Why Spy on Your Kids?

There are a lot of views on whether or not you should spy on your kids. Many opinions are controversial. Some feel kids need to have privacy, others feel parents need to know what their kids are up to. It can be a hard decision to make, one that should be seriously considered, especially in this technological age where many teenagers are using cell phones to text, computers to instant message, iPods to send emails. All of which can be locked out with passwords.
Here’s a point of view. They are children, living under your roof, and until they are of age, they follow your rules. Done. It should’t be an issue of spying. Some things, of course, are appropriate kinds of privacy such as: privacy of using the bathroom, privacy of changing their clothes, privacy to be able to finish their homework, etc. Privacy shouldn’t apply to inappropriate emails, text messages and phone calls. Kids who get upset because their parents are “spying” or “snooping” might be because they have something to hide. What is it they are hiding? Could it be they are having sex, doing drugs, smoking,or drinking? What parent wouldn’t want to know something like that is going on?

There are things parents can do that are considered rules as opposed to spying. Things such as:

• Know their whereabouts at all times.
• Know their friends and acquaintances. if possible their parents and phone numbers.
• Keep their computer in a central area of the home
• Limit time on the computer
• Don’t allow phone calls behind closed doors
• Limit time on the phone
• Know all passwords to email accounts, instant messenger accounts, twitter, MySpace accounts, Facebook accounts and other social networking sites
• Check their PC internet history at times
• Keep an eye on what they do with iPods, mobile phones, and other gadgets that can access the internet.
• Some may consider these tough restrictions, but children need to earn their parents trust. How does one do that if they do not know what is going on?

Be careful though in how extreme you go with monitoring your children. Being too much of a spy can lead to your children keeping things from you. Mostly because they are afraid of getting in trouble. Your children need to be able to trust you. Be interested in what they do. Get to know who their friends are. Hang out with your kids and their friends. Become friends with other parents.

Keep the lines of communication open with your children and let them know they can come to you for help, no matter what it is. Parents should be the first they can depend on before anyone else. Even if whatever they come to you with is something that would upset you, at least they are talking to you about it and asking for your help. If discipline is necessary, by all means take appropriate action. But talk about it, help them to understand their mistake, the consequence, and what they should have done differently. Even though your child needs to be disciplined, they will still come to you first because you listen. Not keeping up with what children are doing will only lead to them getting into a situation they are not prepared to handle. Talk to them about these types of situations. Ask them what they would do if they did get into a situation that was scary.

A lot of parents will not agree with this point of view. But kids are supposed to be kids. What happened to slumber parties, building forts, and riding bikes? They should still be playing with Barbie Dolls and G.I. Joe at their age! Allow them to enjoy their freedom also.

Keep them close to you. Keep them safe!

This article is published in Safetynow.in – a combined effort of TechnoparkToday and Rampart Services to give tips & solutions for the personal safety and security.