Respecting someone’s privacy is an irrevocable right given to everyone, even to your children. The desire for privacy is a natural part of growing up, and as a parent, you want to give them that privacy, but the key is finding that balance between your child’s need for privacy and your need to know what’s going on.
There was a point in time where the only way parents could keep tabs on their children was by way of sneaking and reading diaries or having one house phone in a family room where all conversations could be heard. Today, with all the advances in technology, it’s become a little harder for parents to keep track of what’s going on in their lives and what they’re doing online.
To help keep better tabs on what kids are up to online, Congress and the Federal Trade Commission put the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in place in 1998 to make sure children under the age of 13 don’t share their personal information without the approval of their parents. This act paved the way for monitoring online activities.
When it comes to respecting your child’s privacy, there are certain things you NEED to know and certain things you don’t. For example, where your teen is going on Saturday night and if there will be adult supervision there are things you need to know as a parent. You don’t need to know who your child danced with at a party or the conversations they had with their friends.
Finding that fine line between privacy and violation of privacy used to be pretty tough but the way technology has changed and shaped our everyday lives, it’s really not that hard anymore. You have the ability to respect their space and privacy all while being able to maintain your parental responsibilities. Take a look at these ways to balance parenting and privacy to make life easier for you and your teen.
Monitor Their Online Activity
Tuesday, February 5, 2019, is celebrated as Safer Internet Day and the theme is “Together for a better internet.” This is a day for businesses to take action by utilizing their platform to create a safer internet for everyone, but especially the kids.
As your child gets older, it becomes harder and harder for parents to keep a line of communication open with their kids. Technology has advanced so much over the years that it has consumed our kids to the point where we are having to rely on technology to keep up with them! It’s almost like if you can’t beat them, join them.
With these technological advancements, it has also made it easier to gain parental control over their online activities. There are apps and programs that allow parents to keep tabs on their online activities with features such as:
- Blocking inappropriate content
- Authorizing downloads
- Managing use time
- Controlling access to certain devices
- Save viewing history
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
This may seem “old school” to the modern parent, but it actually works. Verbal communication is something that technology has taken away from a lot of families these days, and it’s really sad. It shouldn’t be that hard to hold a simple conversation with your kid.
Sometimes it’s helpful to give them a little nudge reminding them that you were a teenager before too and that they can talk to you about anything. A lot of times, when that door of communication is open, you may not need to do the other methods.
If you’re having trouble with communication, just keep these tidbits in your mind:
- If your child wants more privacy, that doesn’t always mean that your child has something to hide. It’s just something that comes with self-discovery. Just talk to them about it.
- As your child matures, they are entering a different phase in their life where they’re facing new challenges with independence.
- Their brains are still developing so they might make snap decisions without thinking about the consequences of their behavior.
Get to Know Their Friends
They say nobody knows your kids better than the parents… wrong! Nobody knows your kids better than their friends, actually. The friends of your kids are their peace of mind, and if you can get in good with them, then you automatically get a pass into the cool parents club.
As your teen grows and matures they will be engaging in friendships that involve learning life skills of trust, honesty, and self-esteem. While it’s important to monitor your kids, it’s also important to look at the company they keep.
Sometimes their friends can be their biggest motivators, but sometimes the friendships your kids have can be toxic and can be negatively impacting them without them even knowing it. Being a teenager is hard, and it helps to have friends to go through the growing pains with, but if their “friends” are not really their friends, then you might need to step in.
