Pink Poogle Toy Forum

Brooster, I am a mother of a 13 year old girl--who loves the internet. When she first decided to play Neopets some three years ago, she got in a little bit of trouble. Seems she saw someone on the chatboard asking for people to "neosit" his account and that interested people should aim him about it. She did, without my knowledge, and then the guy started harassing her and threatening to report her. Luckily, my husband and I were both home and realized something was amiss when she ran downstairs crying. Even luckier, nothing bad happened. I ran upstairs, read what the guy had written, wrote him some choice words about how I was the mom of the kid he was harassing, and blocked him. We didn't even know that she knew how to aim someone.

Right then and there I learned that I needed to be on my toes, watching, all of the time. And needed to try to become just as smart about the internet as she was. From then on, we decided that it would be best if my computer and her computer were in the same room. So, whenever she was online, I was around, also. Not preying into her personal stuff or tracking her conversations (I do believe that kids need their privacy), but present. So, I could watch out for her. And, just in case she got into trouble I was there.

When she decided to join PPT, I joined as well (my screen name used to be NatsMom)--just to make sure it was a safe site. I even remember getting really upset with a PPT member (who is no longer here, thank goodness) who was practically jumping on my daughter after my daughter had posted something. I don't know if Jim remembers, but I PM'd him and a few mods about how mean some of the PPTers seemed toward kids. PPT has become much kinder and gentler since then.

Three years later, I have eased up a bit. Mainly, because I feel that she has earned my trust. She has grown up a lot in the past three years and learned a lot about being safe, about being scammed, and about nasty scammers who pretend to be your friend. She is much more "streetsmart" about the internet than she was when she first started.

I no longer join every site or game that she joins, but I do check them out--to make sure they are safe. And, her computer is still in the same room as mine. And, probably will be for at least a few more years.

I don't blame your mom for being nervous about PMs. Mainly because, it is a mother's job to worry about her kid's safety. And, with the news showing kids getting abducted and killed left and right, it can scare the pants off of a parent. And, let's face it, there are bad people who hang out on the internet--pretending to be a kid so that they can get private information out of a child. Hopefully, there are not a lot of these nasty people, but still enough to scare a parent. Unfortunately, the internet doesn't let you see the face of the person who is writing.

If your mother doesn't know anything about this site, then, of course she is going to worry. She knows that adults as well as kids are members of this forum. That could make a parent nervous. I know I was when my daughter first told me about this site. So, maybe you should invite her to join the site--to see for herself that it is a very safe site--much safer than Neopets. Ask her to write to one of the mods or to Jim, for that matter. I am happy to talk to her as well. And, maybe suggest a compromise. If she is afraid of internet lurkers, then suggest that she be allowed to read all incoming PMs and all PMs that you are sending out.

And, one more thing, you say that an incident happened before. Well, that right there says something. She knows that you did something in the past and is very afraid that you might do something like that again. So, you need to make her see that you are trustworthy and have learned from your past mistake. Try to remember that she is doing what she is doing because she loves you.

Shapu is right (if you can decipher his pirate-ese). Better that a parent be a bit over-protective than to not care at all what his/her kid is up to.

How'd you know I was ten? You read osme of my other posts?

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