Kari Henley writes on Huffingtonpost that she recently joined Facebook, so she "could track her kid's antics like a sneaky James Bond spy." Now she is hooked, but claims she uses Facebook a bit different than her kids do (like, for exchanging recipes), and that plenty of kids are getting addicted, use it for bullying, or to say things they would never in person. She's worried there have been many reports of teen suicide from internet related bullying.
Bla bla bla. Here's your typical out-of-touch American parent getting all nauseous as they always do about their pampered but grossly misunderstood litter.
The rest of her article is all about fear of this and fear of that. In spite of her claim of having done research for the article she doesn't appear to know that there have been NO suicides, except one traced to a mother() bullying a kid. She even goes into at what age a child's brain is fully developed with the premise that kids underdeveloped brains can't cope with the modern world...
Puleeze!
Kids are fine and will pick their fights based on what they can handle. They are way ahead of adults when it comes to how they communicate, either parents like the ways in which they do it or not. They have this "new" technology long figured out before parents have. The main point is that parents don't need to play cyber police if they have crafted a good relationship with their children. Many adults act either dismissive or overly protective when it comes to their kids. Let them talk from early on and listen to what they say and respond in an adult manner. Adults often shut kids up since way back when baby's blatter sounded just like goobely-doobely. To baby that's exactly how you sound! Treat kids early on like persons and not like fairies by painting them an innocent pink or blue wonder world occupied with choo-choos and horseys.
I recall when my baby first ventured up the stairs. The women present panicked. I calmly grabbed his ankles and let him go further, then backtracked, and repeated going forward and backward until he "got it." From then on he could not only to go up but also come down safely. That's teaching trust. Yanking him off the stairs is not.
If you're concerned about that big mean world out there then act like animals do and prepare your offspring for it. All the self-indulgent "concerned" psycho-babble of Kari Henley shows her disconnect, which is all too common. Simplify your thinking. Avoid cliché babble like "How was school?" and don't accept cliché replies. Get to know your kid by communicating in an adult manner since day one and you will have an adult relationship. You reap what you sow. Your children are a reflection of you.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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