10 Things you should tell to your Facebook using kid, to save yourself from bad parenting

UPDATE: A 42 year old man was arrested recently for assaulting two minor girls, sisters aged 14 and 11, who he has befriended via Facebook.

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Before enlisting the things you, as a parent, should do to save yourself from the blame of bad parenting, here is a recent incident involving a 14 year old kid in US:

“On Wednesday, a Grandville man, 37-year-old Matthew Bauman, appeared in Wyoming District Court to face charges for online solicitation of sex with young girls. Police say, a 14-year-old girl agreed to meet Bauman in person. Although fortunately, No assault was committed, but police say it's a warning to parents that predators may be on Facebook. The judge sent Bauman back to jail at a higher bail."

As said by the police: it's a warning to parents that predators may be on Facebook.

So make sure you play the role of an ideal parent, when it comes to your Facebook using Kid.

Below are Things you should tell/convey to your Facebook using kid, to save yourself from the blame of bad parenting:

1) Don’t allow your kid to join Facebook, or for that matter, any social network, if he/she is under 13. It is often being seen that parents hail their kid, of his/her smartness, if he manages to open a Facebook account by quoting an age more than his/her real age. Don’t encourage such a behavior. Tell him/her, no Facebook before he/she attains the age the social network has put in its criterion.

2) If your kid has joined school late for whatever reasons, then rather than his/her chronological age (real age), use his/her school age to decide whether he/she fulfills the Facebook’s age criterion.

3) If the kid can join a social network, tell the kid, the presence of dubious people on facebook, who are all out to deceive people in any way possible. Tell the kid that if he/she is not vigilant enough, they can be duped of money, and harmed in other ways.

4) Tell him/her not to befriend any stranger, even if he/she appears to be of the kid’s age. Begin with capping the kid’s social contacts with just his/her school classmates, someone you are aware of too.

5) Once sufficient trust is maintained between you and your kid regarding Facebook usage; allow him/her to broaden his/her network, among kids of same age. No matter Stranger.

6) But make a policy that, the kid will not interact with the person, friended online, in person. If some friend makes a desire to meet in person; as a definite policy the kid will inform you first. And if the kid is hell bent to meet the person, you will accompany the kid, at a proper public place.

7) Make it a policy, that the kid will block any friend in their friends list, who speaks lewd, bullies others or has a behavior non-conforming to his/her age.

8) Make it a policy for your kid, that he/she will not speak lewd, post questionable pictures of self or some friend, and most important – will not Bully anyone. If you get to know, about some derailing in your kid's own behavior, don't confront him/her first time. Try to masquerade your talk to convey the behavior expected. In case of a second breach, be more direct.

9) Supervise your kid’s online excursions and tell him/her that in case of any difficulty arising out of some dubious behavior, bullying or other situation; you are by his/her side. And in this case you are the most person, who should be the first to be trusted.

10) Although this is not quite recommended, as spying on kid’s online behavior, can lead to trust deficit between the parents and the kid. Still if you are working, and don’t have the time to supervise your kid’s online activities; then you can use some good parental control software, Like this one; that lets you know, your kid's entire web activity, without him/her knowing it. But try to use it with utmost responsibility. --------

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