What websites should I block for my child?

Skie for Parents · Updated

Short answer

Mostly you do not choose them one by one. Adult sites, and many sites for gambling and similar harm, are handled by the category filter. Skie blocks adult sites at the filter level. Blocking a particular website by name is not available yet, so control the browser and the apps instead.

Parents often start with a list: adult sites, gambling, certain video and social sites. Lists go out of date, because new sites appear daily. A category filter does the work better, which is why Skie uses one.

The filter on the device, CleanBrowsing Family by default, blocks adult sites at the DNS level. Chrome also has safe browsing and a safe-sites filter on, and SafeSearch is forced for Google searches.

For other sites, such as social media or games sites you do not want, the control is at the browser and app level. You can turn the browser off, restrict it, or allow it. If you turn it off, your child cannot open sites at all, and uses only apps you allowed.

Skie does not have per-website allow or block lists yet. You cannot say block this one site and allow that one. The team is working on it, with no date.

So the practical way to think about it is by purpose. For a young child, no browser, just apps. For a child in the middle years, browser allowed with the filter on. For a teenager, a browser with the filter and an open conversation about what they use.

Social sites in particular are usually reached through their app, so the app list is your main tool there.