Comprehensive configuration guide for parental control and safety monitoring settings on the family MacBook. This configuration provides detailed control over content filtering, time management, and activity monitoring while maintaining age-appropriate transparency.
The family safety configuration controls all aspects of the monitoring system, from screen time limits to content filtering and alert management. All settings are designed to balance safety with developing independence.
Enable monitoring and set retention policies:
monitoring:
enabled: true
log_level: "INFO"
retention_days: 30
Connect to your centralized monitoring infrastructure:
seq_server: "seq.speicher.family:12201"
beszel_server: "beszel.speicher.family"
grafana_server: "grafana.speicher.family"
Protect family privacy while maintaining safety:
encryption_enabled: true
anonymize_urls: false # Set to true for additional privacy
store_screenshots: false # Screen capture disabled for privacy
Configure overall screen time limits:
screen_time:
enabled: true
daily_limit_hours: 4 # Total daily screen time limit
Limit access during school hours:
school_day_restrictions:
enabled: true
school_days: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] # Monday-Friday
school_hours_start: "08:00"
school_hours_end: "16:00"
allowed_during_school: ["Educational", "Productivity"]
Enforce healthy sleep habits:
bedtime_restrictions:
enabled: true
weekday_bedtime: "21:00"
weekend_bedtime: "22:00"
wake_time: "07:00"
Encourage regular breaks:
break_reminders:
enabled: true
interval_minutes: 30
break_duration_minutes: 5
Block inappropriate content categories:
content_filtering:
enabled: true
blocked_categories:
- "adult_content"
- "violence"
- "drugs_alcohol"
- "gambling"
- "weapons"
Enable safe search across platforms:
safe_search:
enabled: true
search_engines: ["google", "bing", "duckduckgo", "youtube"]
Explicitly block or allow specific domains:
## Custom blocked domains
blocked_domains:
- "example-inappropriate-site.com"
## Always allowed domains (educational)
allowed_domains:
- "khan-academy.org"
- "coursera.org"
- "edx.org"
- "classroom.google.com"
- "canvas.instructure.com"
Control social media access:
social_media_restrictions:
enabled: true
platforms: ["facebook", "instagram", "tiktok", "snapchat", "twitter"]
school_day_block: true
weekend_time_limit_hours: 2
Set time limits by application category:
application_monitoring:
enabled: true
app_limits:
games:
daily_limit_minutes: 60
apps: ["Roblox", "Minecraft", "Fortnite"]
school_day_block: true
social_media:
daily_limit_minutes: 120
apps: ["Discord", "WhatsApp", "Telegram"]
school_day_block: true
entertainment:
daily_limit_minutes: 180
apps: ["Netflix", "YouTube", "Spotify", "Disney+"]
school_day_reduced: true
educational:
unlimited: true
apps: ["Khan Academy", "Duolingo", "Scratch", "Code.org"]
Create distraction-free study periods:
study_time_blocking:
enabled: true
study_hours:
start: "19:00"
end: "21:00"
blocked_categories: ["games", "social_media", "entertainment"]
allowed_categories: ["educational", "productivity"]
Monitor activity across major browsers:
browser_monitoring:
enabled: true
browsers: ["safari", "chrome", "firefox", "edge"]
Configure content analysis settings:
real_time_analysis:
enabled: true
check_interval_seconds: 30
content_analysis: true
image_analysis: false # Disabled for privacy
Track and analyze search activity:
search_monitoring:
enabled: true
alert_on_inappropriate: true
educational_search_tracking: true
Monitor and filter DNS requests:
network_monitoring:
enabled: true
dns_monitoring:
enabled: true
log_all_queries: true
block_malicious_domains: true
Control data usage:
bandwidth_monitoring:
enabled: true
daily_limit_gb: 10
educational_traffic_unlimited: true
Detect circumvention attempts:
vpn_detection:
enabled: true
alert_on_vpn_use: true
block_vpn_apps: false # Set to true for stricter control
Track activity in key locations:
file_system_monitoring:
enabled: true
monitored_paths:
- "$HOME/Downloads"
- "$HOME/Documents"
- "$HOME/Desktop"
- "$HOME/Pictures"
- "$HOME/Movies"
Monitor downloaded media:
media_file_monitoring:
enabled: true
scan_for_inappropriate: true
quarantine_suspicious: false # Set to true for automatic quarantine
Monitor external device usage:
usb_monitoring:
enabled: true
log_all_connections: true
scan_transferred_files: true
Monitor email for threats and inappropriate content:
communication_monitoring:
enabled: true
email_monitoring:
enabled: true
scan_for_threats: true
scan_for_inappropriate: true
educational_email_unlimited: true
Monitor messaging applications:
messaging_monitoring:
enabled: true
apps: ["Messages", "WhatsApp", "Discord"]
content_analysis: true
contact_monitoring: true
Track video communication:
video_call_monitoring:
enabled: true
apps: ["Zoom", "FaceTime", "Skype", "Google Meet"]
log_participants: true
time_limits: true
Configure which events trigger immediate notifications:
alerts_and_notifications:
enabled: true
immediate_alerts:
- "inappropriate_content_detected"
- "excessive_screen_time"
- "blocked_content_attempt"
- "vpn_usage_detected"
- "unsafe_communication"
Set up regular summaries:
daily_summary:
enabled: true
send_time: "20:00"
include_usage_stats: true
include_safety_alerts: true
weekly_reports:
enabled: true
send_day: "sunday"
send_time: "18:00"
include_trends: true
include_recommendations: true
Configure where alerts are sent:
notification_channels:
email: "parents@speicher.family"
homelab_seq: true
homelab_grafana: true
discord_webhook: "DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL"
Balance monitoring with independence:
privacy_and_transparency:
age_appropriate_monitoring: true
transparent_policies: true
weekly_family_review: true
child_dashboard_access: true # Age-appropriate monitoring visibility
Control data retention and access:
automatic_data_cleanup: true
data_retention_months: 6
export_reports: true
anonymized_exports: true
Promote healthy technology habits:
educational_features:
enabled: true
screen_time_education: true
cybersecurity_education: true
online_safety_tips: true
Encourage good digital citizenship:
achievement_system: true
educational_goal_tracking: true
healthy_usage_rewards: true
weekly_tech_talks: true
age_appropriate_explanations: true
Configure emergency access:
emergency_settings:
emergency_contact: "+1234567890"
emergency_bypass_code: "FAMILY_EMERGENCY_2025"
Allow flexibility for educational needs:
homework_override:
enabled: true
daily_limit_hours: 2
requires_parent_approval: true
Ensure access during emergencies:
medical_emergency_unrestricted: true
emergency_services_always_allowed: true
Configure system-level integrations:
integration:
homelab:
enabled: true
ansible_managed: true
backup_monitoring_data: true
macos:
screen_time_api: true
parental_controls_integration: true
keychain_integration: true
third_party:
little_snitch_integration: true
circle_home_plus: false # Set to true if using Circle
disney_circle: false # Set to true if using Disney Circle