According to research which polled 2,000 parents of children aged 10-17, two thirds of us regularly log on and check what are kids are saying online and in text messages.
Of those parents who admitted snooping, one in five said they were 'shocked' by what they found on emails, texts and Facebook messages sent to and by their children.
The research also found that one in 10 of the parents surveyed had to deal with their child being bullied online, with 23% admitting their child did not know the person who was cyber bullying their child.
Commenting on the stats, Alex Balan, Head of Product Management at BullGuard which commissioned the research said: ''It's a minefield for parents, whilst you want your children to have freedom and make friends you want to ensure they are safe when they are online.
''It's hard enough watching your children 24/7 in the real world, but keeping tabs on their movements online is the real challenge."
Do you check up on your children online? Here the 10 most common ways mums and dads snoop...
1. Reading messages on social networking sites
2. Checking their internet history
3. Reading their text messages
4. Monitoring their list of friends on social networking sites
5. Checking their pictures on social networking sites
6. Reading their emails
7. Checking their call list
8. Finding out their passwords
9. Asking teachers to keep an eye on their internet use
10. Getting a sibling to help to snoop
Do you think 'snooping' is the role of parents? Or should children's online activity stay private?