Stephanie Brantz, an ambassador for the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, and IT journalist Kate Palmer, both have three children. They have adopted a hands-on approach to gaming to ensure their children are only playing video games that are appropriate for their age.

In this video, they show you how to set the parental controls on the Playstation 3.

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Getting started

First, in the main menu using the left stick or the direction pad, go down to "Settings."

Then, navigate down the list using the left stick or the direction pad and select "Security Settings"

Choose an appropriate rating

Options for restricting games are located under "Parental Control". The lower the number, the higher the restriction imposed.

Each number in the "Parental Control" menu corresponds to a rating category for games. Every Playstation game released in Australia and New Zealand are reviewed by the national boards — in Australia, by the Classification Board, and in New Zealand by Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC).

Setting online controls

Set parental controls for the web browser in "Security Settings" by selecting "Internet Browser Start Control". You have two options — "On" or "Off". Selecting "On" will block access to the internet.

Password protection

Parental controls of the Playstation 3 and PSP are enforced by a four-digit password. The default password is 0000, but it's a good idea to reset this. You can do so selecting "Change Password" in the "Security Settings" menu.

You can also set up sub-accounts for each child or member of the family.

For more information on setting parental controls for the Playstation 3, visit www.ps-playsafeonline.com.

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