defintely

iknow one parent who caught her daughter's "possilbe" rapist this way

it coulda been a bad scene
but thank heavens she was awatchin'

Hummm honestly guess it all depends on the relationship you have with your kids. I have always been very open and up front with mine.. I never snooped in their rooms unless they gave me a reason to do so.... Honestly I never checked either of my kids phones while they were living at home under 18 year old but then only my daughter had one my son had a pager back then..

Have a friend of mine that he found out his daughter at age 12 was sending pic to her b/f that should not have been sent. She is a good girl just not the best parenting they were divorced and too wrapped up in their own lives then spending time with her...

You never know what they will do. The best we can do is teach them and hope they use things we give them the way it should be used.

Would I check on them to make sure, sure I would... Actually my son at one time I did go through his room for drugs, but did not find anything...

Just because we check does not mean we don't trust them it is more for peace of mind on our part...

You never know when your child could be being bullied or worse. Checking your child's texts, etc... could save their life. If you love them, you'll keep an eye on them...not because you don't trust them, because you don't trust others

agreed! well put. hopefully if something troubling occurs your child will come to you, but a child's perception of events is not always as thorough or they think THEY will the ones to get in trouble because someone else is threatening or harrassing them

Are you one of those parents that when your child does something, they can't believe their child would do something like that? Maybe that is because you do not pay that much attention to them?
When kids are teens, they do not have any brains and they do stupid things. This is what you call parenting..you keep on eye on your kid because you can not believe everything they tell you. IF you do, you need some parenting classes!!

As a parent we protect our children whether that be harm from themselves or the world! I see my role as a mum to check their phones and what ever else needed until i feel they are on the right track and being responsible for themselves,making the right decision! My parents snooped and their parents snooped its just part and parcel of being a caring loving parent and person

Parenting is a very seat of your pants job sometimes. Especially if you have a very smart, strong willed, or even challenged child. Over the years I had a few had I not been motivated when my gut told me to go past stop-go and get in their private life they very well would have ended up in in way hotter water than their young lives were able to deal with.

A couple of times I know it saved a life. Things can move at warp speed in a teens life especially. They have very little impulse control and all the bravado to be convinced you are just cramping their rights and they really could do a better job.

Several times it kept my "kids" out of jail or things that would have very definitely lead them to jail. Jail or institutionalization is something I would hope parents always use as a last resort. It is never without great personal costs to child and parents who care.

One time it was made clear jail was the only thing that would save one of my son's life. Was it agonizing? Oh yea. In fact it STILL causes me more pain than literally any other thing in my life. Do I wish I would have had any other option? Definitely. Do I regret it now? No; because when it was done it was the wakeup call and intervention that did save his life that was circling the drain as a twenty something completely out of control and pretty much unaware of it. He is now a productive member of society and a blessing to his family. As a parent that superceeds my comfort or pleasure any way you cut it.

Id say, for a kid , a phone is a luxury, If I pay for the luxury I have the right to do what I choose to with it

honestly, Im from the old school culture where there is no 'right to privac' for children, there is only a responsibility as an adult to look after the children which can include whether that is going through 'personal' items or not