How we keep the kids offline after bedtime
It’s a common problem, yeah? How to help our kids resist the temptation of the Internet when it’s supposed to be bedtime.
I remember when my kids were little and we parents would ask each other: Would you ever let your kids have a TV or computer in their room? My answer was always an emphatic NO. But here we are in this crazy age, barely a decade later, and my kids are gadgeted to the hilt with wifi-enabled devices: Nintendo DSi, iPod Touch, netbook. For the purposes of entertainment, who needs an actual TV or wired computer anymore??
For awhile I had a policy of collecting all the devices at night and redistributing in the morning. But that was back in the day when the only gadget they owned was a Game Boy, and those were not wifi-enabled.
So this was Scott’s brilliant idea: Our household wifi access is controlled by MAC address (every wifi enabled device has one)…
1. Wifi is open to any device from 5 am – 6 pm
Hey, if the kids want to get up at 5 am, I do not have a problem with that!
2. Children’s devices lose wifi access at 9 pm.
Yes, they hate that. (And when their friends come to sleepovers here they are appalled. Ha!) But they have gotten used to it. I kind of wish we’d decided on an earlier time in the first place, but for now this suffices.
3. Scott/Betsy devices never go down.
My husband would love to take our net access down as early as 6 pm. But he realizes that would be cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe someday I will be strong enough! But for now I really look forward to a little Words With Friends each night before I turn out the light. 
Motivation
Even if the kids turn up with a wifi-enabled device that they’ve borrowed or have been gifted with, they won’t have wifi on it after 6 pm unless they give Scott the MAC address.
Those extra three hours prove very motivational in their desire to make full disclosure about devices. From the parental point-of-view it’s a beautiful system. And so far none of my kids are quite geeky enough to cross cyberswords with Scott and subvert this system.
Mom to 4 kids and 2 stepkids, I am a writer writing in the heart of chaos. I am the co-founder and former editor of 
This sounds like a great strategy. My little one is too small to be worried about (2 1/2) but I work with a ton of youth that this would be SO good for!! Great job reigning it in.
Michelle
9 Sep 10 at 1:31 pm
jfnrf i hate the rule.
bob joe billy jack jhonson jr. the third
9 Sep 10 at 1:38 pm
Betsy
9 Sep 10 at 1:41 pm
Oh, NOW I understand the MAC address. Did my latest Quinn story inspire you to write this today?
Barbara
9 Sep 10 at 2:01 pm
Yep! I decided this is too good of a tip (I never would have thought of it) to not share it with the webz at large! Hopefully it helps you out with that smart and wily son of yours; it’s not easy to stay one step ahead…
Betsy
9 Sep 10 at 2:05 pm
I do love this solution! Is it hard to set up? We are sort of savvy:-)
L
Lynne T
9 Sep 10 at 2:17 pm
I am not Hannah. I’m bob joe billy jack jhonson jr. the third.
bob joe billy jack jhonson jr. the third
9 Sep 10 at 4:07 pm
WOW! That’s a great idea! We’re not there yet, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind!
PS – How do you do that? Hubby set up our network, do you think that’s something he might easily be able to set up?
Janice @ Mom on the run
9 Sep 10 at 7:26 pm
I configured our network using iptables on a Linux router/firewall. My solution is probably more effort than most people are up for.
The good news is that plenty of modern consumer grade routers have nice web interfaces for setting this kind of thing up. The hardest part is finding and copying the MAC address to the router.
A less tech savvy solution: use 2 routers, setting the children’s router on an electric light timer and only share it’s password!
Regardless, make sure you change the default admin passwords for your routers.
Scott
10 Sep 10 at 10:04 am
This is brilliant! I already have such a love/hate relationship regarding my 6-year old daughter and my iPhone. It comes in handy so often when she needs a short-term distraction, but she becomes addicted to it so quickly.
PS. Loving BeBa. Found it via Brooke A. from SK and I’ve been consumed with it tonight!
Best from Seattle.
katie.
17 Sep 10 at 8:50 pm
Hi Katie! Welcome to my blog – it made my day knowing you enjoyed it.
I’m trying very hard to be more consistent in my posting again. I recently looked back over older entries and I loved how it took me back in time, reminding me of things I’d already forgotten. I wish I’d never slacked off!
Betsy
19 Sep 10 at 9:15 am
PS: I just had look at your blog and I can see I’ll be enjoying it as a regular read.
Betsy
19 Sep 10 at 9:18 am
Why, hello Hannah. ♥
meizitang
27 Jun 11 at 1:33 am
makes obscene gestures
mikey way
27 Feb 12 at 1:59 pm