Advice needed for monitoring child's internet usage

[Jim E]

#1: Change your hosts file. There are many good ones if you do a Google search. This will keep thousands of bad sites from being accessed and keep the spyware and adware to a minimum. It will also stop online purchase ability to a certain degree.

#2: Don't store credit card information on the computer. You will sleep better.

#3: TRUST YOUR KIDS.
I've given my daughter full access since she was 10. She's 18 now and is a most adjusted lady. The internet didn't corrupt her. I always have the ability to check the history files if I was curious on her behavour. Usually it is myspace.com history, talking to her friends.

#4: Find a good firewall program, even behind the router. You can use it to block certain sites. Web surfing anonymously is a great feeling too.

I hope this helps.

[efoote868]

I think the solution for you should be very simple. Just put a Green Baker Dot on any of the websites that you'll allow your kids access to, and put a Red Baker Dot on any of the sites which you deem inappropriate.

That way, you will have solved every parent's problem... I heard that the Green Baker Dots are so irresistable that the kids can't help but go to them, and that a Red Baker Dot has the power of shutting down entire domains!

Probably the one thing that you'll want to do is watch when they start using Facebook, or MySpace, or LiveJournal, or Xanga... whatever they get into, and make sure they don't post too much personal information.