Parental controls allow you to manage and restrict what your children can access and watch on television. For parents and caregivers, this can be an indispensable tool in keeping kids safe. If your cable provider offers this option, you may be wondering how it works, the benefits it offers, and how to determine what is appropriate viewing material. Here is an overview of each of these crucial areas.

How Parental Controls Work

In general, parental controls are easy to set up, as they are designed for parents to quickly establish rules for their children's viewing habits. With most systems, you access the control panel via the remote by pushing the "menu" button.  Once in the menu, choose the settings option, then Parental. Once you choose the option in your Parental menu, you will be prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN) to view the channels of your choice;  locked channels function, as well as rating and time restrictions, which let you block programming with certain ratings and set times for any periods of the day. You can always contact your cable provider for more details and for assistance with any of these steps.

Benefits

Parental controls give you the ability to monitor what your children watch on TV. 

Age Guide

Only you can determine what you think is appropriate viewing material. But, in general, there are some specific guidelines established by ratings boards and individual networks. These guidelines include the following ratings:

• TV-Y: Suitable for all ages.
• TV-Y7: Intended for children ages 7 and older.
• TV-G: Appropriate for a general audience of all ages, though very young kids may have less interest in these programs or find them harder to follow.
• TV-PG: Parental Guidance suggested - signifies some mildly objectionable material, like light swearing or violence, and is best when viewed together with parents.
• TV-PG-14: Designed for kids 14 and older, as it contains more adult themes.
• TV-MA: Not intended for children; parents can expect this programming to have explicit language, violence, and/or sexual content.

Delhi Telephone Company offers parental controls with their television service. For over 120 years, they have been serving the Delaware County, NY, area. They are a trusted phone, internet, and cable provider, with a long history of providing quality products, exceptional customer care, and extensive community engagement. Call (607) 746-1500 or visit them online for more information.