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As the mother of the present generation, there is solitary imperative acumen, which makes my upbringing policies different from my mother. Any guesses? It was not there when we were teenagers. In fact, for most of us mothers, it initiated after we got hitched. This left our parents even more at ease. It is related to internet. Bingo! You got it right. These are the social networking sites we are talking about. The social networking sites are a lot in number. You do not need a laptop or a tab to look at them. There is the smart phone which works well with it. Making it more feasible for everyone!
So, when my teenage daughter showed interest in opening a social networking site account, I got alarmed. The first thing I did was to call up my husband. He is the Daddy cool! Hence, the responsibility of keeping my child away from all the mess it can result came on my shoulder. I was apprehensive (I showed myself cool in front of my daughter!).
I knew one thing. I did not want to cease her from the pleasure of being in the social platform. Many kids pursue it. The only thing was how it should be done, so that she remains safe! Indeed, my daughter could be unsafe, sitting on the couch in front of me, using the site on her Smartphone or the laptop. To my surprise and relief my hubby brought this really nice book, on how to guide social networking for your teenage kid, from his office library. I read it till 3 in the morning (really!). Next day, when my daughter returned from her school, her super cool Daddy and the trying-to-be-super-cool mumma were ready to embark her on the journey of special networking.
However, there were some golden rules which she had to follow:-
- 1. My first rule- I wanted to visit the site, which she wants to open her account into. It was no big deal for her. I had a detailed look into the site. No surprise, almost all her friends were already on the platform. As soon as my sweetheart logged in, she was welcomed with messages, comments and likes. She was elated. Together we went to the privacy settings on the site. I told her how these are fabricated to ensure she does not get trapped up. She listened carefully. She pursued some changes. I was less apprehensive by now.
- 2. My second rule- I saw my daughter rolling her eyes, when I spoke about the second rule. It was that howsoever cute a guy looked; she would not befriend him on the site, if he is a stranger. The same follow for girls. (Girls too mumma! She exclaimed!)
- 3. My third rule- It was really important for me to talk to her about this. With the internet, there is associated a lot of unwanted stuff. Hence, I try to brief her about the sex and pornography (to my relief, she knew all about it, from her school cyber crime classes!).
- 4. My fourth rule- it was not a rule. It was more like a statement from me. I told her, that whatsoever happens, I am there with her. If she feels troubled, or is in the middle of any problem, related to anything, I will stand with her. She can come to me and talk to me about just anything (I sincerely hope, the chances never arise!).
She, my sweet innocent angel, abided with each one of them. I was relieved. She was happy. Hoping she continues to be forever and ever!
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