Hand-Made Mac Tips

[Edit: I just updated this post and re-embedded a shortened version of the previous video. At 9 mins., I thought it was a little too long so I decided to shorten it by making the slides go a little faster. This one is now just under 5 minutes. I hope you like this version better. If you like a slower presentation, you can still find the original here.]

How to Toddler-Proof Your Mac
This is the first presentation in a series I'd like to call "Hand-Made Mac Tips."
This is a tutorial slide show video that shows you how to create and configure a separate user on a Mac which will protect your personal data from being damaged by curious little fingers. The presentation is just under 5 minutes long and guides you through a custom user account setup and configuration from start to finish. The slides move quickly so you may need watch it a second time and pause where necessary.




Intended Audience: parents, educators, early childhood administrators
Difficulty: moderate, time consuming (but well-worth it!)
Goal: After following these instructions, you will have a separate child-proof* user account on your Mac that you can switch to instantly in 2 clicks. You can then allow your young child (kindergarten and earlier) to explore your computer and use it as an educational tool without disrupting any of your important files. Please note that this new configuration will only help to protect your software. You still must work with the child to protect your hardware, i.e. monitor or laptop screen and keyboard.
Total Time: +/-20 minutes to watch video and follow along
What you will need: A Mac running OS 10.4 x 'Tiger,' some patience and understanding, toddler to test the configuration
Notes: Contact me via comments with any questions. I realize the text may be hard to read, so I recommend viewing the video via the YouTube site where you can enlarge it to full screen. There is no sound, just text and video. (This is my second attempt at making one of these.)
Additional Resources: Please visit www.themacmommy.com and check out my learning links section where you can find lots of great references to educational software for young children from all over the web. There are even some Windows-friendly links as well!

Please let me know what you think of this presentation and if you would like to see more like it. This is my first tutorial using this slide show method and I'm currently exploring other methods and formats. Any suggestions and ideas would help me make this a better resource.

I hope you find this useful. Any questions or comments, just ask TheMacMommy :)

*Author assumes no responsibility for loss of data or damage. Be wise and supervise children while using the computer!
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