Image: Photoxpress

Ms12 was on Club Penguin as we felt that was safe when she was younger but now that she’s getting older, wanting to be part of a site where her friends are is become more and more of an imperative. We don’t want to get pressured into letting her join but we feel that it is time to give her a bit of freedom by letting her communicate her friends through Facebook.

In allowing her this, we had a couple of conditions:

• That our daughter would add as a friend in Facebook so we could just monitor what’s going on and see if there’s anyone bullying her.
• That she doesn’t approve any friend requests from people she does not know. If unsure, come to us to verify the identify of the person requesting the ‘friendship.’

We didn’t take this lightly. We took our daughter aside and talked to her about the dangers awaiting her online. We did request that if there’s anything in Facebook that upset her whether it’s friends bullying her or whatever that she comes to us so we can help her fix the issue.

What say you? Are your tween children on Facebook or MySpace yet?

Post from: Blisstree

Go for Facebook?

A death of one’s own child is something I don’t think a parent can ever go though unscarred. Yeah, I know, how can I connect one’s child asking permission to join Bebo and her death. But….it’s me…I’m a parent. I will always worry.

My Husband and I have not come close to making a decision regarding this matter. I know our daughter wants to fit in as most of her school friends are on Bebo . We are seriously putting in conditions to her joining the way we’ve put restrictions on her usage of her mobile phone and Macbook.

Ahhh…one’s struggle as a parent never ends methinks.

Sigh.

What about you? What are you going to do? Will you let your 11 year old child join a social networking site?

Yay or Nay?

Image: Christine Gooding

Post from: Blisstree

To Bebo or Not…