<p>All of us with kids in the performing arts have encountered an obsessive parent who feels they own their kids current or future success and they desperately feel the need to monitor their kid at all times.** But usually there is a sane parent who counters the offending partners maniacal efforts. Looks like this girl was double teamed. I feel for her.</p>
<p>**(I know of at least two parents who moved to the cities where their kids decided to study)</p>
<p>I am tired of the argument of “i bought it therefore its mine and i can do what i want with it”. It reminds me of the case where a mom gave an iPhone to her son for xmas that came with a contract made by herself in which it said that she had to know the password, and he had to return it to her at 7:30 every night. I am 19 years old and yes, my generation sometimes does things behind our parents back… as has every other generation in history. Don’t tell me that people in past decades take the car when their parents were out of town or throw house parties. Don’t tell me people in other generations never snuck out of the house. Don’t tell me that you didn’t prank call people or do things your parents wouldn’t approve of in general. As is obvious by the parents stalking their kids, technology is a double edged that can be used irresponsibly by the kids and the parents. i think that instead of trying to be all over their kids lives, parents should give their child a laptop or phone when they feel they are ready to use it correctly, and then TRUST that they will. What kind of crappy person gives a gift but says i bought it so it is mine and i can do what i want with it? Thats teaching the kid a bad lesson about being controlling and lack of trust.</p>
<p>*I am tired of the argument of “i bought it therefore its mine and i can do what i want with it”. It reminds me of the case where a mom gave an iPhone to her son for xmas that came with a contract made by herself in which it said that she had to know the password, and he had to return it to her at 7:30 every night. *</p>
<p>Well it depends on the age of the child. when parents buy things for minors, they can set the rules for those items.</p>
<p>7:30 is a bit early for a high schooler, but maybe that child has had some issues…poor grades, too much texting, etc.</p>
<p>many parents buy cars for their kids when they’re in HS. We did. Yet, our kids knew that they couldn’t just go out whenever they wanted, and they still had a curfew.</p>
<p>The child with the phone was 13 - an age when I wouldn’t buy an iPhone, but that was her choice. Perhaps she wanted to ensure he had it for emergency purposes, but also didn’t want him using it at night. Perfectly reasonable. It’s her phone, and he borrows it as needed.</p>
<p>I have 3 kids, and a wireless network at home, with an internet connection. I control what devices can use the network and when. I turn the internet off at 11pm - if they need access to finish homework, they need to ask. Otherwise, they won’t be using the internet to chat all night with the friends. I reserve the right to inspect their internet history - not that I do, but I have the right as their parent. </p>
<p>caruiz - how do you teach the child the appropriate way to use technology if you don’t let them have any access until they’ve learned? It doesn’t work that way. You allow some access, and you place reasonable restrictions. It’s the same thing our parents did when we were teens. If a teen threw a party while parents were out of town, that teen wasn’t left home alone again, or worse yet, had a “babysitter” at the age of 17!</p>
<p>Your generation has access to technology we didn’t have, and if we had used the same technology, you can bet our parents would have restricted it.</p>
<p>No, please</p>