PictureClip art provided by Microsoft
When I was growing up, it wasn’t called spying on your children. It was called parenting, and the network was masterminded by everyday housewives slyly watching all of the neighborhood children.  Here’s how it worked. My mother new my friends and she knew my friends’ mothers. Most importantly, she knew my friends’ phone numbers. In this spy network of moms against kids, the kids always got caught. We’d often ask my mom how she knew about some event. The answer was always that she had eyes in the back of her head. 
 
These days, moms and dads both work, but they still need to know what the kids are doing. So the question is… “How do I keep my children safe?” rather than “Should I spy on my kids?” If you have an ethical concern, try looking at it this way: You aren’t spying on your children. You are spying on the potential predators and cyber bullies hanging around on the internet looking for a target that could end up being your son or daughter. If you tell your children about the software that you have installed on their computers and cell phones, then you aren’t lying to them or hiding something from them.

Risa Ferman wrote a thoughtful article for Huffington post called “What Are Your Kids Really Doing on Their Cell Phones and How Can You Keep Them Safe?” In it she states, “Monitoring software is available to keep track of a child's cell phone activity such as My Watchdog. iRecovery allows all deleted
pictures, texts and other data to be recovered from iPhones, iPods and iPads. If you choose to employ monitoring software, you should be honest and up front with your child. Your child should know that you might conduct random "checks." You should not hide your actions from them. Contact your cell phone carrier to determine what monitoring features they offer. Learn how your carrier can help you and what services they offer in the event your child is victimized. Be proactive about your level of cyber-education. Learn about the apps your child is using. See how the apps work, what's involved, what are the potential
dangers.”

There are many software packages to assist with protecting your children. I’ve
compiled a list of programs that you can check out. You’ll need to choose one that fits your needs with the electronic devices with which your children are connected. The first three programs were chosen because CNET rated them 4 or 5 STARS. The last two programs are listed because Ms. Ferman referred to them in her article. I do not have any experience with any of the following programs. Therefore, I am not personally endorsing any of them. They are listed for your convenience only.


Free Keylogger 

Spyrix Free Keylogger

SnoopFree Privacy Shield

My Mobile Watchdog

iRecovery
 

May the software be with you in your fight to keep your children safe from on-line predators and cyber bullies! But make sure you pick programs that have been rated by reputable companies, like CNET. Don’t arbitrarily download the first thing that pops up during your search. It may be malware.

Do you use software to monitor your children's on-line and cell phone activities? Have you told them that you are watching? We would love to hear from you.






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