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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

about inappropriate phone use, or is dd?

40 replies

Bedward · 12/07/2013 09:47

dd is 13 and a couple of weeks ago, a friend's mum told me she'd seen a BBM chat on her dd's phone between the two girls and a boy my dd barely knows, which was v sexual in nature and lots of swearing - basically all from my dd (have seen messages, and the other two said nothing that bad, but dd was horrendous). I was cross/worried as:

a) we and the school have explained about not sending inappropriate messages/posting stuff online, because once it's out there, you can't get it back and it can haunt you/be posted elsewhere without your agreement etc

b) the sexual nature of the stuff gives a very misleading impression of her (she's entirely innocent in practice, although her knowledge is probably greater than I'd imagined Blush ) and potentially places her at risk as the boy (and his friends if he shows them the conversation), all of whom barely know dd, will imagine she is up for far more than she might wish to be

c) the messages and chats I've had since with dd seem to suggest she has only a very sketchy idea of 'normal' boy-girl interaction (she's at an all-girls school) - she said the messages were a 'joke', which they were, but I would NEVER make explicit sexual jokes/comments to a male I didn't fancy, just as 'banter' - let alone at 13. I have recently suspected she might have (mild) Aspergers - am concerned she just doesn't 'get' that her comments were inappropriate.

So -I banned dd from use of her phone for a month or until I felt I could trust her and also from computer except for homework (had been facebooking other boy and hogging computer to watch endless videos, so was killing two birds with one stone, Grin).

dd thinks - not surprisingly - that I am B totally U - desperate to have her phone back. Whilst I think she's understood point a and maybe b, I really don't feel comfortable she's 'got' c at all... So am sticking to my guns until the month is up.

But I now have a new quandary - whilst out yesterday I forgot to 'hide' her phone properly, so she found it and it is obvious from activity on her messages that she has messaged the boy again, whilst banned from using the phone, and then wiped the messages, I think almost certainly to arrange a meet up after the last day of school next week. I had said she could go out with her (female) friends after school on the last day, but after this last step, am thinking of insisting she comes straight home - I really do not feel I can trust her. Should add, I don't mind her meeting the boys as such - all the messages I've seen from them sound fine - but it is her behaviour I am worried about.

Help - what should I do? Don't want to come across as too harsh, as she will just rebel - don't wish boys to be exciting as 'forbidden fruit' and it is too easy for her to be in contact with them another way anyway. But I am really concerned about her behaviour.

OP posts:
Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:05

Cakebaker - thank you - really helpful. Trouble is, she is quite unconfident socially, so tends to avoid youth group type activities. I've pushed her into doing some, I think to her benefit - will look harder into others as agree that the solution is to demystify boys by making them normal, everyday and uninteresting, not by banning them.

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titchy · 12/07/2013 14:22

Is this useful? Teenage Girl's Guide

Cakebaker35 · 12/07/2013 14:24

Bedward I honestly don't think you need a book or a website for this, you can definitely tell her all this yourself as you've done really clearly on here. She might find it embarrassing of course but if you want to build a relationship with your daughter where she can talk openly with you then you need to be the one to start it, showing her its okay to talk about this stuff will give her more confidence about talking to future partners, friends etc and make it all less taboo and therefore hopefully less likely she'll feel the need to send messages like that again. It sounds horribly American but try to normalise sex and relationships. My Mum did this with me and my sister and although we both cringed to begin with it also meant as we got older and we both found it easier to go to her for help/support.
Also consider doing some sort of group or activity with her. I used to go swimming with my Mum just once a week and we'd have a cuppa afterwards which often gave me the chance to talk if I wanted to, or just chat about nothing.
You sound like a great Mum and I think you have all the tools you need. Good luck, you will get there.

Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:29

Thank you, Cakebaker. For some unaccountable reason, your posts keep making me want to cry. Blush

Am feeling like a crap mum now, so nice to hear I'm not quite as horrendous as I feel. Teens do manage to reduce one to that. I'm sure I was quite smug about 5 years ago... Blush

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Cakebaker35 · 12/07/2013 14:33

Ah I'm sorry! Not meant to make you upset, just think you sound lovely and that you are doing a great job! Don't worry, once I have my own teenager I bet I'll forget all my own advice and feel like I'm doing a terrible job, so I'll be back on here wanting to know all about how you got on Smile

Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:35

titchy - that book sounds really good, though according to reviews the 'sex' chapter has stuff like positions etc which is exactly the kind of knowledge I don't want to add to her repertoire... But might get it anyway as it sounds right up dd's street - am very encouraged by how many teens have posted reviews saying how great it is, esp the review with the best teen title ever, simply entitled 'omg'. Grin

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Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:37

Cakebaker - you sound much wiser than me so sure you'll be fab and have the calm, perfectly-behaved, lovely and appreciative Grin teenager that escapes me...

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Cakebaker35 · 12/07/2013 14:39

Hmm wise, not sure about that, but a championship biscuit eater yes, and they always seem to help solve a problem - in my head obviously Smile

Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:44

So, my action plan is;

  1. Lots of boys!! Well, sort of - youth groups, activities, friends whatever - until dd is moaning oh not MORE boys, mum!
  1. Talk about sex in a relaxed manner, so she feels she can tell me stuff. And until it's boring. Or maybe going to the middle of the shopping centre with her where I and her dad talk VERY LOUDLY about sex until she's bright pink and begging us to come away so that all the people will stop staring! Grin So she can see why is is not socially 'done'. Grin
  1. But - doesn't really fit with 1 and 2? - removing blackberry and giving her basic phone until she has got the hang of phone etiquette.

Does that sound about right??

OP posts:
Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:45

Cakebaker - :)

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valiumredhead · 12/07/2013 14:46

Phone would be gone indefinitely in this house as clearly misusing it OR doesn't understand how inappropriately she is behaving, either way imo she shouldn't have it. Review the situation at a later date.

Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:53

Thanks, valiumredhead.

Forgot point 4 - v important - as much as 1-3, I think:

  1. Build up dd's self-confidence, so she feels fab as she is without needing to be 'validated' by make attention, being 'cool', being someone she isn't - just being herself. How to do that? Whole other thread, I suspect, but if anyone has any quick tips, all welcome. :)

So how do numbers 1-4 sound? Am I on the right track here?

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Bedward · 12/07/2013 14:53

maLe attention not 'make' attention!

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garlicsmutty · 12/07/2013 15:15

Would it be worth looking at what boys admire about some of the girls, which have nothing whatsoever to do with pornification? I realise this is something of a 'battle of the sexes' developmental stage, so not the ideal time for it, but still there will be girls who are considered brilliant at drawing mangas / canoeing / knowing the lyrics / skateboarding / etc. Just to round out the picture, so to speak - as women, we are infinitely more than just a body - and, obv, to major on her outstanding qualities as well.

I'd be inclined to get a bit of feminist dialogue going, too, about pornified celebs (thinking of Rihanna, but she's probably old hat by now,) how sad it is that they can't find sufficient confidence in their genuine talents and allow management to bully them into self-objectification.

I love your embarrassing adult sex talk plan Grin

cory · 12/07/2013 17:03

Very good point by garlicsmutty.

It might be worth trying to get across to her that not only are women infinitely more than a body: boys are also infinitely more than sex crazed loons who will only value another human being for what she lets hang out. The vast majority of boys will want to be friends with girls, even with the girls they desire and take out and (at a later stage) go to bed with.

Pornification devalues boys as much as girls, speaking as the mother of one of either sex.

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