It is not only our right as parents to monitor our kids online and cell phone activity, it is our responsibility.

How much of this news does it take before parents become involved? 

You can level the playing field by using monitoring software for computers and smartphones.
You dont have to be real techie to use it.

please visit http://www.mynetshepherd.com for more information

cianla I somewhat in the same boat you are in but my son is 13. I try to monitor everything my children do but it gets harder and harder everyday to keep my sanity.  Being a single parent, working, making ends meet so they can have the pleasures in life that I never had, has seemed to made them into spoiled children. I should have never given into the cell phones with 20,000 texts, and XBox games/internet. I Love my children dearly and I really want to protect them from harm.

cianla…I agree with engtchr…don’t beat yourself up. I have friends who did everything they could to raise their kids to be moral, responsible people. The kids went their own way in spite of their efforts.

I know it might be easy to blame yourself, but remember, they didn’t come with an owners manual, and during their formative years, you amy only have had a few hours a week to train them. Peer pressure todday is unbelievable to some of us adults.

Eng, is right. The fact that you acknowledge what could have been done differently and what should be done now is a step in the right direction. The most disturbing thing is when something does go wrong and the parent sees nothing that could have been done differently. The only thing you can do is put your best foot forward.

I check it all because I pay for it all: cell phone, backpack, wallet, myspace…What he doesn’t know might HELP him…

Cianla, Don’t beat yourself up. We parents do the best we can with what we have. Life is a learning experience.

I agree. I do not think it is how much the parent interferes with their child’s life it is how they do it. It is a pretty tough thing to figure out and balance. If you come one too strong and overbearing sometimes it can backfire and they will rebel even more. If you back off too much then sometimes they will test their limits into dangerous territory. I was lucky enough to see the mistakes that my older sister had made and learn without experiencing myself what careless decisions can do.  Disciplining varies with every child and their personality. You have to learn through trial and error what works for each child. However, the best thing is to start early and be consistant.

I had a pretty transparent relationship with my parents. We communicated and I never felt my privacy was invaded.

Back then, no one considered a parent’s supervision to be an invasion of privacy.

I today’s world, with all the predators out there, I think it is important for parents to know what their child is up to.

I tried so hard to be a very supervising parent without going over board. However, I failed along the way. I blame myself everyday for where my son is now who is only 21 years old. If I had of only not given him cell phones to use, his own car to drive, and put him in a different school, I might not have the heart ache I have each and everyday.

So parents who still have kids in school, please monitor everything they do. Even if it means invading their privacy. Believe me, you will save them and you alot of heart ache!!! I learned tough love way to late!!!

Although I personally have no children, I really can’t see how a parent should be concerned about invading a child’s privacy as while they’re not yet quite so well versed in so many ways of this world, and are actually still extremely short-sighted as to many other undesirable potentials that some of these phone features entail. For allowing them such extras (as described) other than simply being allowed to possibly only make calls to contact their parents, or someone for help, as in, an emergency type situation, this may only leave so many more very dangerous doors wide open to them. Parents are, or should be, completely responsible for their own, “less mature”, and all other family members. And as such, by allowing them that much in wide access without regular periods of checking up on them is simply of extreme carelessness, and is most likely just asking for trouble. As most all children are basically wired to be recklessly bound and to try and explore nearly every single angle of any or all such unsupervised, and yet unmerited forms of freedom. Although most young folks won’t ever fully realize all of these possibilities in consequence unless some genuinely caring parents and or guardians are there to teach, lead, and guide them with their own safety in mind. At least until they’re soundly instructed as to the what ifs, or have since at least reached a particular age of wisdom and maturity, thus proving the responsibilities to protect their own level of personal safety.

We do check our teen’s my space, and face book.  But we have not checked the phone, now I will.