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I don’t have to worry much right now about my girls going online. They’re still young they need my help to even get onto a website. But just because they can’t do it now, doesn’t mean I don’t have that worry in the back of my head about when they get older and get online on their own. We’ve already talked about scenarios and where the computer will be in the house once the girls get online at home by themselves.

There’s a great online monitoring system that Norton as come out with for families who need to step up their monitoring because of their children being online. Norton Online Family connects parents to their children’s online happenings. Norton Online Family was developed by the people who will use the software, parents! The software is very easy and simple to use, you simply create an account and customize each family member’s profile based on age and maturity level. You can check your child’s activities or even modify their profile, preferences and time allotment. You don’t even have to be on your home computer to do this, the software allows you to log in and check activity even away from home.

Some other great features include:

• Clear Reporting: All activities are reported in chronological order and only show the Web sites a child intended to visit - eliminating all the extra URLs, like ads, from Web sites.

• Helpful Search Insight: Easily view what words and phrases a child uses to search and where those searches lead online.

• Convenient Web Site Control: Control the Web content that flows into the home by prohibiting more than 40 topic categories.

• Secured Personal Information: Track, report and prevent personal information that a child may purposely or accidentally try to send via e-mail, IM or social networking site.

• Access to Social Network Information: Monitor activity on social networks like Facebook and MySpace with the ability to see how kids represent themselves, when they login and how often.

• Real-time Messaging: Built-in messaging allows parents to have real-time discussions with children about activities and better understand their intentions when visiting a Web site.

• True Transparency: Children are able to view the “house rules” they established with parents at any time and are notified when Norton Online Family is active, so there is no “stealth” mode.

• Custom Alerts: Parents can customize e-mail alerts to address urgent events so they know immediately when a child has reached a time limit or visited a blocked site, etc.

• Useful Time Management: An easy-to-use time management feature that - if parents find it necessary - gives each child a “curfew” that will limit computer usage.

I recently checked out the free trial of Norton Online Family, and although I don’t have a lot of monitoring to do right now, it seemed like a very easy and great service to offer parents who do have children who are online, alone. You can check out a free trial of Norton Online Family right now by going to onlinefamily.norton.com.

Thanks to: Mom Central