Comments on: When Your Kids Don’t Want to be Your Friend

By: Joyce

Joyce — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:45:26 +0000

I have 2 college age girls. When I started using Facebook, they stopped using it! Facebook was once reserved for only college students. When they starting allowing others to join, many young adults stopped using it. Because of their ages, I never requested to be their friend because I trusted them. However, my 12 yr old son has a facebook page. The younger age makes a big difference. Though I am not his friend, I make periodic checks (he logs in) on his facebook page.

By: Betsy

Betsy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:05:35 +0000

Priscilla, I allowed Joey to get a Facebook page with the condition that he add me as a friend. However, the promise I made to him is to not post on his page unless I tag him in a non embarrassing picture.

By: Carri

Carri — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:03:22 +0000

My daughter has both, and while we aren’t “friends” .. I do have the passwords. It is understood, that I as her parent, am allowed to check up on what is being said and who is saying what. It is also understood, I dont abuse my power and she does nothing to make me abuse that power.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:27:19 +0000

I think on some level it could be crossing the line between parent and friend. However, if you trust your children, you need to allow them their space. Make sure to discuss any possible dangers or boundaries and let them have something of their own.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:01 +0000

Facebook provides an excellent way of keeping up with far flung family, but when the family is still living with you it can get very tricky. Getting engaged in your childrens’ social media is a sticky wicket – are you really a Friend or are you a monitor? My whole family is on Facebook; the parents, grandparents, kids and grandkids. It’s great to get real time updates on what everyone is up to, and it let’s me be in a community with my kids that we can share.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:10:37 +0000

I’ve heard parents have made a pact w/their kids: they must be “friends” w/their parents, but the parents promise to NEVER comment on their wall publicly. This to a kid is the epitome of Un-cool-ness and social death. So I would tell them that in order to be allowed to FB or MySpace, that they must allow their parents to be on their friends list.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:11:20 +0000

I am Facebook friends w/my two eldest daughters. I would have been disappointed had they declined me. It would also have made me suspicious.

If they’re living under your roof, the Golden Rule applies – “He who has the gold makes the rule.”