Need advice from parents (none weight loss related)

Sorry if this is in the wrong section!

My daughter, like most teens, talks to friends etc online. She is also an xbox gamer (like her Mum ;) ) and recently started talking to a boy in London.

They have been spending a lot of time talking to each other whilst playing a game and then added each other on Facebook. It all appeared very innocent, but as my daughter is a young teen I like to keep an eye on her and she only has Facebook if I hae her password!

Being nosey I had a look at this boys profile. His profile says date of birth is 1991! Now I know that many teens lie about their date of birth on Facebook if they join before they are 13 but he joined in January this year. I've looked at the school he says he goes to and it is a secondary school (he's told her he's 15) and he has friends from the same school. I checked out his friends and their profiles say they were born between 1991 and 1995. So the alarm bells are now ringing.

I looked at his girlfriends profile and she has posted 'college'. Now the school he goes to I discover has a sixth form attached.
I continue snooping ( some won't agree with me doing this I know) and go on her phone. She also has this boy on blackberry messenger. He has been sending her messages saying that he is a drug dealer but 'a nice one'! And is always telling her that he is upset or crying about different things, he hates his sister, his Nan etc.

I know from working with teens that they like to say things to big themselves up and as we don't live near London there isn't much chance of them ever bumping into each other, thankfully. He doesn't look in his 20's in all his photos and neither do his friends.

I am very worried and concerned, I don't like this and something just feels wrong. I want to stop her talking to him completely but she is a child with very few friends, has been bullied at school and seems to struggle socially as she really doesn't get on with girls very well, she isn't a girly girl.

How do I go about this? If I ban her from everything she is going to be pretty isolated and will prevent her talking to her half siblings as she doesn't get to see them, just talk and video chat online. There would also be nothing stopping her from re-adding him once she got the stuff back.
I could just ask her to remove him, but without having constant access to her phone etc how can I be sure she isn't still talking to him?

Please don't get me wrong, she isn't babysitted by electronics, we spend a lot of time together playing, going on walks etc. She prefers to be out playing that glued to a computer but it gives her something to do when it's raining.

How would you as a parent go about this?
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Replies

  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    Touchy. My daughter is 15 and is currently smitten with an 18-year-old boy who lives by her cousin an hour away. I don't like it, and have been having LOTS of heart-to-heart chats with her. I'm reluctant to forbid it in case it makes the attraction sweeter.

    However, this guy that might be older than a teen based on his profile... You have every right to investigate and even demand proof that he's a teen, not an adult. If no proof, the tie needs to be cut.
  • itodd4019
    itodd4019 Posts: 340 Member
    WOW!!!! You are a good mom!

    I have raised 2 girls and one boy. I snooped in everything. I called them out on stuff. OMG i should say we. haha but it was mostly me. My wife was prett passive.

    Anyhow, my oldest daughter made it thought, she works a corporate job, and goes to school, and just got her first home. She was over last weekend, with her new boyfriend, and told him what a great dad i was.

    My son who is now a Marine has told me how good it was to know he actually had parents and not friends.

    My Youngest-- well, she is 16!!! there ya go!

    You are a concerned parent, you had taken time out of your day to research her "goins on's" and now you have vital information.

    If you DO NOT tell her all you know, and how it makes you feel, the concerns you have, and all that- then you will be fake! No getting around it. You already know, it's too late. Imagine if something happens and you just kept this in. Not good......

    No ***** footing around, just talk to her. Be cool, be loving, and tell her your concerns and ask her how she would react if the roles were reveresed.

    I'm betting you will be presently suprised and have a better relationship going forward.

    oh- and for the "you invaded my privacy" - well, yeah honey = I LOVE YOU!!! of course I follow your steps and look out for you = I AM YOUR MOM, and I LOVE YOU.

    good luck to you
  • itodd4019
    itodd4019 Posts: 340 Member
    P.S. this may be a dad talk, if that is possible. Girls will understand Dad being protective a bit more maybe. But, don't double team her. That has always backfired on us. They feel teamed up on.

    ok, I will stop now.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    He is a 23 year old drug dealer. It's time to put your foot down!
    Let her know all you learned and tell her its your primary job to keep her safe and tell her he is out of her life.
    He is the predator parents and children are warned about!
    I raised 3 children and granted there was no internet socializing at that time but I followed up on my every instinct and made my expectations very clear. I was not their friend but their mother.
    Please do what you know you must! Teenagerhood is a perilous journey.
  • fat2skinny50
    fat2skinny50 Posts: 104 Member
    First of all you are a wonderful mother who is involved in the safety and well-being of her Children. I don't call it snooping; I call it protecting our own. There are many sick bast--ds out there that pray on young girls and boys and our job as parents are to protect our children from them at any cost. Now with that said, I used to monitor my daughters face book and cell phone also when she was growing up too. What I think you need to do, is you need to become a detective and find out this boy's true age, and if he really is a drug dealer. You also need to have a clam heart to heart talk with your daughter and I mean CLAM, you can't yell and scream, you need to stay as clam as possible. I need to tell her that a drug dealer is NOT a nice person at all in fact he is a criminal, dealing drugs is against the law and he needs to be in jail and one day he will be. Second you need to let her know that you think he is in his 20's. You need to let her know that is not the type of person that her, as a nice sweet young lady, should be talking to, and that she needs sever all contact with him. You to let her know that you Love her beyond life itself and you are only saying these things to her because you want to keep her safe. She needs to know that you TRUST her 100% and that you will always be there for her not matter what. I wish you all the luck in the world with this because you are in a truly difficult situation. Please keep me posted, you and your daughter are in my prayers.
  • johnnyhatesjazz
    johnnyhatesjazz Posts: 95 Member
    Id make her drop him like 3rd period French.. Hes a drug dealer nuff said..
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,269 MFP Moderator
    I definitely second the calm, up-front talk. She's young, yes, but probably mature enough to understand that you're coming at this from a place of love and concern. Explain that you had a look at his profiles and he has been lying to her. Nice people do not lie. Nice people do not deal drugs. I think a big point that will help you get through to her (if she resists) is that he has been lying to her about his age, and why would he do that? I know he says he is in another country, but if he has lied about one thing, its not much of a stretch to believe he could have lied about other things as well.

    Good luck!
  • fat2skinny50
    fat2skinny50 Posts: 104 Member
    I definitely second the calm, up-front talk. She's young, yes, but probably mature enough to understand that you're coming at this from a place of love and concern. Explain that you had a look at his profiles and he has been lying to her. Nice people do not lie. Nice people do not deal drugs. I think a big point that will help you get through to her (if she resists) is that he has been lying to her about his age, and why would he do that? I know he says he is in another country, but if he has lied about one thing, its not much of a stretch to believe he could have lied about other things as well.

    Good luck!
    [/quote

    Excellent point about him claiming he lives in London, who's to say that is true too. You honestly need to talk to your daughter today, now!! This boy/man whatever, whoever needs to be out of her life
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    I don't have girls, two boys. When the oldest was a Senior in High School some little freshman was messaging him all the time. It actually was not innocent at all. I did talk with my son about it as I didn't want to see him get into any trouble (he was actually interested in another girl only a year younger). It got so bad that I ended up calling the girl's parents and reading to them her messages. I was really concerned that if she was going to get into trouble and they seemed like a nice family. After talking with me they actually wanted my son to date her, not an option. Fortunately for me, I have always had a good relationship with my son and we have always been able to talk through things.

    I echo the other concerns that nice people do not deal drugs. I have a friend who has a currently 17 yo son, who has been extremely confused for the past few years. Last year he ran away after a huge fight with his mom. I tracked him down through his computer and we found him. But the girls (they were over 20) who he hate met through online gaming and whom lived in Canada had convinced him it would be good to run off to Canada and live with them. I found him because he had saved his passwords on his mom's laptop, broke into his dad's. took his laptop and broke into a community center to use their wifi and logged on to talk to them. I happened to be logged on at the time and saw the whole thing. Do not underestimate the ability of predators to lure teens.
  • tracya04
    tracya04 Posts: 15
    Thank you for all the replies, they were very helpful.

    I decided to sit my daughter down and explain all of my concerns to her, a big one was that he only had 4 photos on his Facebook, which I thought was strange. She was upset but seemed to understand and promptly messaged him, firing everything at him and calling him a liar (I wasn't expecting that).

    However, it did help. He messaged her back with a huge apology saying that yes he had lied about the drugs thing, he said it so that people would be too scared to threaten him etc. He doesn't appear to have money like you would expect, his clothes in his photos aren't brand named, he doesn't have a latest phone and when the screen broke he was asking on Facebook for a second hand one. He was adamant that the photos were of him but he didn't like posting photos because he isn't happy with himself ( he isn't the greatest looking teen and rather scrawny). He then sent her a photo of himself holding a piece of paper with her name on it to prove he was who he said he was.

    He said his family were on his Facebook but his siblings have a different name to him (hence why I couldn't find them). I have looked through more of his school friends and some mention tests and exams looming, which could be right for a year 10, I know ours are.

    He's told her that he doesn't spend a lot of time with his friends because since his Nan died his Grandad hasn't been well so he spends time there looking after him. I checked out where he was sending messages from, Facebook tracks their location and says 'message sent from....'. when he said he was at home Facebook said he was in one area of London, then when he got to his Grandads house later on Facebook stated a different area of London.

    He has told her he understands and not to worry about it if she isn't allowed to talk to him, he was going to get his sister to ring me but my daughter, wisely, wouldn't give him a number.

    I'm happier than I was about the whole thing, at least I know the photos are of him, but still not 100 % and still wary.

    My daughter and I have had a good chat and we have decided that we sit and talk about any other people she may wish to add and we will look through things together before deciding and she seems happy with that. She has told him that I have access to all messages he sends and will read everything and understands that should she go behind my back she will lose all communication devices! She has asked if she can meet up with him if they are still talking in a year or so but could I go with her because she'd be too scared to go on her own, I agreed but secretly hope they get bored before then!

    I just hope I've done the right thing...........................time will tell and he knows Mum is watching his every move!
  • skinnymalinkyscot
    skinnymalinkyscot Posts: 174 Member
    Ok, if this was my daughter (and I have 2 ages 17 and 22) I would have discussed it with her but I would have insisted he was blocked and removed from facebook and the phone. The end. I would also explain to your daughter that she only adds people she knows to her phone and computer and further would work with your daughter and school to encourage new friendships offline. You are perfectly within your rights to say even after days, "Ive had a rethink and i think its better if we outright ban so and so" end of the day you know nothing genuine about this stranger, its not worth the risks.

    Networking could involve inviting her friends over, making sure she has the finances to meet up for coffees and walks around the shops and to give you an example of the steps I took with my eldest who went through the whole unpopular no friends stage when she was about 15, .....we literally drew up a chart of every girl in her school, phone number, facebook details if possible and my daughter approached girls outside of school via facebook or text message and asked them to hang out for the day and do something ( I offered to pay)

    This was very successful as the pack mentality of school was gone and if she was turned down it wasnt so bad as it would have been in front of a crowd at school and finally most girls are greedy enough to say yes to treats even if theyre not over keen on the buddy in question.

    We drew up a list of about 20/30 girls for a reason, the plan was so my daughter had a diffferent friend to go out with every weekend and also by only asking to go out with each girl once every few months they usually said yes, whereas if my daughter had been bugging them every weekend they probably would have said no to becoming best buddies with an unpopular girl.

    But what actually happened was 4 things over the years.... firstly my daughter had something to do all the time, lots of variety and lots of new faces, secondly these other girls got to know my daughter gradually and the knock on effect was more smiles and lunchtime dates at school, thirdly as the other girls grew older and more mature they started to become true friends with my daughter after hanging out over several years sporadically and finally my daughter ended up with an enormous friend group and heaps of confidence.

    It got to the stage by the time she was about 18 other peopel used to comment on how popular she was and how insane it was over how many friends she had, she literally become an extremely good networker and reader of body language and has moved into a field of work after university which needs people very socially adept and good communicators.

    You would never have believed it if you had known her at 14, but I dont think its ever a good idea to let teenagers spend too much time online which is escapism, It just encourages social isolation, think I would let her have the internet and phones but for short period only. After dinner and schoolwork try and get her to get into the habit of sitting and chatting with you for half an hour a night or rather you sit and listen then the internet,

    it really worked for us, hope this helps :)
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    Get her to be too busy for the boy and have her join a club.
    -- accidentally "Loose" her phone.
    -- Find her groups.. an Xbox group, a church group, etc..
    -- Encourage her to get a job. fast food, or something..
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    I would reiterate to her that people can be anything they want to be online. He may be all of those things or he's a 13 year old punk playing the role. You never know. I would keep tabs on her like you have been but understand that if you cut off this one's head, two will grow back in its place.
  • carisone
    carisone Posts: 31 Member
    I think you are a fantastic mum! You must be so proud of your daughter for handling this the way she has. Being honest was the best policy all round.

    Really happy that it worked out ok for you :)
  • Armagan123
    Armagan123 Posts: 72 Member
    I think you did great! I bet she will not be demanding to see him in a year's time.
  • gemmamummy
    gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
    If you don't live nearby I wouldn't worry about it too much. I remember talking to someone online (when the internet first came about), who was much older than me. We chatted online a lot, eventually it became boring and that was the end of it. If you confront your daughter, she is more likely to start deleting conversations, which means you then have no idea what it being said. I would just carry on snooping on the sly and if at any point it looks like she intends to meet him or he starts being inappropriate, then I would say a messge appeared on the screen and you saw it and you're worried.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    This isn't even a close call. I'm sorry, but this guy has no business talking to your daughter. He's preying on her vulnerability (as drug dealers and child predators are apt to do). If any of the discussion has become sexually suggestive or he has provided details of his dealing activities, then I would turn it all over to the police.

    ETA: The above was in reaction to your first post, but I just read your second post. Okay, good going, mom! I think you did the right thing.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I did the same thing when my son was that age...

    I tracked his msn chats (he didn't know they were being recorded), I paid his cell phone bill so I got to look at it whenever I wanted or he didn't have a cell phone...

    I read his FB mail etc.

    I am his mother...not his buddeh...end of discussion...

    And all my monitoring actually saved his butt....in middle school...

    Some girls thought they would get together and accuse of him of all manner of awful things...and told him on MSN chat they were gonna do it...just to get in trouble..

    The did exactly what they said...I got the call...I was livid..printed out the MSN chat logs took it to the school for the administration to see and the cops (Yah cops were called) needless to say a few little girls were in trouble....

    Problem was their parents had no idea...no idea you could record msn chats...all of them...etc.

    Keep being the mom...not the friend...they already have enough friends.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I did the same thing when my son was that age...

    I tracked his msn chats (he didn't know they were being recorded), I paid his cell phone bill so I got to look at it whenever I wanted or he didn't have a cell phone...

    I read his FB mail etc.

    I am his mother...not his buddeh...end of discussion...

    And all my monitoring actually saved his butt....in middle school...

    Some girls thought they would get together and accuse of him of all manner of awful things...and told him on MSN chat they were gonna do it...just to get in trouble..

    The did exactly what they said...I got the call...I was livid..printed out the MSN chat logs took it to the school for the administration to see and the cops (Yah cops were called) needless to say a few little girls were in trouble....

    Problem was their parents had no idea...no idea you could record msn chats...all of them...etc.

    Keep being the mom...not the friend...they already have enough friends.

    Awesome, proactive, mom! :drinker:
  • BamaBreezeNSaltAire
    BamaBreezeNSaltAire Posts: 966 Member
    I did the same thing when my son was that age...

    I tracked his msn chats (he didn't know they were being recorded), I paid his cell phone bill so I got to look at it whenever I wanted or he didn't have a cell phone...

    I read his FB mail etc.

    I am his mother...not his buddeh...end of discussion...

    And all my monitoring actually saved his butt....in middle school...

    Some girls thought they would get together and accuse of him of all manner of awful things...and told him on MSN chat they were gonna do it...just to get in trouble..

    The did exactly what they said...I got the call...I was livid..printed out the MSN chat logs took it to the school for the administration to see and the cops (Yah cops were called) needless to say a few little girls were in trouble....

    Problem was their parents had no idea...no idea you could record msn chats...all of them...etc.

    Keep being the mom...not the friend...they already have enough friends.

    Awesome, proactive, mom! :drinker:

    +1 And thanks mom for giving me a heads up. My son is about to start middle school and I fear this! It's one of the main reasons I haven't given him a phone yet and computers are limited.
  • tracya04
    tracya04 Posts: 15
    If you don't live nearby I wouldn't worry about it too much. I remember talking to someone online (when the internet first came about), who was much older than me. We chatted online a lot, eventually it became boring and that was the end of it. If you confront your daughter, she is more likely to start deleting conversations, which means you then have no idea what it being said. I would just carry on snooping on the sly and if at any point it looks like she intends to meet him or he starts being inappropriate, then I would say a messge appeared on the screen and you saw it and you're worried.

    Her hiding things was my main worry. If banning her was I making the interaction more interesting than it already was.
    I've found another clever way to avoid them chatting, I've got her the game they play on the PC. She can still play with other people but he hasn't got the game for the PC so he can't play it with her!

    I have now told her that there are not to be any messenger calls between them or Skype etc ( which he isn't on anyway at present).. I am hoping that all the restrictions will annoy him enough to disappear on his own. At the very least, because he knows I'm watching and snooping, if his intention is something other than a gaming friendship it isn't going to be worth the effort on his part. There will be far more people he can interact with that aren't being watched.

    As I said, she doesn't spend a lot of time online, she prefers to illegally draw pictures on the pavement! ( the fact that it is now illegal astounds me).

    Thank you to everyone for your help, I will keep this updated if anything else happens!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    Coming to this late, great job Mom! I have a 14 year old daughter and she has no issues with me reading her texts, emails etc. She is not allowed to have a facebook account. I tell her I do trust her until she gives me a reason not to. She knows I'm her mother not her friend, she comes to me with all her problems, as well as her friends problems. Open communication is the key.
  • RabbitLost
    RabbitLost Posts: 333 Member
    Thank you for all the replies, they were very helpful.

    I decided to sit my daughter down and explain all of my concerns to her, a big one was that he only had 4 photos on his Facebook, which I thought was strange. She was upset but seemed to understand and promptly messaged him, firing everything at him and calling him a liar (I wasn't expecting that).

    However, it did help. He messaged her back with a huge apology saying that yes he had lied about the drugs thing, he said it so that people would be too scared to threaten him etc. He doesn't appear to have money like you would expect, his clothes in his photos aren't brand named, he doesn't have a latest phone and when the screen broke he was asking on Facebook for a second hand one. He was adamant that the photos were of him but he didn't like posting photos because he isn't happy with himself ( he isn't the greatest looking teen and rather scrawny). He then sent her a photo of himself holding a piece of paper with her name on it to prove he was who he said he was.

    He said his family were on his Facebook but his siblings have a different name to him (hence why I couldn't find them). I have looked through more of his school friends and some mention tests and exams looming, which could be right for a year 10, I know ours are.

    He's told her that he doesn't spend a lot of time with his friends because since his Nan died his Grandad hasn't been well so he spends time there looking after him. I checked out where he was sending messages from, Facebook tracks their location and says 'message sent from....'. when he said he was at home Facebook said he was in one area of London, then when he got to his Grandads house later on Facebook stated a different area of London.

    He has told her he understands and not to worry about it if she isn't allowed to talk to him, he was going to get his sister to ring me but my daughter, wisely, wouldn't give him a number.

    I'm happier than I was about the whole thing, at least I know the photos are of him, but still not 100 % and still wary.

    My daughter and I have had a good chat and we have decided that we sit and talk about any other people she may wish to add and we will look through things together before deciding and she seems happy with that. She has told him that I have access to all messages he sends and will read everything and understands that should she go behind my back she will lose all communication devices! She has asked if she can meet up with him if they are still talking in a year or so but could I go with her because she'd be too scared to go on her own, I agreed but secretly hope they get bored before then!

    I just hope I've done the right thing...........................time will tell and he knows Mum is watching his every move!

    Darn good mom, you are. I hope to have the strength of character and conviction if I am faced with this issue with my teenage sons. Thank you for the original and especially the follow up. :flowerforyou:
  • jtrack3d
    jtrack3d Posts: 91
    We have a house rule and it worked with my three... if I haven't met them in person, you don't chat with them in private.... so if you wanna talk to them on skype or in your games and such, you better invite them over to meet dad. If I catch you talking / friends with people I haven't met you will lose phone, skype and game box for a month.

    It's a great way to get to meet your kids' friends... plus it makes sure the kid doesn't stay locked up in the house so much.

    Luckily I got #1 child to 30. She is now an attorney.

    #2 child I caught sexting. Not only did he get the facts of life in embarrassingly gory details (for him, I don't shy from it), so did she and her parents. Bottom line, I let him know that women are not toys, actions have consequences, and, if he wanted to play he knew where the bathroom was. So far #2 child is doing great.

    Don't ignore this. Speak straight and candid about your fears.
  • scythswife
    scythswife Posts: 1,100 Member

    As I said, she doesn't spend a lot of time online, she prefers to illegally draw pictures on the pavement! ( the fact that it is now illegal astounds me).

    Total subject change but y in the world did drawing pictures on the pavement become illegal? like public space or ur personal driveway?
  • Kinseykick
    Kinseykick Posts: 59
    First I want to write that I am a 23 year old female without kids and I'm trying to look at this from your daughter's perspective. Also I didn't read all the replies, just the OP and a couple others.

    The internet is dangerous and males like to take advantage of lonely girls. For them its a no strings attached way to flirt around with girls and hopefully get some pictures out of it. I'm not saying your daughter will do that but from social sites I've used it seems that most guys don't just want to talk. I would be worried that if you daughter does start to really like this guy, that she might want to share more than just text messages with him.

    You are right in being worried and you should let your daughter know that you've noticed. Maybe don't say right away that you've done all of that snooping because if I found out that my mom did that then I would be upset too. If you see her talking on the xbox or chatting on messenger or facebook, ask her about it. My mom always knew when I was texting the boy I liked because I'd be smiling and blushing. A simple "Who are you talking to that's making you all smiley?" in a friendly way might let her open up and tell you about her crush. If she doesn't open up then I would say that you've noticed that she's been talking to him. Either way, that is when you can stress the importance on online safety.

    In a few days or a week after that initial conversation if there hasn't been any changes, then admit to snooping. She had her chance to limit their conversations to just xbox or whatever and if she didn't take that chance to correct it, then that is her fault. Warn her again that its unsafe and what you are worried. If all else fails then you might have to make her unfriend him or block him.

    Boys online are very persuasive, they will tell you that you are beautiful, that you make them happy, and how attracted they are to you. Thats is everything a girl wants to hear. Then after they get their pictures or whatever they can just stop talking to you and leave you feeling heartbroken. Thats not what we want to happen to your daughter.

    Hopefully everything works out!! Good luck <3 All in all I know my parents love me no matter what and even if they upset me, I know its for the best.

    ETA: Saw that you already talked to her. I'm glad it all worked out for you and that she was understanding!
  • dbg1
    dbg1 Posts: 208
    Building a keeping trust is so important. Treating them like an adult is key. I have 2 daughters 16 & 17. We keep talking about all things going on in their lives. I also keep them busy with activities that they want to do. I go to all their games except when they play the same time slot.

    My mind set is a little different from a lot of parents. I had both my girls try alcohol early on - around 10 yrs old. Not interested - worked well for me. I have told them if they are not ready for university I won't force them like other parents plan to do. I have encouraged them to make their own decisions for many years and there have been mistakes - which they learned from.

    Gaming should be a little occassional distraction from life. Be real about life. Join with your kids in discussion. Ask about thier lives and their friends lives. It keeps the interest real.

    I feel I have been lucky so far that what I have done has worked for us. May not work for all. I worry about the future empty nester because I have been so involved in their lives. Particiipating, suggesting but never directing.
  • tracya04
    tracya04 Posts: 15

    As I said, she doesn't spend a lot of time online, she prefers to illegally draw pictures on the pavement! ( the fact that it is now illegal astounds me).

    Total subject change but y in the world did drawing pictures on the pavement become illegal? like public space or ur personal driveway?

    It is no longer allowed to draw even a hopscotch on the pavement, something which I spent hours doing as a child ( my parents did make me wash it off when I had finished but the rain would have done it anyway). It is now seen as graffiti! I'm not making it up, a police officer actually stood there and told me that what my child was doing, at 3 years old, was now illegal!

    Same as climbing trees, apparently you aren't allowed to do that either due to damaging the environment. You can't build dens etc in the woods because it is classed as an unsafe structure and you can be sued if someone gets hurt on it. The real world has gone mad :(.

    No wonder kids can't be kids today, being a normal kid is illegal it seems.......aw well, looks like I have two law breaking children haha.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    I'm not a mom, I just wanted to say congratulations. You're an awesome mom :)
  • fat2skinny50
    fat2skinny50 Posts: 104 Member
    I am so glad that things worked out for you when you talked to your daughter, i was worried about her all night after reading your post. Keep the lines of communication open and a close eye on that boy, if he is a one. Still not convinced he is who he claims he is.