We would all like to believe that our children truly know the difference between right and wrong, and that they would know when to make the right decisions while online, that there is complete and utter trust in the decisions that they make, right?

Unfortunately, like it or not, kids are kids…and they can be tempted. No matter how much we've taught them or drilled them about the dangers that often lurk online.

There are those that will say that the internet monitoring of a child by a parent is nothing more then acting like "big brother", but honestly even those who are experts in the area of online safety and the threats that lie online know that absolutely NO child is immune from the danger or the temptation that can be found within just a few clicks on the internet.

As a parent it is our duty to really know what our kids are doing ; whether it is in the cyber space or out in the real world. But should we be looking over their shoulders 24/7 while they are online? No. That might be a bit much.

But it is vital to their both their personal safety and that of your family that you know who they are talking too, just like we would in the real world.

After all, would you let your daughter go on a date with some boy you've never met? What if he turns out to be some 45 year old man that she met online? That sort of thing does happen you know. It's not that unheard of is it?

There was a time that it was just porn sites that parents needed to monitor or exclude from their kids online activity, but things like Facebook, chat rooms and email are now just as big of an issue, if not more so.

The chances are that if your child has spent more then 15 minutes in a chat room they have already been sexually solicited online!

The hard facts are that a study by the U.S. Department of Justice and Crimes against Children Research Center showed that almost 1 out of 5 internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 have gotten an unwanted sexual solicitation online. Those numbers are staggering!

If you think your child is doing something or talking to someone inappropriate or you would just feel better knowing…there are numerous avenues to travel when it comes to online monitoring.

Explore them and do some research, then choose the best one for your situation. But, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter what someone else thinks about the monitoring of your child's internet usage, this is about your child's safety!

I would much rather have someone make derogatory comments about the way that I raise my child than to deal with the alternative if I couldn't keep them safe…at least this way I have them to raise!