I think that's a reasonable approach. Personally, I don't want to be a helicopter parent, as that would be awful for the kid, and at the same time I don't want to be oblivious to what is happening in my children's digital life.

I think the closest thing to 'spyware' I would consider is finding a way to prevent browser history from getting deleted and put on general web filters to block porn, sketchy sites, social media, etc. As they get older, the restrictions lighten up to zero filters. all the while teaching them internet safety as they grow so they aren't cluless.

The internet, and computer itself, are a fantastic place to explore and learn and I don't want to hold that back from them.