I got a dilemma. I had an opportunity to test a computer program that keeps track of everywhere your child has been on the net. It takes screen shots so you can capture sites, emails and conversations.
Would you use something like this with your kids?
Would you tell them first?
Let me know your thoughts.
Blessings,
Christine

We used to have something like this. We got it because our son was being sneaky, going to sites he wasn't supposed to, getting on-line in the middle of the night, etc. When we would confront him about it, he'd deny it. We thought having "proof" would force him to admit the truth. It didn't work. When we showed him the proof, he said "the computer is wrong" or "the software didn't work right" or something like that. If I were going to use it again, I would probably tell my kids about it. I would not think of it as spying so much as keeping everyone accountable. I think not telling them would give them impression of spying, which nobody likes. Since the incident with our son (which was several years ago, btw) we haven't felt a need for the software and having used it any more.

I would definitely use something like this- Accountability. If you feel a little like you would be "spying" -tell them it's on there and maybe say that it's for the whole family. The Lord knows that we adults need accountability as well. That way, it may take even the temptation away.
Even if I "trusted" my kids -I would have something like that in place. I just think that it is a good idea!!
Nothing to feel bad about there -
MJ

By the way - this is not a problem for me now because we don't even have the internet right now. I have to work up to even going there. My husband and I both have the internet at work right now and don't feel the need for it at home, but my kids are small. I know the day is coming though.

When my 17 year old son got his own computer with internet I explained to him that dh is a computer tech and there is nothing he can do or say online that we won't be aware of. It worked for awhile until I began getting pop up adds for disgusting sites. He was getting up in the middle of the night and surfing.

He was grounded from internet for 6 months, 3 times, and it still didn't stop him. Finally dh put one of those keylogger programs on the computer and I had access to every single key stroke ds made.
It's never a bad idea to spy on the kids...in my opinion of course. I don't even want to think about all we learned from the keylogger program. Very frightening.

I certainly would use it and I would just tell them there are ways to track what they are doing on the computer. If they are computer literate they likely already know that.

I believe we have a responsibility to train our children up in the ways of the Lord and therefore would not feel like I was spying or doing anything wrong.

That said, praying about it would obviously be the best.