Even though I don't have unlimited text messaging, most of Salinda's friends do -- and they are out of phone minutes. So last night when I was hoping to go to bed I was getting texts asking me things. They were ambiguous "can she spend the night"? Who is she? Who is texting? It was all very confusing.
I've asked Salinda not to text for permission because permission means asking and then receiving an answer. Fortunately, the thing she was requesting would have been fine had I understood it in the first place. And she was home 20 minutes before her curfew and had a good reason for not being here at 9:30.
And fortunately she and the friend were up the first time I woke them this morning and are happy enough to get ready for church. And she is one of Salinda's nicer friends. So all in all this is a very minor thing compared to several of the past weekends.
Does anyone else have this texting thing going on with teens where they think that a text reporting in means that they have asked permission, even if the parent never sees or responds to a text? Or is this just my private cross to bear?
3 comments:
Definitely -- texting is less personal, for sure, and I think it is easier for them to say things/ask for things through text messages so they do not get the immediate feedback if they think the answer might not be the one they want to hear.
not you private cross at all my dear. Wetoo have the 15 yo who texts ambiguous messages and when I try to call for clarification doesn't "hear" her phone. We had quite the time of it last night as she was supposed to be hom by about 10:30, couldn't even get her on text till 11:30 and she showed up with friend in tow at about 1AM. She really was not doing anything wrong while she was out, as a matter of fact they were at a cast type party at "Steak n' Shake" with the husband of her voice teacher footing the bill for the cast and friends. Our point was that communication of this fact in a prompt and timely manner would have saved a lot of headaches and she wouldn't have felt like we were hounding her.
And this is our "good" kid! So, I know, boy do I know.
Oh yeah. Major rule is permission has to be verbal. Period.
In some ways, texting has been very useful with our 16-year-old as well as my 13-year-old. They're more willing to communicate when it's less invasive.
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