Taken from metaquotes

[conuly]

I'm not agreeing with a lot of the commentors here. Yes, every half an hour is often. But! This kid is thirteen. It's not like she's four, five years older and still being treated like a little kid.

When I was thirteen, I could, if I checked with my mom, go into Manhattan, visit the bookstore by myself. (Or go elsewhere, I suppose, though I never wanted to). I had to call before I left the house, call or drop by when I got into Manhattan, call when I got where I was going - and check in every 45 minutes or so. On a payphone.

I didn't always, since this involved having enough quarters and being able to realize how much time had passed, but I was expected to make some sort of good-faith effort to follow these simple, simple rules.

Because I didn't want my mother to think I'd been kidnapped and killed, that's why. It's just not that big a deal.

Comments

[curtainlady.livejournal.com]

I don't know, having your Mom call you every half hour is just embarassing and silly. There's such a thing as being over protective. Ever since I was roughly eleven I've been allowed to wander around as much as I like, and I've never suffered from it. I'm not saying that letting your kids do whatever they like is a good thing, but you can take this whole 'concerned parent' thing way too far.

[thetwistedsista.livejournal.com]

I'm 15, live in an alright neighbourhood and not really allowed to go to the local park on my own ((only up the road)), let alone go into town. Because of worry.
Basically-what is the chance that someone would abduct me? Not that high-so what's the fuss all about? Only because a few kids are unfortunately abducted and sometimes killed doesn't mean that children have to be nannied.
Then again, there are some strange things about. People dress their kids a bit like sluts sometimes ((or the kids themselves)) yet we worry about them being abducted? I say ditch the slutty gear! Plus there are more perverts around nowadays-there's always a big big fuss about them.

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

My parents, thankfully, never did that to me (and you know, I'm not all that much older than the girl in the article). Considering kids in Germany go to school on their own from the age of 6, they figure that since I'm sensible, far older than 6, and live in a nice town, nothing much will happen to me. I think that phoning every half hour's just patronising- it's like you don't trust their judgment at all.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Half hour is too frequently, I think. Call when I get where I was at, when I was leaving, etc. but not regular check ins. But then I was going to Hunter HS when I was 12 so maybe that had something to do with it.

[conuly]

I could've gone to Hunter at that age, if I'd gotten in.... *shrugs*

Jenn could go to dance classes by herself, etc. It was all the same - check in often enough that nobody has to go searching for you.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

especially in the age of cellphones, calling every half hour is just too much. If I have a start and end time, I'm ok.

My parents were very strict but I usually had quite a few hours before I had to check in.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Fucking hell! 4 deaths in 3 years! BANTEHINTERWEB!

I looked up the town mentioned. It has a population of 7644. Reported crime in the area for 2003:

Murder and non-negligent man-slaughter: 0
Forcible rape: 0
Robbery: 1
Aggravated assault: 2
Violent crime events per 100,000 people: 39

Burglary: 14
Larceny-theft: 42
Motor vehicle theft: 8
Arson: 0
Property crime events per 100,000 people: 833

I was online unsupervised at 13. I even had a craptacular little Geocities page. I haven't been stalked/assaulted/raped/seduced/anythinged. Of course, I knew not to give personal details out (I was wary even using my first name.) In fact in over 6 years of internetness the only creepy encounter I've ever had was someone contacting me randomly over AOL when I was 15 or 16. I responded as cautiously as always in that situation, gave my location no more specific than "the East Midlands" and the second he said "what a coincidence, I'm going to be in the area this weekend, want to meet up?" I reported him to AOL and blocked him.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Actually the internet was source of more trouble for me than real people -- I had someone who worked for a certain ISP, large international one, get my addy and then show up on my doorstep. I was -- it wasn't good, and there was nothing I could do, he left the country after attacking me.

And worse, my name got dragged thru the mud, for trying to 'destroy' him. It's awful.

And I was in my 20s when it happened!

My daughter is supervised online, and there is a lot of bullying going on there, a kid who already bugs her a bit really intensified it online but I opened my mouth to her and told the bully that 'by the way, I read all the logs'.

She started swearing she got hacked. Idiot.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Wow, your experienced sucked. Glad he left the country :0/ But at the same time, a bank employee or a government employee or a medical employee or *anyone* could do that to you. Scary thought really, but it doesn't mean I'll stop my hypothetical kids being registered with my GP or having their own bank accounts.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Well he was from outside the country in the first place -- still, I am more wary of the internet with my kids than them hanging out with their friends, too many vultures from not just that one experience but from experiences of friends -- of course, I've been online since the 80s so I guess it just seems like a lot, to me.

[phibby.livejournal.com]

Like others are saying, every half hour is way too much, especially if she's somewhere relatively safe and with friends/friends' parents. Having the daughter call when she gets to and leaves her destination is fine, really. And considering they're most likely in the suburbs (might even be a gated neighborhood) and the daughter's old enough to know better than to take candy from strangers, it's ridiculous.

Not saying that the mother shouldn't take any interest at all, but instead of just being an overprotective embarrassment, she needs to work something reasonable out with her daughter that they can both appreciate. If it keeps up, I wouldn't be surprised if the daughter feels so sheltered that she rebels in some of the worst possible ways.

Not to mention the Internet bit. I know Elyse and I were using the Internet as early as 10, maybe a year or two earlier, and we're fine. Hell, we're probably more knowledgeable of the Internet "dos and don'ts" than the kids who were only let on at 14 (and even then with parents breathing down their necks) because we were on that early. It's all just a matter of how the kid can handle him/herself, not necessarily an age factor. Sure, being older will help some, but I think experience will help even more.

[l33tminion]

There's knowing where your kid is, and then there's putting the kid on a leash. (If the child is the one doing the calling, it's a totally different situation. That shows some measure of trust and is much less embarrassing and overprotective. Also, it's a bit different when a child is on their own downtown. If they have a specific destination in mind, calling in when they reach that destination and again when they leave should be more than sufficient.)

As far as the internet goes, people don't get kidnapped, raped, or killed over the web. That sort of thing happens when people meet sketchy strangers and then go off alone with them. Honestly, I think a little education will have much more benefit than any sort of policing and censorship.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

I think I'll have my kids use text messaging, its easier and less obtrusive.

Hell, I do it with my husband if I have to get a message to him. His job is dangerous so I just leave messages, he hears a beep and knows its not important, to check what it is when he has time, PLUS it's free for him to get them, and then, on his own time, he returns the message.

The mom and daughter could do something similar. Would be less embarassing, and less intrusive.

[leora.livejournal.com]

The mother is saying she calls every half hour whenever the kid is out. That's insane, if it's true. Calling frequently while your kid is out wandering around, sure maybe. But what if the kid just went to a friend's house - she's supervised by her friend's parents and fairly safe. What if the poor kid wants to go see a movie? When I was 13, I often went out with friends to go see a movie and get pizza. A call every half hour would have made this impossible.

[curtainlady.livejournal.com]

I don't know, having your Mom call you every half hour is just embarassing and silly. There's such a thing as being over protective. Ever since I was roughly eleven I've been allowed to wander around as much as I like, and I've never suffered from it. I'm not saying that letting your kids do whatever they like is a good thing, but you can take this whole 'concerned parent' thing way too far.

[thetwistedsista.livejournal.com]

I'm 15, live in an alright neighbourhood and not really allowed to go to the local park on my own ((only up the road)), let alone go into town. Because of worry.
Basically-what is the chance that someone would abduct me? Not that high-so what's the fuss all about? Only because a few kids are unfortunately abducted and sometimes killed doesn't mean that children have to be nannied.
Then again, there are some strange things about. People dress their kids a bit like sluts sometimes ((or the kids themselves)) yet we worry about them being abducted? I say ditch the slutty gear! Plus there are more perverts around nowadays-there's always a big big fuss about them.

[dandelion.livejournal.com]

My parents, thankfully, never did that to me (and you know, I'm not all that much older than the girl in the article). Considering kids in Germany go to school on their own from the age of 6, they figure that since I'm sensible, far older than 6, and live in a nice town, nothing much will happen to me. I think that phoning every half hour's just patronising- it's like you don't trust their judgment at all.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Half hour is too frequently, I think. Call when I get where I was at, when I was leaving, etc. but not regular check ins. But then I was going to Hunter HS when I was 12 so maybe that had something to do with it.

[conuly]

I could've gone to Hunter at that age, if I'd gotten in.... *shrugs*

Jenn could go to dance classes by herself, etc. It was all the same - check in often enough that nobody has to go searching for you.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

especially in the age of cellphones, calling every half hour is just too much. If I have a start and end time, I'm ok.

My parents were very strict but I usually had quite a few hours before I had to check in.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Fucking hell! 4 deaths in 3 years! BANTEHINTERWEB!

I looked up the town mentioned. It has a population of 7644. Reported crime in the area for 2003:

Murder and non-negligent man-slaughter: 0
Forcible rape: 0
Robbery: 1
Aggravated assault: 2
Violent crime events per 100,000 people: 39

Burglary: 14
Larceny-theft: 42
Motor vehicle theft: 8
Arson: 0
Property crime events per 100,000 people: 833

I was online unsupervised at 13. I even had a craptacular little Geocities page. I haven't been stalked/assaulted/raped/seduced/anythinged. Of course, I knew not to give personal details out (I was wary even using my first name.) In fact in over 6 years of internetness the only creepy encounter I've ever had was someone contacting me randomly over AOL when I was 15 or 16. I responded as cautiously as always in that situation, gave my location no more specific than "the East Midlands" and the second he said "what a coincidence, I'm going to be in the area this weekend, want to meet up?" I reported him to AOL and blocked him.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Actually the internet was source of more trouble for me than real people -- I had someone who worked for a certain ISP, large international one, get my addy and then show up on my doorstep. I was -- it wasn't good, and there was nothing I could do, he left the country after attacking me.

And worse, my name got dragged thru the mud, for trying to 'destroy' him. It's awful.

And I was in my 20s when it happened!

My daughter is supervised online, and there is a lot of bullying going on there, a kid who already bugs her a bit really intensified it online but I opened my mouth to her and told the bully that 'by the way, I read all the logs'.

She started swearing she got hacked. Idiot.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Wow, your experienced sucked. Glad he left the country :0/ But at the same time, a bank employee or a government employee or a medical employee or *anyone* could do that to you. Scary thought really, but it doesn't mean I'll stop my hypothetical kids being registered with my GP or having their own bank accounts.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Well he was from outside the country in the first place -- still, I am more wary of the internet with my kids than them hanging out with their friends, too many vultures from not just that one experience but from experiences of friends -- of course, I've been online since the 80s so I guess it just seems like a lot, to me.

[phibby.livejournal.com]

Like others are saying, every half hour is way too much, especially if she's somewhere relatively safe and with friends/friends' parents. Having the daughter call when she gets to and leaves her destination is fine, really. And considering they're most likely in the suburbs (might even be a gated neighborhood) and the daughter's old enough to know better than to take candy from strangers, it's ridiculous.

Not saying that the mother shouldn't take any interest at all, but instead of just being an overprotective embarrassment, she needs to work something reasonable out with her daughter that they can both appreciate. If it keeps up, I wouldn't be surprised if the daughter feels so sheltered that she rebels in some of the worst possible ways.

Not to mention the Internet bit. I know Elyse and I were using the Internet as early as 10, maybe a year or two earlier, and we're fine. Hell, we're probably more knowledgeable of the Internet "dos and don'ts" than the kids who were only let on at 14 (and even then with parents breathing down their necks) because we were on that early. It's all just a matter of how the kid can handle him/herself, not necessarily an age factor. Sure, being older will help some, but I think experience will help even more.

[l33tminion]

There's knowing where your kid is, and then there's putting the kid on a leash. (If the child is the one doing the calling, it's a totally different situation. That shows some measure of trust and is much less embarrassing and overprotective. Also, it's a bit different when a child is on their own downtown. If they have a specific destination in mind, calling in when they reach that destination and again when they leave should be more than sufficient.)

As far as the internet goes, people don't get kidnapped, raped, or killed over the web. That sort of thing happens when people meet sketchy strangers and then go off alone with them. Honestly, I think a little education will have much more benefit than any sort of policing and censorship.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

I think I'll have my kids use text messaging, its easier and less obtrusive.

Hell, I do it with my husband if I have to get a message to him. His job is dangerous so I just leave messages, he hears a beep and knows its not important, to check what it is when he has time, PLUS it's free for him to get them, and then, on his own time, he returns the message.

The mom and daughter could do something similar. Would be less embarassing, and less intrusive.

[leora.livejournal.com]

The mother is saying she calls every half hour whenever the kid is out. That's insane, if it's true. Calling frequently while your kid is out wandering around, sure maybe. But what if the kid just went to a friend's house - she's supervised by her friend's parents and fairly safe. What if the poor kid wants to go see a movie? When I was 13, I often went out with friends to go see a movie and get pizza. A call every half hour would have made this impossible.