need to track my teen daughters.

Hello,

Do a Google search for X3 Watch, and you'll be directed to a website that allows you to download a great little program. It's called X3 Watch and it sits in your system tray. It monitors mainly for pornography stuff, and every 2 or 4 weeks (you get to choose), it sends an email to 2 "accountability partners" and one of those could be you, and it informs you of the things that your daughters have been visiting that they shouldn't. It can't be easially canceled unless you do a CTRL ALT DEL and remove it, but if that happens, you will be informed in the next email that it was stopped at a certain time.

It's well worth a look.

Matt

I had three teenagers in my home, and I knew they were being inappropriate on the computer. But you can't limit or "ground" them without proof. So I told them I was installing tracking software, to include a key logger. My oldest daughter STILL got caught doing totally inappropriate things with her boyfriend on line. Only she couldn't deny it after we had key logs and a screen shot. I tried several freeware programs, and ended up paying for one instead. I will be at work until Sunday, and I can't remember the name of the program. It was $20 or $30 I think, but well worth it. I will post the name tomorrow if you would like. The program was not real user friendly, but it did let you set up periodical screen shots, it tracked web addresses, IM conversations, and programs run. I also set each child up with their own user account because the program lists usage by Windows user name.

For those that disagree with this, let my state my case. By telling them up front you are installing this software, you are not being nosy or snooping. If they don't like it, they don't have to use the computer. End of story. In her case, the children are already being suspicious themselves by deleting history and such, so I think her actions are warranted.

I am raising a Granddaughter (13 going on 19/20),,so as a older Pappa(61) maybe I am "old fashioned",,but to see my girls manners,actions,etc. compared to her friends who's parents are in LAA-laa land is astonishing...I am not using a program yet,,but she knows deleting histories etc.(As she also knows I DO look) gets the "Puter un-Plugged".
I Do have all the trust in the world with/in her..But to think looking in on her activities is a breech of that trust would be TOTALLY "irresponsible" on MY part of the child raising duties.
There is NO such thing as the Perfect child/parent..but it is my goal to recieve @ least a "B" on this score...Thank you....Slim
ps....I actually look @ the report card toooo....LOL..

are talking about is called "Family Cyber Alert". I am using this program to track my childrens' web access and behavior online. It is a keylogging program, and will show screenshots of files accessed, websites visited, IM messages, and is affordably priced. It doesn't show up on the task bar. The feature I liked best was that it was a "hidden" program, and can ONLY be accessed if you know the password. I am using a couple AV and anti-spy programs, and while Cyber Alert does show up as a potential threat, it's not hard to configure them to ignore.
You cannot be too careful where your children are concerned. I'm of the opinion that if they give you reason to suspect, you have reason to search until you are satisfied nothing is amiss. Trust, but verify. And for the poster who trusts his children implicitly with the internet, take time to watch the Dateline NBC shows regarding child predators.

Some of you people are totally insane. Your suggestions are totally rediculous. How can you possibly say that a parent should NOT track what their kids do online. I'm a teenager myself, with my own computer, and my parents trust me because I put some of that software on myself. I have it set to email my parents every 2 weeks with the things I've been doing. That's why my parents trust me.

Many parents are a step behind their kids every step of the way. However, that's not necessary. For example, look at this thread! This is a parent trying to stay one step ahead, not behind, their kids. Again, a totally stupid and uneducated comment.

As for the comment that parents should make communication very easy, and just blindly trust... that NEVER works. STUPID AND UNEDUCATED...

It is not a breach of trust doing this, you're the damn parent aren't you? They live under your roof don't they?

Lastly, "You're a parent not a spy. Trust them, give them some respect, and they'll give you some back. My three do (and I wouldn't like them knowing my business) !" Why would you say that? Maybe you don't want that kind of software on the computer becuase you don't want it tracking you!

I can't believe some people are so stupid.

Matt

YOU are right on and I would luv to have you as a neighbor or friend "hangin-out" with my granddaughter
Thanks for your Excellent thread......Slim

Good on you Matt....couldn't agree more with your erudite comments. We have recently had our 15 year old grand daughter living with us (for 12 months) and I was both frustrated and amazed by the flippant attitude of many of her 'friends' parents...an attitude that I see repeated here. Parenting is a huge responsibility, one that includes keeping children safe from harm and clear of danger, how can that be achieved without monitoring their activities. Invasion of privacy???? What a load of rubbish....it is NOT a trust issue, if the kids don't want their parents to know what they are doing then chances are they are doing something of which their parents wouldn't approve...or worse, something that could be dangerous.
Do any of these simpletons ask their children where they are going when they ask to go out on Saturday night or give them a time to be home?.....That's monitoring their activities, isn't it? Why should it be any different for computer usage.....I wonder if any of them realise just how many of our young people fall victim to IM predators, for example.
BTW, I have raised four children and currently have 12 grand children....would I monitor my children's computer activities in this era?.....YOU BET I WOULD!

Cheers.......JIMBO

Understand one thing please: Prying has nothing to do with protection. There is perfectly good nanny protection software to be had, and I trust my kids enough to let them roam within the parameters set out by that.

They know not to use ANY chat rooms AND ask me before they dish out email addresses. BT kindly only lets them get mail from folk I add into their address book, and they use MS Outlook via the BT pop3 mailserver. Simple parameters to let them roam safely without me snooping!

Anyone who snoops to the level mentioned in this thread isn't doing anything to protect anyone. It's totally obscene to track private messages regardless of who you are, and who they are. If you need to do this YOU have a problem as far as I'm concerned! That's my honest oppinion and nothing in this thread will change that.

Snooping to this level says more about you; your relationship with your family; and is just not conjusive to a warm trusting relationship. No point in talking cos they'd already know what you were about to say.

ps. We all have private lifes (except you apparently). What I do, my wife does, and my kids do is entirely our own business. I don't want to know every discussion they've had. Why should I ? Why would your parents need to know every chat, mail, discussion, or site hits?

Geez PJ.....You are the sad individual....people like you make my blood boil. It's not entirely down to whether or not you trust your OWN kids....there is tremendous peer pressure out there, not to mention the many devious individuals who prey on the innocents. It's all very good if you can trust your children to the level you espouse, but not everyone is as fortunate as you claim to be AND maybe, just maybe your naivety is putting your own children at risk.
Don't be so closed minded....there are real dangers involved and I speak from personal experience.

JIMBO

#What my kids do is entirely our own business. I don't want to know every discussion they've had. Why should I ?#

you may trust your kids when they go online, but do you also trust the 40 yr old pervert who is coming on as a 'sweet' 15 yr old??

jonah

.,

Who mentioned unrestricted access? I didn't ever suggest that! I clearly said they DO NOT visit chat rooms OR RECEIVE mail from addresses I don't personally add to their mail subfolders. They have enough sense to know not to use a hotmail address of there own; they read stories of kids being abused and murdered and know there's a risk. Maybe my kids have more sense than some of you. Definitely sounds like it.

They know there are weirdos and sad folk out there who pretend to be something else. I'm pretty happy knowing they're bufferred from all that.

Most of you guys seriously need to evaluate yourselves. I'll say this one more time; I have no interest in knowing everything my kids say OR to whom. In my eyes that would make me a control freak, or pervert.

Snoooping & prying is not protection. It's a sign you're not happy in yourself!

Anyway this has clearly run it's life. Nothing but trivial control freaks adding any input. I'm surprised nobody sugested a web cam of their room and some GPS gadget to track their every movement. I'll bow out as there appear few sane folk involved in this discussion.

Regards the original question. Educate your kids and protect them as best you can. Personally I wouldn't go as far as you're asking but it's a personal choice and you alone know what your kids are up against. Good luck!

Yes, we appreciate all constructive input!

However, in my particular case, the kids computer was in the living room. Still, after telling them and installing this software, we came upon a screen shot of my daughters boyfriend... who had a web cam.... (ewww)...do I need to elaborate further? Was a rather interesting conversation I had with his mother after seeing that.

Trust is a two way street, and if there are parents out there who can trust their teens, great for them. But not all teens are deserving of complete and absolute trust, and like it or not, the internet can be a dangerous place, especially for teens that "know it all". As parents, we have to do what we can to protect them from themselves. My daughter would never have admitted to doing that. Only by showing her "the evidence" could we directly address it, and she could not deny the truth of the situation. It's sad, and it actually sucks to know that your kids will lie to your face about things that are important to us, but you still have to deal with it, and not (like another poster said) bury your head in the sand.

for those who desagree to have some appz in the pc to track the kids are deadly wrong.
if you are a responsable parent you need to know what are your kids surfing behavior .especially girls under age.after 18 .I wouldn't do it ,but as a parent I would ensure they know everything about the sexual life so they will not fall or at least not to hard .
the curiosity kill the cat and teneger girls get pregnant becuase their inmaturity sexual knoledge

remember that boys will need more freedom ,especially with their sexual life.

this happened in my mother land.
the boy used to tell his father all his moves ,so he had a girlfriend
who wanted to snick out at night time and make love with him.and hee told his father everything and the end was ,his father took off before him and sexually abused the girl.

my niece girlfriend came for sleepover to her house on friday night .
her mom was to come to pick her up on saturday at 9 am.very irresponsable Canadian mother who showed up next monday still drunk .sleepovers ended that day