“So What Did You Do Today?”

Posted by Ken

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Parents: you ask your child this question, right? Kids: when your parents ask, you include where you’ve been online, right? No? Maybe?

It’s important for parents to know where their child has been. This sounds logical, but how many of us really make an effort to know? We may tend to get lazy and figure if they came home safe, then they must have been all right wherever they went. But do we include where our children went online? The Web needs to be treated just like the local mall — it’s a public place, but with more nooks and crannies for people to hide behind and deceive unsuspecting victims.

Parents — asking your child where they’ve been shows that you care. You’re helping them stay on track when you do this. Sure we want our kids to think for themselves, but no one learns in a vaccuum. So promote independent thinking, but know there are times that require you to step in and make adjustments.

When you regularly ask your child(ren) where they’ve been, you’re also sending the message that you’re going to expect them to tell you of future happenings, which might influence what they decide to do next. Chances are good that when your child is faced with an opportunity that puts them or others in a bad light, they might decide to not get involved in the first place if it means having to tell you about it later.

Teens/Kids — your parents aren’t being nosey nor are they trying to invade your privacy. They need to know where you’ve been because it’s their job to keep you safe. One of the ways they do that is to inform you of how you could have handled a situation better or to reinforce the good decisions that you’ve made.

The Web can be a very useful and entertaining thing, but it’s not without its dangers. Go to your mom or dad, or another grown-up that you know and trust (in the offline world) and ask them your questoins about the Internet, or if something happened to you while online that you’re not sure how to handle. They really need to know these things so they can help.