My three year old loves “Bubbleguppies”. And “Dora the Explorer”.

I know the theme tunes off by heart.

It does my head in.

I’m comfortable allowing her some screen time and, to some degree, I rest easier knowing these shows are often as educational as they are entertaining.

But I’ve got to keep a sharp eye on things as she gravitates closer to the back-lit screen and zones out to the real world. She becomes transfixed and unresponsive… unless the streaming starts buffering…

I think all parents can agree that TV is no substitute for parental attention and should not serve the purpose of a babysitter. But, for those of us running on empty and attempting to calm the hungry yells of a younger, much more dependent, sibling… well, just one short animated episode of her cartoon “du jour” can be an absolute godsend.

The problem is, she is slowly getting to know what some of the key TV remote buttons do. She’ll often turn it off and protest loudly when she can’t navigate her way back to Netflix or Lightbox. With this presence of mechanical mind comes some uncertainty.

*What if she accidentally starts watching something more explicit? *

What if she manages to pause at the wrong moment and spots some surreptitiously-inserted imagery ?

Read more: Mum spots crude moment in Netflix show for kids

Well, for those of you who share these concerns, Netflix and Lightbox have respective solutions (apart from that “Maya the Bee” episode which has since been pulled from Netflix).

There are simple steps you can take to ensure your Little Miss or Master is limited to quality, age-appropriate programming.

For Netflix settings, take their pointers: Parental controls on Netflix

Helpful Lightbox tips: Setting up your Parental Controls