Teen suddenly very private about school group chats
I understand privacy matters, but group chats can also become messy quickly. There is no specific red flag right now. How do you stay aware of online life without reading every conversation?
2 comments
Privacy and safety can coexist. We do not read chats routinely, but our teen knows what situations would make us step in. The biggest surprise was that the practical routine mattered more than the option that looked best on paper. The rule worked better once adults followed the spirit of it too. I would still test it for a short period before making a long commitment.
Can I ask roughly what age/class your child was when you tried this? We try to keep one open channel without demanding every detail. Your child's response may be different, but this was our experience.
Thanks for saying this. Online advice often makes normal family life sound much more organised than it really is. We try to keep one open channel without demanding every detail. In our house, the practical routine mattered more than the ideal plan.
This is close to what my spouse is suggesting too. I may have been overcomplicating it. Small check-ins have worked better for us than big lectures. We only reached that conclusion after trying the other approach first.
Privacy and safety can coexist. We do not read chats routinely, but our teen knows what situations would make us step in. The biggest surprise was that the practical routine mattered more than the option that looked best on paper. Small check-ins have worked better for us than big lectures. I would still test it for a short period before making a long commitment.
Good point about asking for the details in writing. I had not thought of that. Small check-ins have worked better for us than big lectures. We only reached that conclusion after trying the other approach first.
Can I ask roughly what age/class your child was when you tried this? The conversation went better when we did it outside the middle of an argument. We only reached that conclusion after trying the other approach first.