Parental Monitoring - Reviews or Suggestions?

Recommendations?

I'm looking to install something to at least monitor, and likely block a bit, some of the computer activity from my children (ages 12 %26 8). We have 3 computers on a home network w/both Win98 (for older games) and XP. I'm seeing reviews for eBlaster, XPCSpy Pro, Cyber Patrol, CyberSitter, Guardian Monitor etc. but the more I see the more confused I get. Any insight or current experience with tools that might be helpful? The main concerns would be things like some particular ''YouTube'' videos, more obscure kid-centric websites (that may link to 'others' or download spyware or adware+) and what IM 'chats' are happening (email? - password protected websites like or ''MySpaces''?).

Price is important and I do already run basic ''Norton SystemWorks'' virus protection - but does not need to be ''freeware''.

Parental Monitoring - Reviews or Suggestions?internet security software

Best is kid education. But they or their friends will always be curious about the forbidden. You can put a few blocks in a netgear or similar wireless router. You can also set the router to send you a report of all websites visited by EVERYONE on your network in it's config. But youtube is so hard with kids - the comments are full of swearing even if the video is innocent. I don't know about the software you mentioned but there is also key capture devices for you to monitor all typing. Pretty big brother-ish but depends on how worried you are about kids. Keeping the computer in the family room was recommended to me by a police detective. Good luck.