Remember when you used to keep your diary under lock and key for fear that dear old mom and dad might read it and find out you did something stupid like....pierce your ears at a slumber party?
Some kids do still keep diaries, but it's more likely that, rather than going through your child's dresser trying to find it, you should possibly read something else - the text messages on his/her cell phone.
Have you ever been tempted to pry it out of your teen's hand in the middle of the night to see who has called or check out the texts? Maybe you have to fish it out from under the pillow carefully while he/she is asleep?
No? Well, it's possible you should. You have heard about the court cases in which girls have sent nude photos of themselves over their phones? Texts offering "services" I can't mention sent from girls to boys and vice versa?
Are all kids doing it? Of course not. But, if you notice your child keeps his/her phone keypad locked (and it's not because the face of the phone is exposed and can accidentally dial itself), that's your warning signal. It's like a locked diary, only worse. A diary was a one-way conversation between a teen and his/her own thoughts. A phone is a two-way discussion and you don't know who your child might be conversing with.
Even the best kids probably have a text or two they wouldn't want you to read. Something stupid and harmless, like "what are the answers to the AP Calculus test today?" You don't have to be duplicitous - be open and just ask to see the phone. You don't want to violate your child's trust necessarily, but you probably do want to know if your child might potentially be in trouble. Go ahead, read the phone.
Please remind your child not to use his/her cell phone during school and not to answer any texts from unrecognizable numbers. Be safe.
----------Melony
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