It's Ugly, but Necessary

Our computer is in our living room out of necessity -- we don't have anywhere else to put it. I hate it. It doesn't make for the best living room decor. I have been itching to get a place with another bedroom to use as an office and to hide the computer! But then I got thinking.

My husband and I are both computer savvy. We both have blogs; we are both on Facebook; we avoid MySpace, but we know how to get on and look around. We both have used chat rooms in the past (we met through an on-line personal!). I was 23 when I ventured in to chat rooms out of sheer curiosity and was SHOCKED at what I discovered. I heard friends talking about them and wanted to see what it was all about.

Sarah is now 8.5 years old and is very active on-line with Club Penguin, Webkinz, ePets, etc. It is only a matter of time before she gets in to chatting with friends on-line, especially when she is here and they are across the country. Sarah is a fabulous girl (and I'm not just saying that because she's family) and she would rather be banned for TV for life than disappoint anyone, much less a parent. But if curiosity got to me at 23, I can only imagine when it will find her -- even by accident.

So for now, the computer will stay in the living room even if there is somewhere else to put it. I want to be able to watch over her shoulder to make sure all is well. I don't think kids have a right to privacy (yes, I know -- many parents do). It's our job as parents to teach them and steer them in the right direction. It is definitely a balancing act of allowing a growing person to have some independence, but with limitations until they are capable of making wise decisions.