Generally speaking, you shouldn’t have to spy on your kids while they’re online. But creating the proper Internet usage environment requires active participation on your part as a parent, and a lot of parents either don’t take the time or simply don’t know what to do.
There are a lot of options out there for parents from basic settings on web browsers to advanced parental monitoring software.
While a parent certainly has the ultimate say, kids should actually be involved in making the rules covering online use for a couple of reasons. One reason is that, if you treat your kids as being trustworthy and responsible, they will generally try to act that way. Another is that, by involving them in the process, they can learn why certain things can be dangerous and how to recognize those dangerous things.
Simply forbidding your kids from going online will often tempt them into doing just that. Maybe not at your home, but surely at school, the library, or a friend’s house. Even telling them they can’t go to certain types of sites might backfire.
