OT 13 year old DD YES to Facebook or NO

[drag n' fly]

Seriously better to be proactive than reactive. With appropriate boundries and proper supervision the internet can be a useful tool. Their are predators, drug dealers, pedophiles and all kinds of vermin everywhere! Does that mean that my family and I should stay home and offline?...of course not. A little common sense goes a long way

 

[LSmith]

Seriously better to be proactive than reactive. With appropriate boundries and proper supervision the internet can be a useful tool. Their are predators, drug dealers, pedophiles and all kinds of vermin everywhere! Does that mean I should stay home...of course not. A little common sense goes a long way

True. Unfortunately, many teens are missing the common sense gene.

 

[drag n' fly]

True. Unfortunately, many teens are missing the common sense gene.

Correct that is why I go back to what I said in my original posts

 

[LSmith]

Seriously better to be proactive than reactive. With appropriate boundries and proper supervision the internet can be a useful tool. Their are predators, drug dealers, pedophiles and all kinds of vermin everywhere! Does that mean that my family and I should stay home and offline?...of course not. A little common sense goes a long way

Staying home and offline or staying off Facebook? Totally different. If you have every had the police come to your child's school to to an internet safety talk, I guarantee they tell you to keep your child off Facebook and MSN chat and any other kind of chat.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Statistics mean nothing to me when it comes to my children.

What the heck does that mean? I try to protect my children from real threats, not imaginary ones. If you did "what ifs" all day then you would never leave your house.

As I stated earlier, the chances of your child being abducted by a stranger is 1 in 1.5 million. The chance of being killed by an asteroid or meteor is 1 in 500,000. How much do you worry about your child being hit by meteors every time they leave the house?

Being a parent does not mean over protecting them from every possible negative thing that can ever possibly happen to them. It's teaching them how to live in the world, how to tell right from wrong, and how to be a productive human being. Worrying about things that have virtually no chance of happening is wasted energy. Teach reality, not perception.

 

[drag n' fly]

What the heck does that mean? I try to protect my children from real threats, not imaginary ones. If you did "what ifs" all day then you would never leave your house.

As I stated earlier, the chances of your child being abducted by a stranger is 1 in 1.5 million. The chance of being killed by an asteroid or meteor is 1 in 500,000. How much do you worry about your child being hit by meteors every time they leave the house?

Being a parent does not mean over protecting them from every possible negative thing that can ever possibly happen to them. It's teaching them how to live in the world, how to tell right from wrong, and how to be a productive human being. Worrying about things that have virtually no chance of happening is wasted energy. Teach reality, not perception.

Like I said earlier common sense goes a long way....well said!

 

[Northstar]

Look, a little reality check for all of us, both those that say Facebook Yes and those that say Facebook No...

Once your kids are not under your eyes every minute, but going to friends' houses and schools with computer access and practically everywhere with wireless access... YOU CAN'T STOP THEM FROM HAVING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. It's free, so they don't need your money to get it. Nobody is checking ages and IDs when they sign up. And they have lots and lots of access points to the Internet, not just under the watchful eyes of a teacher or parent.

All you can control is what's going on on your computer in your home, and what you communicate about why Facebook should or shouldn't be part of their lives.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Look, a little reality check for all of us, both those that say Facebook Yes and those that say Facebook No...

Once your kids are not under your eyes every minute, but going to friends' houses and schools with computer access and practically everywhere with wireless access... YOU CAN'T STOP THEM FROM HAVING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. It's free, so they don't need your money to get it. Nobody is checking ages and IDs when they sign up. And they have lots and lots of access points to the Internet, not just under the watchful eyes of a teacher or parent.

All you can control is what's going on on your computer in your home, and what you communicate about why Facebook should or shouldn't be part of their lives.

Which is why teaching them right from wrong is so important. I tell my kids not to do or say anything to anyone online that they wouldn't do or say in real life.

Trust works in both directions. If you believe that you've taught your kids enough valuable life skills, such as believing in yourself and live by "the golden rule", then you should trust them enough to do what's right 90% of the time. Kids aren't perfect, and will learn from experience. Protecting them from the Facebook boogie man will just teach them not to trust you, because you obviously don't trust them.

 

[rjan67]

True. Unfortunately, many teens are missing the common sense gene.

This is scientifically true. Teenagers brains do not have the ability to understand consequences fully. They may not truly have the ability to understand that something terrible can happen to them. That center in the brain is not fully developed until 18-20 yrs.

 

[LSmith]

What the heck does that mean? I try to protect my children from real threats, not imaginary ones. If you did "what ifs" all day then you would never leave your house.

As I stated earlier, the chances of your child being abducted by a stranger is 1 in 1.5 million. The chance of being killed by an asteroid or meteor is 1 in 500,000. How much do you worry about your child being hit by meteors every time they leave the house?

Being a parent does not mean over protecting them from every possible negative thing that can ever possibly happen to them. It's teaching them how to live in the world, how to tell right from wrong, and how to be a productive human being. Worrying about things that have virtually no chance of happening is wasted energy. Teach reality, not perception.

Wow, that's one serious hissy fit. Asteroids? Holy liftin'. You are going so far off course to what I am saying. Don't quote me and then talk about things completely unrelated to what I'm saying.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Wow, that's one serious hissy fit. Asteroids? Holy liftin'. You are going so far off course to what I am saying. Don't quote me and then talk about things completely unrelated to what I'm saying.

Hissy fit? Hardly. I was merely showing how facts are so far off of perception. Statistically your child is three times more likely to be hit by a meteor than to be abducted by a stranger. I have yet to see many people worry about "asteroid danger".

Worry about what really can happen to you and your family, not imaginary threats.

 

[digskat]

Both my kids have facebook, but I set up their accounts including passwords, so I am on their creeping all the time Alot of my friends are friends of theirs too, so they keep me updated too. So far we have had no issues. I was up front with them that it is a priviledge and if it is abused it goes away forever.

 

[Tantor]

Both my kids have facebook, but I set up their accounts including passwords, so I am on their creeping all the time Alot of my friends are friends of theirs too, so they keep me updated too. So far we have had no issues. I was up front with them that it is a priviledge and if it is abused it goes away forever.

Yep me too, I'm a creeper.........

 

[weezy26nm]

My soon to be 13 year old son has one and his sisters and I are also on his friends list. I also know his password and my email address is his contact address so I get a notice for whatever is going on. Our computer is also in the living room (no privacy LOL) So maybe if you set it up that way, say yes and if she doesn't agree to your terms then no facebook.

 

[weezy26nm]

It's statistically far more likely fora child to be mistreated by someone they know.

This is what Oprah says too.