Website blocking is the easiest and most basic means of protecting kids from inappropriate materials online, and it's important to choose parental control software that makes it easy to block those websites that parents don't want, and to allow those they do.

This is also known as content filtering, and WebWatcher enables content filtering by offering parents what's known as website whitelisting.

The "white list" is a list of websites that parents allow their kids to visit. And parental controls that rely on whitelisting are blocking any websites that aren't approved by mom or dad.

WebWatcher also features more traditional website blocking by allowing parents to block sites that are known to be inappropriate (such as pornographic sites, social networking sites, etc.), or others based on keywords.

Even better, WebWatcher takes the guesswork out of website blocking for parents with an extensive database of inappropriate sites that can be blocked for you.

For any parental control software/family filter, website monitoring is the fundamental component.

If a software vendor can't get the website monitoring right, it's likely that the rest of the software isn't good either.

WebWatcher allows parents to record all visited websites, and makes it easy to see any site visited on the PC being monitored.

Parents can then judge for themselves whether the site needs to be blocked, or whitelisted for their child to view again later.

Social Media Website Monitoring

When it comes to website monitoring, parents today are often concerned with what their kids are doing on social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, and more.

With so many kids socializing online, we think that having the ability to monitor social media sites is a must-have in terms of parental control software.

Bullies, scammers, information thieves, and sexual predators can approach kids in such venues with alarming ease.

And kids themselves sometimes step over the line by posting inappropriate materials for everyone to see. WebWatcher allows parents to know what their child is doing and who they are talking to online by allowing them to monitor all social media sites.

This includes MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Monitoring Search History

Savvy kids know how to erase their search history after they've been online. WebWatcher allows parents to monitor search results, so they can see what their kids are looking for when they log on.

Parents often express frustration with their inability to know who their child is chatting with online via instant messanger.

And in some cases the children themselves don't know who they're really talking to; new online "friends" could just as easily be sexual predators or bullies.

In terms of older kids, inappropriate behaviors are often discussed through instant messaging in languages that parents don't understand.

WebWatcher records both sides of any IM conversation and supports all major IM clients, so parents know what their child is saying, and who they're saying it to.

With WebWatcher parents can read any email sent or received on the PC being monitored, even if more tech-savvy kids try to delete / erase / trash the email.

Attachments can also be seen, so if a child tries to cover their tracks by sending their real message as an attachment, WebWatcher will capture it for your later viewing.

All major email services we tested successfully captured emails sent and received, including Hotmail, GMail, YMail (Yahoo!), AOL, Earthlink and more.

The invisible keylogger is often overlooked and underappreciated as a parental control tool.

But we consider it another "must-have," since key logging software can often serve as a last line of defense in recording what's happening on the computer you're monitoring.

Among other things, a key logger can capture the usernames and passwords children use to log-in to inappropriate websites or to view unacceptable materials.

It also records documents, messages, and other things that are created both on and offline, so even if a document is never saved (for example a Word document that is typed, printed, and then erased), a key logger can capture it for you.

This feature allows you to get a crystal-clear picture of exactly what your child was doing online.

You'll know if your child downloads inappropriate pictures or programs, or if they purchase something without your knowledge.

All of WebWatcher's screenshots can also be played back like a mini-movie, making it quick and easy for parents to stay on top of what their kids are doing online.

WebWatcher allows parents to set computer time rules, with usage limits that will keep kids off the computer when parents are away.

Setting computer usage limits can also ensure that avid gamers aren't online too long, and can make it easier for parents to watch over their kids when they are using the Internet.

We can't say it enough: remote monitoring is the hallmark of the best parental control software.

With remote monitoring parents don't have to return to the PC being monitored to see what's going on. This means that parents can continue to monitor their child's Internet use whether they're at work, traveling, or in the next room.

While some of the parental controls we reviewed offer different types of remote monitoring, no other software gives parents the easy access to a child's activities like WebWatcher.

At a parent's convenience, they can just log into an online account and have a look at the stored data. It's the most effective means of storing and retrieving online information available today.

This is another feature of parental control software where the quality of the product is key.

Technologically savvy kids find many of the parental control software programs that are supposed to be "invisible," and either stop using that computer, or disable the program.

This makes it impossible to really see what your child is doing online, when they think you aren't looking.

WebWatcher is truly invisible. Once it's installed, it takes very few system resources to run, and is virtually impossible to detect, even for the most technologically advanced person.

WebWatcher offers support by email, phone, instant message, and support tickets all at no extra cost.

And for those busy parents who want even more support, WebWatcher also offers a "VIP Support" plan, guaranteeing that their concers will be moved to the front of the line (literally).

WebWatcher offers all of the key features needed for effective parental control software, and even a few extras that many other programs don't have.

It records or blocks everything that happens on the PC being monitored with total stealth.

Reports are easy to understand, can be personalized based on the information that parents want, and can be accessed anywhere, anytime, from any computer.

WebWatcher is easy to use and features great tech support.

Sadly there isn't a MAC version, something we hope they're working on.

While the sticker price is a bit above the average for most parental control software programs, its versatility and high quality features more than make up for the extra cost.

And, unlike some competitors that lack one feature or another, WebWatcher offers complete parental monitoring in one program.