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Monitor Your Kid's Chat?

A couple of years ago, I raised the topic of whether parents should be watching, monitoring, surveilling what their kids do online.  This includes their "AIM" (or any instant messenger chat) or "iChat" communications with friends, acquaintances and family members.

The responses were varied and at that point I hadn't really digested all of the scenarios.  Now that my kids are getting older and technology is continuing to evolve more rapidly than I'd like, I'm wondering how parents feel about keeping an eye on their kids' chats.

Part of me feels like it's an invasion of their privacy - their personal conversations are just that: personal.  One other part of me wants to ensure that they are safe and using good judgment and decorum while texting, chatting, emailing, etc.  While yet another part of me wants to be able to trust them and for them to know that I do.

I know a large part of this equation concerns their age, maturity, sensibility and the like.  But what's the feeling out there?  How do parents deal with this very significant portion of our kids' lives?

Comments

Unknown said…
I let my kids know that I monitor their communications from time to time - because it is my job to protect them - and educate them. Anything else would be irresponsible. And of course, it depends on their ages and their 'history'.
March 29, 2011 at 5:31 AM
Anonymous said…
I just recently let my boys join facebook. We discussed at length safety issues as well as what you can and cannot post and my mantra of always "just be nice". They also know that I will occasionally sign on as them to really "check" on their world. I wouldn't do this without them knowing and feel it is important to be very aware. I think they feel safer knowing I am there. Being a parent isn't supposed to be easy, if it is easy then we probably aren't doing it right.
Nancy
March 29, 2011 at 7:37 AM
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