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...

[Muppet among Puppets]

Escrito originalmente por 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.

It is very effective.

It is reasonable, and the kid has the choice. Following basic rules = playing.

What you teach instead:
Someone else needs to put a lock because i can not help myself.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Escrito originalmente por TAG Washington:

The kids need to be logged into the computer to use their school sites like K12 and WAVA.

They do not need a computer that can play games to do that.

Maybe if you have a simple computer or a cheap tablet, they are even faster done with their school things on those sites......

[Delta Bravo]

Escrito originalmente por Muppet among Puppets:

Escrito originalmente por 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.

It is very effective.

It is reasonable, and the kid has the choice. Following basic rules = playing.

What you teach instead:
Someone else needs to put a lock because i can not help myself.

I completely agree with you, Muppet. Kids need to be taught that there are consequences for their actions and you should start that when they are young.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Change their steam password and email to ones only you know. Then the only way they can play is come to you for the password which you type in when they are out of the room and not spying on you to see the password. Make the password hard to where they can't guess it. Also be sure to do a scan for keyloggers as they might of been smart enough to install one to get the information. I'm sure that information can be found on youtube and kids love youtube.
This is what i did for my kids they can't log on cause they don't have the password or email password to change it. So they have to come to me or my wife to log in to steam after they are done with their homework and we check it to make sure it's done correctly and not just any ol answer put down to get it done.

[Nenozus]

Basic rules to work on kids

Give them what they want but in limits

Or overflood them...this one is hard to pull out perfectly

[Zekiran]

Steam is not their parent, is it?


No?


Well then. Looks like you as the parent need to work on your parenting skills.

How is this in any way a Steam problem when you freely and openly state that you 'need' to control your own kids? Control your kids. Problem solved.

That's like if you came to my comic store while I was running it, let your kids run around and scream and damage things, and then ask ME why I did nothing about it.

They're YOUR kids.

YOU do it.

[TAG Washington]

I just need more robust parent controls to effectively limit access to Steam. The existing controls are limited and more features are needed. Until you have kids, you'll have to wait for some perspective...

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Windows already does this.

[Zekiran]

"Until I have kids"


Dude, I literally ran a comic store where parents didn't monitor their children.

I would in fact take matters into my own hands, if they were so disruptive.

I did, in fact, reward kids that were decent and behaved, and commented as such to their parents when they came by.

You don't have to be a parent, to know these things are important.

Be the parent, don't wait for Steam or Windows - or some random employee in a store - to do it FOR you. It is a really, really poor reflection.

[TAG Washington]

No kids, right. Trust me, in the future you'll want these controls...

Dude, I'd turn on restrictions when I'm directly monitoring the kids. I'll be in the same room. I intend on using it to keep their focus, reduce the likelihood they are distracted while we do homework, and I'd prefer little-to-no whining about it. When Steam is locked down, they'd just have to accept that it's OFF and it's pointless to argue about it.

You overlook that even if I add firewall rules to block Steam and the various executables that the kids have admin rights to undo it (or they can sneak and elevate their credentials). Also I want to deactivate access only temporarily when I'm working with them on homework. I want access restricted on multiple computers (desktops and laptops). It's an administrative nightmare to manually configure. I also want to disable offline play when restrictions are on. These features being part of Steam would be super convenient. If I could toggle parent restrictions directly from my parent Steam account that would be great.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Encrypt your pc. If you really need such thing for your kids.

And get them a "watch school site" capable computer. As i said, they will be very fast done with school site things on this machine.

[TAG Washington]

I could encrypt the Steam folder. So it can only be accessed with a password...

[Jirodyne]

You could just... You know... Sit right next to them, watching them, keeping them focused on Homework. It sounds like you want to be away from the kids and not have to deal with them at all. You want Steam to Parents the Kids, and not yourself.

You are the Parent, not Steam. Sit there and WATCH your kids to make sure they are doing Homework, and if they aren't doing homework, than take the Powercord for the PCs and hide them away where they can't find/access them, such as in the Trunk of the Car, or in a Safe with a Key needed.

You could just Set up to go to your email and use Email Verification, so you have to check your Email for a Code each time they want to login.

You can set up a Guest Account on the Comp and Password Protect the Main Account, and when it's homework time you switch it over to Guest and have the Guess have limited access to Programs and make sure Steam is only installed for the Main Account and not Guess/All Users. Then set it so they can't download or install programs in Guess Account.

Or you could probably just go to the School and ask for None Online Alternitives to the Homework. Do Schools no longer have Books, or Paper, or anything physical for school work and homework?

Can you not just throw the Computer out the house and actually PUNISH your kids for disobeying and breaking the rules?

There are literally HUNDREDS of things you can do, it just sounds like your a bad parent that doesn't want to actually PARENT your kids. You don't punish them, you can't watch them, you can't teach them right or wrong or how to focus. It seems like you want nothing to do with the kids, and just want the easy solution so you can go back to doing other things without caring about being a parent.

[TAG Washington]

"You could just... You know... Sit right next to them, watching them, keeping them focused on Homework..."

Exactly. That's what I'm doing. I just want Steam blocked while we do homework together.

[Zekiran]

Why is it a problem if you're literally "sitting right there"?

Also Im 51, I'm not having children - that's what other people are for. I've seen how badly some parents screw it up. You obviously want to make sure that your kids are doign the right thing, but... you aren't willing to actually do the thing that is NEEDED.