Parent Extremis

The Internet is really grand, no?

Without it, you wouldn’t be reading this site, or this or this. But, as parent, the Internet can illicit sleepless nights and intense anxiety, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I thank the LORDS everyday that my child is only two months old and I don’t have to think yet about parental rights and chat logs and general pervertedness that my child might be exposed to simply by signing on.

Although, I know all too well that time goes by fast and I better start thinking NOW about what approach I will take as a parent when it comes to kids and the Internet. A few months ago I read this entry about how a family is dealing with the ins and outs of kids and Internet use. I really respect the openness and communication. It was what first got me thinking about my Internet-related parenting choices.

Whether or not you allow your child to have his or her own computer and use it behind closed doors, or if you have one family computer located in an open family area of the house with parental filters and all, you should know a few of the basics when it comes to lingo.

It’s also important to tell your kids never to share personal information including names and passwords and to always ask permission before downloading anything or joining and groups.

If you want to follow a conversation or just know what your kids are saying when they are typing or texting you, refer to the nifty little key below: (thanks to Parents Magazine for a few of these)

BF - Boyfriend
GF - Girlfriend
BFF- Best Friend Forever
BRB - Be Right Back
JIC - Just In Case
POS - Parent Over Shoulder
TMI - Too Much Information
TTYL - Talk To You Later
G2G - Got to Go
P911 - Parent Alert
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
OMG - Oh My God/Gosh
A/S/L - Age/Sex/Location
MORF - Male or Female
PM - Private Message
IRL - In Real Life

If you hear your kids talking some lingo, you can always check out Urban Dictionary to find out what it all means.

Above all, it is best to stay informed on what the kids are talking about and doing these days. Although, it isn’t always easy, having an open dialogue with your kids and discussing your values on various issues is the best way to teach them how you want them to act and conduct themselves.

Or, you can encourage them to READ. Gayle at Parenting Teens has some suggestions for fiction novels that hold the interest of teens.