a different user account on the PC that doesn't have Steam on it? One for games and the other for homework. Problem solved.

[TAG Washington]

It didn't work. The kids circumvented it. Originally parents were the admin and the kids were the guest accounts. But you have to log in so many times for various installs, that they were able to flip it around. Now the kids are the admins and the parents are the child accounts. It's also super easy for kids to just leave the family. And then the kids make themselves child accounts of each other so they have complete control over parent controls. The current set of parent controls is only good enough up to 5 yrs old. Any kid older is smart enough to bypass. What I need is to be able to set child steam accounts in the cloud. That way I can control steam access remotely.

[AmsterdamHeavy]

Or, you know, you could get control of your kids instead of trying to lay the fault on a gaming platform.


https://www.lifewire.com/microsoft-family-safety-parental-controls-4153037

[TAG Washington]

Oh no for sure, the problem lies with Steam. I want to suspend all Steam activity for short periods. The kids need to be logged into the computer to use their school sites like K12 and WAVA. The Windows parent controls can easily be manipulated by changing the clock. And using the MS parent controls can easily block valid logins when the kids manipulate the time and date. The kids can also block remote parent controls by going into airplane mode.

[nullable]

Originally posted by TAG Washington:

It didn't work. The kids circumvented it. Originally parents were the admin and the kids were the guest accounts. But you have to log in so many times for various installs, that they were able to flip it around. Now the kids are the admins and the parents are the child accounts. It's also super easy for kids to just leave the family. And then the kids make themselves child accounts of each other so they have complete control over parent controls. The current set of parent controls is only good enough up to 5 yrs old. Any kid older is smart enough to bypass. What I need is to be able to set child steam accounts in the cloud. That way I can control steam access remotely.

Sounds like doing homework like it is 1999 is the solution. I mean in my day I would have been grounded and forbidden to use the device.Sure it's the kids job to try and circumvent your authority and all, but don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

If they absolutely must have a computer, tell them to go to the library. You have options.

I think you need to think outside the box a little more. Have them cough up their steam account credentials and lock them out for a month.

[TAG Washington]

Sure they do homework at the library and we've been doing that. They have homework with me learning programming with Unity and UE4. They are doing that homework on their own machines. I just need to lock them out of the games while we are doing homework. It's too easy for them to lose focus switching out of homework to their games.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by TAG Washington:

Oh no for sure, the problem lies with Steam.

No, making sure the kids do their homework instead of playing games is the task of the parents, not Steam. So the problem lies with the parents who have no control over their kids.

[TAG Washington]

Oh I'll have control if there was parent controls over child steam accounts. I don't want to uninstall Steam and their games. Just temporarily make them inactive during homework time or bed time.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by TAG Washington:

Oh I'll have control if there was parent controls over child steam accounts.

You say, follow the rules (create reasonal rules).
Or you will need me to login the account each time you want to play.
Your choice.

This will be the best for both sides.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by TAG Washington:

Oh I'll have control if there was parent controls over child steam accounts. I don't want to uninstall Steam and their games. Just temporarily make them inactive during homework time or bed time.

That's the problem right there, you needing extra "controls".

Just tell them to stay off Steam during homework or otherwise there is no computer time for a whole day, with 2 days added if they break the trust.

[TAG Washington]

Unfortunately, that kind of parenting is not effective for all kids and all cases. I just need absolute control. If there's no way to circumvent the controls, that gives me leverage to enforce homework and bed time.

[nullable]

Well it sounds like you need to install some more draconian system security software. What you want goes beyond the scope of Steam or Windows, and it's not their business to manage some very specific needs you have as a parent.

[FMP]

Originally posted by TAG Washington:

I tried blocking all the steam ports on the router, but no luck.

Then you didn't block them completely.

Piehole or other such application can block Steam if you have a spare Pi or something like it?

[TAG Washington]

I have lots of RPIs, I'll look into that!