I kept telling myself I'd "set up Roblox properly" for my kids. For over a year, I never did. It always seemed too complicated, too time-consuming, too easy to put off until tomorrow.
My name is Peter. I'm a dad of two boys - ages 7 and 11 - and yes, they're both completely obsessed with Roblox. If you're reading this, you probably know exactly what I mean.
I'm a digital entrepreneur by trade. I've built companies, I thrive on technology, and many people online might know me as a professional singer. You'd think someone with my background would have no trouble navigating Roblox's parental controls.
But every time I tried to look into it, I'd get overwhelmed. Settings buried in menus. Conflicting advice online. No clear "just do this" checklist. So I'd close the tab and tell myself I'd figure it out later.
Later turned into a year.
The Part Most Parenting Guides Don't Address
One of my sons has PDA - Pathological Demand Avoidance. If you haven't heard of it, it's a profile on the autism spectrum where traditional behavioral parenting simply doesn't work. At all.
For most kids, you can set rules: "Two hours of screen time, then we're done." Maybe there's some pushback, but eventually boundaries hold.
For a child with PDA, anything perceived as a demand - even reasonable ones - can trigger intense verbal and physical meltdowns. Not tantrums. Not "testing limits." Genuine neurological overwhelm that can derail an entire day for the whole family.
So my wife and I have learned to parent our two children differently. For our PDA kiddo, we practice what's called "low-demand parenting." We focus on helping the family thrive, even when that means setting aside conventional rules about how you're "supposed to" parent.
Have a PDA or autistic child? I wrote a dedicated guide about managing Roblox and screen time when traditional rules don't work.
Read the PDA & Screen Time GuideRules With "Buts" Attached
Here's what our reality looks like: We have goals, not hard rules. "We'd like screen time to be around X hours" - but we know that if push comes to shove, if it's in the best interest of the family's safety and sanity, we'll adjust.
Sometimes that means letting him have what he needs so it doesn't ruin the entire day. Then we regroup and try again tomorrow. We're constantly malleable, constantly adjusting.
We've tried apps that shut off the iPad at certain times. They help - sometimes. But this kid is brilliant. He figures out workarounds faster than I can implement them.
Yes, we've cried over screen time battles. More than once.
Why This Site Exists
I built this guide because I needed it myself. Not a complicated manual - a simple 1-2-3 process to make my kids' accounts safer and curate which games they have access to. Something I could actually finish in one sitting.
I can't control how much screen time happens in our house on any given day. But I CAN control what's possible within Roblox when they're on it.
I can disable chat so strangers can't talk to them. I can restrict content so they only see age-appropriate games. I can remove the credit card so there are no surprise purchases. I can research games myself and know which ones are actually safe.
For families like mine - where you can't always limit the "how much," you can at least control the "what."
About Our Product Recommendations
Every product we recommend on this site falls into one of three categories:
- We currently own it and use it with our own kids
- We're about to purchase it after researching for our family
- Our close friends have it and we've seen it work in their homes
That's it. No random Amazon best-sellers. No products we've never touched. When I say "we recommend this headset," it's because my kid is wearing it right now.
You're Not Alone
If you're here because you've also been putting this off, welcome. If you're here because traditional parenting advice doesn't work for your kid, I see you. If you're just trying to do your best in an impossible situation - same.
Let's at least make Roblox a little safer together.
