Is it ever okay to Peek in your Child’s Diary?
The majority of children like to write and keep a journal or a diary of their life experiences and their thoughts, vacations, crushes, struggles, happy moments etc. This is very healthy for kids because this keeps their writing and comprehension skills intact and lets them visual the events they are writing about. Parents should respect their kid’s privacy when it comes to diaries and journals. The only reason parents might want to take a peak is if they notice a huge change in their son or daughter and are worried something else is going on that might be dangerous. Some kids start hanging with the wrong crowd or start suffering from depression and their thought patterns may become dark and scary for parents. This is when parents need to step in and take some action and try to get the help their child needs so they don’t lose them permanently.
The safety of your child
The most important thing for parents to remember is it’s their job to keep their child safe no matter how old they are. If your sweet young lady or young man suddenly is hanging out with a questionable crowd and coming home after their curfew, then it’s time to see what is going on. Most parents know their teens well enough so when they make a minor mistake, you know those mistakes are part of growing up but a huge radical change is a different story. One father saved his daughter’s life by peaking in her diary. He found out she had plans to shoot up her school.
Unfortunately, this is the world we live in as parents. If you commit to having a child, you also have to start teaching them discipline at a young age so they learn to be kind and have empathy, compassion, and love towards their fellow human beings. Psychopaths are created by abusive behavior from their caretakers. These days are not easy for kids because more and more children are being raised by relatives or bounce from home to home in the foster care system. Sociopaths are born with this behavior. Both don’t care about anyone but themselves and are dangerous human beings. The difference is sociopaths are extremely intelligent and psychopaths are not.
Outside influences
Parents have to be realistic in today’s world with the influence of social media and the friends your child meets online. People are not who they portray to be and can be anyone they want online and that’s how children become victims of dangerous circumstances. This doesn’t mean every child is going to turn out to be some kind of monster, but be prepared, watch your children, get to know their friends and their friend’s parents. Make sure you are all on the same page when it comes to your teens hanging out and socializing. If your child seems to be an ordinary kid, there is no need to snoop through their diary. However, if suddenly a bunch of red flags starts alarming you, by all means, take a peek and see what it is that they are doing.
The music your child listens to will tell you a lot as well. Listen to the lyrics and if there is any violence or constant violence in the lyrics, this is the first sign that your child might be thinking out of the box in a negative way. If they are in their rooms with the door closed constantly and seem to isolate themselves, this is another sign that they might need a sneak peek into their diary. If your child starts suddenly cutting themselves and mutilating their bodies, this is another red flag that may cause you to want to peak at what they are writing about. Home live has quite an effect on children, so if you are raising your kids in fear, their minds shut down and they feel ashamed and have low self-esteem. It’s your job as a parent to keep your children safe and away from negative people in your life as well. This also has an effect on their teenage years. Don’t think about how lonely you are, think about how precious your child is and what kind of life you want them to have.
When parents become really concerned, they might have to take that step and go to the authorities if they can’t control the situation with their child. This is a hard thing to do but you might be saving their life and more hardship than you can imagine on your family and your community.
When your child finds out you were looking in their diary, they are going to be hurt, but you need to tell them that you did this because you are worried about them and care about them. Tell them you didn’t mean to lose their trust, but you have a good reason to be concerned.
Keep a track on their behavior
Don’t be afraid to watch who they are talking to on social media, monitor their phones and texts and peak into their journals and diaries if you are having some doubts about their behavior. When a child becomes angry, they are going to lash out any way they can. Some hurt themselves, some hurt others, some hurt and kill animals or do something crazy and start practicing the dark arts out of morbid curiosity.
The majority of kids don’t normally have really big problems, they just make silly mistakes. These mistakes are easy to see and if they are breaking boundaries, simple consequences should handle the situation. All kids need love and if parents are involved whether they are single and co-parenting or married, kids are easy enough to reason with if you have a good relationship with them. Kids are always going to get to that point where they need a bit more privacy, and that is normal. Your not really betraying your kids by searching for clues if you feel something is seriously wrong, you are protecting them. Remember one thing, this is all part of being a good, responsible parent.
