UGH my DS and his friend just googled...

[IDoDis]

My DS did the same thing with a "friend" when he was 8 and this was on our kids' computer in the front room downstairs! I know it was DS's friend who spurned the search, because this stuff is way beyond DS. I always checked the kids' browsing history daily and they mostly visited game websites. We did take off the stronger controls because they were getting blocked from sites like Disney!

The boys did not know how to use google correctly so they were typing in their search words into the browser window with the .com after it. I checked some of the sites they clicked on and most of it was text of x-rated stories that I'm pretty certain they didn't read (I have to force DS to read). They were looking for pictures and did find some.

When I talked with DS about this, he started crying and saying the pictures were too gross for him to look at. I felt like I had let him down as a parent by allowing him to be exposed to this stuff. Not to say he was completely an innocent bystander, but he was in way over his head and wouldn't have even thought to look for those sites on his own.

I tried discussing with DS some of the pictures he saw because I didn't want him to be confused since the cat was out of the bag, but it was clear to me that he really didn't comprehend what he saw, so I let it go at the time. Needless to say, the "friend" is no longer allowed here and they really didn't play at school together last year because they were in different classes.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

If I have learned anything over the years I have learned to never assume anything when it comes to my kids or any other kid for that matter. They know way more than they let on, they do way more than they ever confess and they think of stuff that would make your hair curl.

Just an observation from years of dealing with parents and kids.........
The parent(s) that steadfastedly states that they are all knowing is almost always the most clueless of the bunch and usually the first to say "oh no, not my angel"............. Point to ponder

So agree here....My DS11 is so heavily involved in sports and sweet as sugar that I never thought things like this had even begun to enter his mind yet. However, a year ago, when casually checking the history for an obscure website I needed - I came across several searches for ****ies and other girls parts I questioned him and he admitted it was him and he was curious because the boys discuss these words on the playground a few times and he was curious We used it as a time for him to ask questions.

I was completely calm and casual on the outside, but my heart sank on the inside - my little boy is growing up. Anyway, he was so mortified by being caught that he's never done it again!!!

When we told his grandparents, they were more shocked than us - we never saw it coming either

 

[Va-bear]

I'm sorry this happened OP - I know its never a good feeling when you kid does something that you've told them not to. But, I wouldnt 'block' this other young boy as a friend. Yes, he may be the one to tell your son these words, and most likely he did hear them from an older brother - that's just how it is when there are older siblings - but your son would have heard them eventually (and, honestly, probably already had). This kid probably had the idea to Google them too - but curiousity is quite normal.... Obviously, you'll monitor their play more - but even having some 'wild' friends can help your son on the path to growing up. The other kid will get a lot of good form your son too.

Like one Mom said above, my son gets MAJORLY embarrassed by all of THESE sorts of things....but I know he sees and hears about all of these things, often. At school every other kid has an older siblng - they ALL hear things. Many times when I've gone to explain something my younger one askes about (a 'bad' word that suddenly comes out on an 8PM TV show , where babies come from, etc. ) my older son very quickly tries to change the subject - which shows me he already knows.... (or why would he avoid it like the plague!)

Hope you can get the computer back in good shape - let us know if you find some good blocking software - time for me to load some on too!

 

[TaraPA]

OP, been there, done that. Caught DS12 (he was 10 then) and his friend googling body parts & even more disturbing, they were trying to You Tube violent things. The body parts - hey kids are curious - they ALL ARE. If a kid acts embarassed over seeing those things I think they already know about it, or else they'd just be indifferent, not embarrased. If I had had the internet when I was growing up I'm sure I would have been tempted to search things I heard were "naughty" from kids at school or siblings. But when I found searches for things like "police beating people" and "kids killing animals" I flipped a lid! The door to the computer room now stays open 24/7, and we installed blocking & tracking software. We use Safe Eyes. I think it's $49 a year. I'm not sure that it will block slang (now I'm tempted to go try it) but it does a great job blocking anything sexual, anything with foul language, nudity, etc. I'm the idiot that still types just the 1st word of Dicks Sporting Goods.com when trying to pull up that website, and on their computer it is blocked instantly. You can also add any websites you need blocked - we have You Tube blocked.

OP good luck - I'm sure the majority of parents with computers in their homes have dealt with this!

 

[ntsammy5]

My DS is 10 and that would never even cross his mind. Thankfully!

OK.

 

[eh24fan]

My 9yr old son has never googled anything vulgar and I can say it probably never crossed his mind either. The kid spends all of his computer time playing games on addicting games or something like that. LOL He doesn't google anything. Don't get me wrong, he thinks "naughty" word for male body parts is hilarious and finds ways to say it that isn't naughty, like Dick's Sporting Goods or the name of DFi's uncle.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

I remember my DS coming home from school this past year totally horrified that there were pictures in his social studies book with naked men or something. Stuff like that embarrasses him so much, it's cute.

Sounds like my son. Feigning horror at what is in his school books or acting uncomfortable around adults about anything related to sex or bad language, etc.

And then recently his older brother caught him with a stash of old playboys happily reading away - no horror there

Our kids take our cues and act like they think we want them to act.

I have to agree with the poster that said that parents who think their children would never "think" of those things are usually the most clueless.

 

[emer95]

"palyboy" That is hysterical!!!

My friend checked her computer's history one time and found that her 11 year old son had searched for "brests" and "naked woman without any clothes on." Since it's not my kid I have to admit I found it rather hilarious.

I have two girls, 8 and 10. We have parental controls and they can only go on sites we allow them to (right now it's Webkinz and American Girl) but I know they are smarter than I am with the computer and can probably find a way around those given the opportunity. Way too many dangers lurk on the internet for me to feel completely safe with them on it.

 

[IDoDis]

"palyboy" That is hysterical!!!

My friend checked her computer's history one time and found that her 11 year old son had searched for "brests" and "naked woman without any clothes on." Since it's not my kid I have to admit I found it rather hilarious.

I have two girls, 8 and 10. We have parental controls and they can only go on sites we allow them to (right now it's Webkinz and American Girl) but I know they are smarter than I am with the computer and can probably find a way around those given the opportunity. Way too many dangers lurk on the internet for me to feel completely safe with them on it.

One of the phrases my DS and his friend typed in was "girls with big b***s and big bu**s.com" One of the sights they clicked on were males writing about having a dream date with Tonya Harding!

 

[TaraPA]

One of the sights they clicked on were males writing about having a dream date with Tonya Harding!

OMG I seriously spit my drink onto the computer screen when I read that!! Tonya Harding?!?!?!? She scares me!

 

[Aisling]

I have a sister who's very very uptight about her sons(11 and 14) seeing any nudity, and even women in bikinis. So she almost had a heart attack when she found the 14 yo had googled "naked women." She went berserk on him and a few weeks later she found that another teen friend sent her son pics of topless women. Again, she freaked out. Her husband finally told her "let's just give him a Playboy and get it over with!"


To the poster who said their child googled "brests", that's SO funny!

 

[Liberty Belle]

Sounds like my son. Feigning horror at what is in his school books or acting uncomfortable around adults about anything related to sex or bad language, etc.

And then recently his older brother caught him with a stash of old playboys happily reading away - no horror there

Our kids take our cues and act like they think we want them to act.

I have to agree with the poster that said that parents who think their children would never "think" of those things are usually the most clueless.

I agree. I remember doing that when I was a kid. Not specifically with sexual stuff, but I knew how my parents wanted me to act about certain things, and I fooled them.

 

[dicar123]

OP ~ I've been there.

About a year ago DS12 (11 at the time) looked up "b**bies" The computer sits right in the middle of the living room, guess he just thought nobody would notice....but then the pop-ups started flying.

I wasn't too shocked - I expected it sooner or later. It surprised me more that he chose that word...of all things he could've searched.

I made sure to show him how I pull the history all the time & he was off the computer for about a week.

LOL! My son once googled "butt". The problem is that unlike the dictionary where I looked up naughty words, they get much more than they bargained for. Poor kids.