Monitoring text messages

[JSAPP]

Y'all do understand that this is an eleven year old child he's talking about, right? There is an enormous difference between an 11 or 12 year old and a 14 or 15 year old. HUGE!

Thats scary. My oldest is 12. I wish there was something I could give her that would keep her from getting older. 12 is bad enough. The boy mess is just barely beginning.

[Death from Above]

Monitoring you kids technology is just good parenting. Even if you think you are "up" on things. The kids of today are way ahead. We live in a different world full of way to many predators not to.

[wellingtontx]

I monitor all of my son's text messages and phone calls. Certainly one of the conditions and explanations given to him when he got a phone. I think it is better to be completely up front with them than to hide behind their back and do it. He has no problem with me reviewing.

Children, regardless of age, have no right to privacy when they are under my roof. Period. End of Story.

[ccolley68]

I am 28 years old, a little too old for the time period of having cell phones be so prevalent in everyone's hands. I did not have a cell phone until I turned 16, but neither did anyone else, and most of my friends didnt have one at all. That being said, my first cell phone was the old bag phone that my dad used to keep in his truck. My parents gave it to me to keep in my vehicle and use for emergencies. It was so unsightly, and cumbersome, and lacking in capabilities, that it wasnt worth carrying it anywhere, much less pulling it out and talking on it while driving or anything. It basically sat under my seat in the case I broke down or got stranded somewhere or got in a wreck. Maybe you guys should get your kids phones like that, something they dont want to pull out and play with to be one of the cool kids, but is there in case they have a real emergency. I know some of you say its a safety and security thing that your kids have a phone so you can contact them and vice versa, but if you have a kid old enough to have a phone right now, then you are old enough to have grown up in a time where cell phones werent available to hardly anyone, much less kids. Kids have been growing up for centuries without cell phones and made it through life just fine. If they truly have an emergency, there is always a pay phone somewhere, or someone they can borrow one from. You may think that if you dont give your kid a cell phone, they will lose touch with you and you will never see or talk to them outside of the house, but the way I see it with most kids now is that if you give them a cell phone, you will never talk with them at all regardless of where you are because they now have no need to talk with you or discuss life issues with you because their friends and the internet are just a click away. It drives me crazy to see a family out to dinner or something and they have kids that never look up because they have their head buried in a cell phone or portable video game machine. Teenage boys are walking testosterone, and no amount of cell phone use will prevent them from being boys, just like most of us were. Bullies are bullies and always will, regardless of if your kid gets a text from them or a punch in the gut when they walk through the schoolhouse door. Teach your kids the wonderment of the outdoors, whether it is hunting and fishing, hiking, camping, or just throwing the baseball and you may be surprised how little they want to surf the internet. Teach your kids to stand up and defend themselves and you may be surprised how little they have to hide behind a text or a computer screen. Just my thoughts. I have no kids, so take my opinion as you will.

[Bilbo]

Once you log into your sprint account where do you go to do this?

There's a tab on the far right that says media or something along those lines. Then you have to register again if it's your first time, then voila.

[RdRdrFan]

I understand that, but if you trust a child enough to give them a phone in the first place, then why would you get in on their text messages? I think 13 and younger is too young for a cellphone period. JMHO, but I can see your side of it, if you assume that your child will not speak with you and that they will hide stuff from you. If that happens, then you have more problems in your household then just text messaging.

Because I am the parent and it is my responsibility to act as such. Sometimes that means protecting them from themselves as well as others. Prepare for the worst but expect the best.

ALL kids hide things from their parents. ALL kids. Not all of the time but at some point a kid is going to hide things from their parents. Parents who think that their child would never hide anything from them are suffering from a massive case of gross ignorance.........JMHO.