need permission to install updates?

I have a laptop running windows 2000, internet explorer 6, which I allow the
kids to use for browsing. I try to keep it updated, but back in October, an
update did not install, so all of the updates that I thought I had installed
since then also did not install. They are all stacked up. When I read a
description of the install error, I learned that I do not have the
permissions required to install the updates. How can this be if I am logged
in as admniistrator with administrator privileges (the kids have their own
logins with minimal permissions)? Can I reset my administrator account to
have permission? Cheers