Parent guide
Helping kids focus without reading their messages
You can set boundaries around homework time without turning private conversations into a daily report. A useful starting point is to agree on when focus time happens, what tools stay available, and what information a parent actually needs to manage that routine.
Separate the focus problem from the privacy question
“Games keep interrupting homework” is a specific problem. Reading every message is a much broader intervention. Start with the behavior you want to change: keeping a game closed for a homework block, limiting a distracting website, or making a short break easy to request.
This approach is about managing access during agreed times. It is not a substitute for talking about online safety or responding when your child tells you something is wrong.
Explain the rules before you enforce them
Try a conversation such as: “From 4 to 5, the games we choose will wait while you do homework. Your school tools will still work. If you need a break or another website, ask me and we can decide.” Adapt the routine to your family rather than treating that example as a rule for every child.
- Say which apps or websites are restricted and when.
- Explain what happens if an app is already running.
- Agree on how to request a break or a schoolwork exception.
- Set a time to review whether the routine is helping.
Be precise about what ClearGuard does
ClearGuard lets parents set weekly focus schedules, manage website rules, choose apps blocked during focus on assigned standard Windows accounts, and respond to time-limited requests. Parents manage those controls from the Parent Portal, including from a phone.
ClearGuard does not collect screenshots, screen recordings, keystrokes, website passwords, private-message contents, camera or microphone data, or the browser’s saved history. It still needs account and connection information to provide the service. Website-rule activity and requests can include a website domain, child/device identity, and request timing. Privacy does not mean the service processes no data.
Read the Privacy Policy for the complete explanation of what is processed, who can see it, and retention.
Keep optional tab sharing a separate decision
Open-tab status sharing is optional and off by default in user-installable extensions. When enabled, it shares current tab titles and website domains with the connected parent or authorized school portal. Titles can reveal personal interests or sensitive context even without page contents.
You do not need optional tab sharing to apply website rules. If you decide to use it, explain that choice to your child. Check the current browser’s consent and permission controls rather than assuming an installed extension means sharing is enabled.
Use the least restriction that fits the task
Begin with the games or sites that actually interrupt homework. Keep school tools available and choose a manageable focus window. On a shared PC, give each child a separate standard Windows account so one child’s routine is not applied to everyone.
For step-by-step setup, see How to block games during homework on a Windows PC. ClearGuard’s Windows app does not manage every device your child might use. Confirm the account assignment and browser connection, then test the actual child account before relying on the rules.
Treat requests as part of the routine
Homework changes. A child may need a site for research or a few minutes away from the task. ClearGuard’s website and focus-break requests give you a way to consider those exceptions without sharing screenshots or private messages.
Approved website access expires automatically. A focus break temporarily pauses scheduled focus and Focus now; always-blocked websites and safety blocks remain on. Explain that distinction so the child knows what an approval changes.
Review the routine, not their private conversations
After a week, ask practical questions: Were the times realistic? Did a school app get blocked? Was it easy to ask for a break? Change the schedule or app list when the routine needs adjustment.
The goal is a setup your family understands: clear expectations, visible rules, and room to talk. No tool can promise better grades or remove every distraction, but you can decide what your family’s computer routine should look like.