Help, I'm addicted to Spying!

Okay, okay, okay... so there I was convinced that tracking software was a questionable thing. Then I broke down my defenses and recommended a second look at the practice of looking over the shoulder of your kids and teens. Well, there's a slippery slope involved here, so hold on tight! Now that I've seen the advantages of the better tracking programs, I'm finding it difficult to say no to the powerful temptation of keeping track of online use. I've been asking around to see what products other parents are using, what they recommend and what they like.

My newest favorite - recommended by Julie R. - is Cyber Patrol. This great program has the usual features of similar programs - site blocking, activity monitor, and privacy protection. What's great about this product is that it also lets you track and even restrict the amount of time users are online, block instant messaging and even prevent downloading programs, music, and images. It has a free trial option if you want to give it a try first and free upgrades. The best deal is a two year licence which you can find here. I highly recommend you check this one out.

In the days ahead, I'll be posting more information about these and other things. As always, you can check out the links on my own web site at www.kidfriendlyinternet.com and I've added a direct link over on the left. And speaking of my main site, check out the new articles I've jut posted there about preschool software. Very interesting indeed.