I'm Wren Kowalczyk. I'm a parent, former software developer, and YouTube safety nerd. I test parental controls in the trenches so you don't have to pay with your sanity.
After testing eight different parental control apps with my 5-year-old and 8-year-old over three months, I found that most general web filters fail when it comes to YouTube. Here is my honest, tested-in-the-trenches breakdown of what actually works to block Shorts, comments, and the endless recommendation rabbit holes.
I spent three weeks testing every major YouTube alternative and parental control tool. Here is my deep-dive review of what actually keeps kids safe from the recommendation algorithm.
YouTube Kids drove me absolutely crazy. My daughter watched 247 autoplaying videos in a single afternoon before I realized the algorithm-driven app is built for watch time, not learning.
After a quarter of a year using WhitelistVideo's channel whitelisting, I share how my kids' screen habits shifted from dopamine-fueled scroll sessions to intentional, creative learning.
A head-to-head comparison of how these three heavy hitters manage YouTube. I test their filtering, Shorts blocking, and bypass protection in daily parenting scenarios.
A nerdy but accessible look at using cross-device sync, Advanced Protection mode, and automated channel whitelisting to make YouTube completely safe for an older, tech-savvy child.
How we reset our kids' digital boundaries each September. I share our rules for high-quality screen time and how boredom fuels their offline creativity in Portland.