just kids bein' kids...before the days of facebook.
amy and juls 2001 & 2002
one of my oldest friends, amy, posted on facebook today about a hot topic on "the view" -- snooping on your kids. the discussion was about monitoring their comuputer usage, reading their texts, etc. here is my rant that i posted in regards to the post.
I don't think it is necessary for any child who isn't of driving age to have a cell phone. If we (the parents) decide that they need a cell phone before that age then it will be one of those that can only dial like 4 numbers...no texting.
As far as computer usage and accounts...I'm going to have to go with full parental access until 17 (yes, I randomly pulled that number out of my bum). The internet is just not a safe place and that is really all there is to it. Kids are kids and they don't always think things through. They are always going to be a little naive and impulsive. They believe they are invincible so going to meet up with that cute guy/gal they met on the internet sounds like a good idea. Also, with all the cyber-bullying nowadays it's nice to have that access as a parent.
I would never read my child's personal journal. You want to go old school with your pen and paper? I will respect that. Not much trouble can come from the people you meet in your own head.
I don't believe in snooping on your children unless it becomes an urgent/emergency/life or death situation. They would know full well where we stand on the issues of all of these things. I grew up in a house with very open communication and I really feel that is the only way to go. Now if I can just figure out the keys to making sure my child feels the same way...
While I'm on my rant...kids are kids and they need to maintain that. Our society moves so fast and our children are pressured to grow up before they can really enjoy being a kid. I'm sure they will not like that I don't allow all-you-can-play-video-gam
As I'm typing this I'm really starting to stress about what I'm in for here.....only 7 more weeks until I embark on the wonderful journey of parenthood.
what about you? what are your thoughts on this topic? are you a parent of a tween or teen? how do you handle it? are you kids all grown now? what are some of your suggestions for maintaining an open line of communication with your children and making sure they are comfortable coming to you with anything?
My oldest daughter received a cell phone the summer she turned 14, FOR MY CONVENIENCE not hers. It does not text, it does not connect to the internet, it does not stay in her room at night, and it had better NOT be ringing at all hours of the night. (because after 8 pm I'll be the one answering it)
ReplyDeleteMy children do NOT have unsupervised access to the internet, unlimited time to play video games, and at the ages of 15 and 12 still ask permission to watch television.
In my house privacy is a priviledge not a right. If you lose my trust then you'll lose your privacy, it's as simple as that!
I'm friendly with my children but we are NOT friends. Here's an example: http://www.anaccountofthemiddle.com/2012/01/running-hot-and-cold.html
Years ago I read a book about raising children and the author wrote a "motto for raising good kids". To date I have yet to find a better one so here it is:
"when misbehavior is met with discomfort, it will lead to modification"