There are many ways to spy on kids' computer time. Read on for one easy option that is free of cost and generates instant results.

The Issue

Parents must be vigilant about knowing what their teens are doing online. There are many ways to prevent their teens from surfing undesirable sites when they are online. Each of the ways has its strengths and its weaknesses, however there is one way that stands out above all the other ways for maximum effectiveness.

For adults who throw up their hands and say it is too hard to keep track of what their teens are doing when they are connected to the World Wide Web., here is a comparison that they should pay attention to Would they have a similar reaction if the discussion was about playing with matches on the parlor rug? Why then is the discussion of PC usage any different?

Age Verification Pages

Age warning pages or age verification check boxes on Internet sites cover the operator of a site from a legal standpoint for blocking from visiting those who are not old enough to view the the site. Of course, from a teenager's point of view, those safeguards only serve to make the site more appealing and they no doubt check off the age box in whatever way will let them into the site.

Parental Locks

Popular search engines and many ISP's have "parental locks" just like the V-Chip on television sets. The purpose of these is to block access to sites that have age-inappropriate material. You can configure search engine start to only provide acceptable content. There are usually levels of "safety" that one can choose.

Parents also spend money on filtering software like Norton Internet Security, NetNanny, ContentBarrier, and other similar products. While they are probably pretty effective, computer filtering software has its quirks too. The usual example is that the filters block access to medical or medical related sites such as thoat belonging to various breast cancer foundations because those sites make reference to body parts.

The Spy Solution

Stepping it up a bit technology wise, there are computer solutions known as keyloggers. Keyloggers record what has been typed on a keyboard and can retrieve that information. Essentially, these keyloggers are allowing parents} to learn what has been typed on a keyboard long after the typing is finished. You should also be aware of other programs that can record everything that has been done on a particularcomputer including, chat conversations, e-mail messages, e-mails, email conversations sent and received, pictures downloaded, and URL's visited. Some programs even allow you to set up a system to alert when a violation has occurred such as a child visiting a site that a parent or guardian has instructed him or her not to visit.

Any or all of the above suggestions may contribute to a parent's overall strategy to protect his or her teens from the threats of the modern online world, but there is still one more method that every parent should implement .

The Ultimate Solution

The best solution is absolutely the most obvious one, which means that is easily overlooked. It only takes one sentence; it encourages family togetherness and it costs nothing. Ready? Put the computer right in the middle of the living room!

Do you need a moment to get over the shock of this idea? I warned you that the brilliance would be in the simplicity. There's no doubt you can imagine the look of horror on your son's face and the screams of complaint from your daughter that you are ruining her life and totally invading her privacy with this act of parental treason. You will have to put up with the arguments that your children's friend's parents let them have their net access in their own bedrooms.

Decent parenting techniques should never be based on the neighbors and the rules they set for their kids unless they happen to be exemplary role models as parents. Should you find yourself in that situation, I can practically guarantee that your their kids won't beg you to imitate their parenting skills.

Parents, stay strong and don't be afraid to get that computer front and center in the parlor right now and you will never again have to wonder what your kids post on their facebook profiles and with whom they are chatting over an instant messenger service.

About the Author

Learn more free parenting techniques by visiting Matthew W. Grant's parenting blog at (http://www.SomeoneElsesKids.com)