[COLUG] Parents Censoring Kids Web Access

[Steve Lefevre]

Dave Maxwell wrote:
> On Sun October 15 2006 2:49 pm, Jim wrote:

>> http://www.colug.net/mailman/listinfo/colug432
> 
> I have to agree with Jim on this one.  Kids are inexperienced but they usually 
> aren't any more stupid than you or I.  They *will* figure it out sooner or 
> later.  If something they want to see badly enough is something you don't 
> want them to see then they'll probably figure it out immediately.
> 

I don't have any kids, but friends of mine a starting to have babies, 
which has given me to thinking about the world from a different 
perspective.

I remember when I was a teenager, when I couldn't get what I wanted at 
home, I went to a buddy's place who had the stuff. (I'm not talking 
about drugs or alcohol here). Even if they were good folks, parents you 
wouldn't have a problems sending your kid home with, he had gotten a 
hold of a magazine, or his brother had it, or his father had it.

I think an immature perspective would say "Well, I was able to get 
whatever I wanted, so there's not point in trying to prevent the kid 
from doing whatever."

But now I'm thinking the idea is that you establish rules to get the kid 
in the habit of setting up rules for themselves. Negotiate as necessary 
when the kid gets older. Then kids learn how to make rules, and more 
importantly learns how to say "no" to peer pressure.

The friends of mine who have gone too far down the wrong path seem to 
not be able to say "no" and set boundaries for themselves. They do 
something crazy one night, and then it gets crazier and crazier, and 
they never stop themselves and say "I don't need to go here". They don't 
set any boundaries for themselves.

What do the actual parents on this list have to say?