We came across this write up about being friends with one’s parents on Facebook (which could of course apply to other social networking sites as well), which got us thinking whether this was a good thing or a bad one.
It would actually be a great way to find out about the activities, friends, likes and dislikes of one’s child if a parent was able to be friends with their child on face book.
However, it is easy to imagine that a child may not automatically like all their statuses, updates and news feeds being monitored by a parent (or two). They may well consider that an infringement upon their privacy. Children may even find that having a parent on board cramps their style, so to speak.
So it is a good idea to actually speak to a child before sending them a friend request. If they aren’t all right with the idea, don’t force it.
It is best not to press the issue. Perhaps channels of communication between you and your child may be opened some other way. Ultimately it is communication that you want to perpetuate with your child; so what if you cannot be their friend on Facebook!
