GaG teens and parents of teens, any advice?

[Nata2496]

My oldest daughter is about to turn 13 and I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I'm not old but it's a long time since I've been a teenager and the world has changed a lot. What should I know?

[Birdlegs]

Monitor the phone!!! Especially messaging apps. Kik was big back when I was in middle school and you could talk to literally ANYBODY now there are apps where you can FaceTime strangers at random and it doesn’t take very much work to find peoples full information including address, phone numbers, names, family members…. They’ll think you’re being over protective and that they know right from wrong but they don’t, they’re naïve and will fall for the dumbest things so for sure make sure they aren’t doing anything dumb. Also make sure they aren’t getting scammed by “sugar mamas” or “sugar daddies” who will take your money.

[Nata2496]

Thank you! I'm glad you said this, when I was a teen my phone was a nokia so this wasn't an issue, but I sometimes forget now the internet is at their fingertips. Plus there's a lot of peer pressure to be on all these different apps and to completely ignore the dangers of them.

[Iron_Man]

No sex until after marriage no drugs and don’t drink alcohol and date Christian guys and go to church. Have fun be yourself and enjoy life to its fullest

[Nata2496]

Those are all values I will teach her, definitely! I worry about her, being a teen in today's sexualized world. But having clean fun and enjoying this time when she's still young is important too.

[TX651]

You can tell her what you want.

But she will do what she wants as circumstances become available. Sex is one big part of it.

[Nata2496]

@TX651 I can hope that she will listen to me, and that she knows better than to become a slut though. It will not just be my word she has, but the values she's been raised with, her father, our church, our community and God. So she ought to know that sex outside of marriage is wrong.

[TX651]

And you didn't do anything as a teenager?

[TX651]

PM me

[Nata2496]

@TX651 Not until I was married. Why PM?

[Iron_Man]

OH cool have fun goof off Wrestle other people make funny faces have water balloon fights go on traveling trips go out camping all that good stuff. Play hide and seek play tag pull pranks on people all that fun stuff. Shoot fireworks off have a blast 💥

[Nata2496]

Yes, exactly. Teens are so keen to grow up but they're still children too and there's so many fun things for them to do.

[Iron_Man]

Of course they can go dirtbike riding in a horseback riding and rent jet skis everything swimming out in the ocean

[Iron_Man]

Hiking in the mountains play sports

[Iron_Man]

Be a good Christian girl and go to church I like this

[Nata2496]

Yes! We already do horseback riding lessons with her and family hikes so she'll have plenty of fun, get some exercise at the same time and remember she's still young. But at the same time, the more she grows the more important it is to really understand our values and go to church. Especially when dating comes up, because I hope she'll find a Christian partner.

[Iron_Man]

Awesome 😊

[Iron_Man]

Thank you so much for most helpful award

[Nata2496]

No problem, thanks for the great advice!

[Guy__]

Stop the time so she stays 12! Or did you mean something else?

[Nata2496]

Ha, a part of me would dearly like to do that! I can't believe it's coming up so quick. But I do also welcome any serious advice about being a parent to a teenager.

[Mynameisbobby]

My brother is 14 and I watch his activity on his computer. He didn't like it at first but my uncle told him if he didn't he wasn't allowed online.

[Nata2496]

Yes, that seems like a good thing to do for a teen, especially a younger teen. At the moment, my children aren't online but as a teen I will allow her online so long as I can check up on her.

[Mynameisbobby]

Yeah that's a good idea!

[Dinosaursandanime65]

Prostitution isn’t illegal if you have a camera

[Nata2496]

What? What does this have to do with my question?

[Dinosaursandanime65]

PFFFFFFFTTTTT, lol

[Nata2496]

Oh, I see you're a troll.

[Iron_Man]

11 years later and I’m a troll I don’t think so look at yourself in the mirror

[Iron_Man]

Never mind I got the wrong area and I thought it was somebody totally different I apologize

[Dinosaursandanime65]

@nata2496 I’m not a troll, I just tease you people