ChildCentre

The ChildCentre program is a time control software specifically designed for parents who want to monitor and limit their children's time spent playing computer games. With ChildCentre, each child can have a specific user account that is independently managed by the program.

ChildCentre is equipped with an automatic timer that tracks the amount of time a child spends playing games. Even if an adult is not physically present, the software will automatically end the game session or close the program, depending on the predefined mode, once the time limit is up. Additionally, ChildCentre restricts access to dedicated programs or Windows for the rest of the day.

There are two ways to set up the time control feature. For younger children aged 3-5 years old, dedicated programs mode is recommended. Before a child starts playing, an adult can input specific programs to run within ChildCentre. For older children aged 5-7 years old, absolute time counting mode is recommended. ChildCentre will track the time spent using Windows, and the adult will set the total amount of time a child can use the computer. The child cannot exceed the given time limit.

As the time limit approaches its end, ChildCentre will sound an alert. The program will notify the child with four signals when ten minutes remain and with five signals when there is only five minutes left. When one minute remains, the program will sound six signals, and the last ten seconds will sound ten signals. If the child does not finish the game before time runs out, ChildCentre will close the game, restricting access to it for the rest of the day.

Overall, ChildCentre is an effective software for enabling parents to control and monitor their children's computer usage under limited time constraints to ensure a healthy balance of screen time.