I pick Shorty up from school every day. You can't imagine the variety of subjects that come up during the 15 minute ride home. I wouldn't give up those 15 minutes for anything. On the 15 minute drive to school I just try not to annoy him by talking, or breathing or looking in his direction. He is not a morning person....

OK, that isn't really true either. Some mornings I go out of my way to annoy him. Cranking up the Don Williams CD and singing along - with great gusto and a fake twang - works like magic every time.

"My husband's plan is to say nothing and have us install parental controls on the computers preventing additional access. He figures that alone will send a message that we know what's going on."

JHB definitely put in the IT controls at yuor house, but yu just NEVER know what he may be surfing when at freinds homes without parental controls, computer or otherwise thats why talk is essential

dlf makes good points and one could also gently point out that BOYS are equally exploited in this business as he may well come (or have come) across that stuff too. and maybe from that angle, a boy can better understand its WRONG, no matter the gender.

really is a creepy world out there, on the net.

You know I actually read that children that discuss the sex thing with their mothers are less likely to engage in risky behaviour. I think as women we can stress the respect aspect of things and the ability to say NO and it means NO. I started with the baby in the uterus and worked backwards and outwards (does that make sense). Crew Chief--I liked the "unsee" aspect of things.
So we will continue to chat about it...I want to make SURE he understands that babies, real live babies can come from adolescent interactions...but not in a nazi sort of way...

Did I mention like every 2 minutes he had to have me stop cause he couldn't take it all in ....d

I grew up in Illinois so I say crayon like you do, cottonwood. I hear lots of people say 'crown'. I can't exactly remember how my friend from Indiana said it but nobody ever understood her. She'd have to physically get a crayon out and show it to us!

Three of hubbies college roommates were from Ohio. They teased him endlessly for how he pronounced words like eagle (igle) and tour (tur). I think it's no accident that all newscasters sound like they're from Ohio.

It's time for those Spring colds. Even my cats are sneezing! I like Tylenol Cold and Flu - but I just take one.

Yep, that was Shorty at 12. He accidentally left the room with the website still up and running. When I went into the room I, admittedly, overreacted because it was stuff I had never even seen (and I'm 41!). I hollered at him to come downstairs and he knew why right away. I said I couldn't really talk right that second and called his dad down. They were down there talking for over an hour. The finer points:

A. No, Mom doesn't hate you. She was just shocked by what you were looking at. She'll always love you and so will I.
B. It's perfectly normal to be curious.
C. Don't randomly search and surf for stuff like that because anything can show up. Once you see something, you can't 'unsee' it so that image is with you forever.
D. There are dangerous people out there luring kids in so stay away.
E. Some things are illegal to view or have on your computer. If you accidentally download something on Dad's computer that you aren't supposed to, Dad could go to jail, lose his job, be labeled (and registered) as a very bad person for the rest of his life, etc....

JHB, I would recommend that either you or his dad or even the both of you chat with him. The steps you mention taking will let him know he's been found out but it won't let him know what you're thinking. That leaves it wide open to his imagination to worry over shame, rejection, disappointment.... It's awkward and embarrassing but everyone will be relieved after the talk. And, like mykids says, it doesn't take much to outsmart and override the controls.

Also, yeah, we all peaked at National Geographic and Dad's hidden stash but those are stills and pretty tame by today's standards. That's nothing like the full on video clips with sounds and everything that kids can find on the internet.

CrewChief;130397 wrote: Every person I've ever met from Ohio had NO accent - perfect pronunciation, diction, everything. You guys should all be English teachers.

I lived in Ohio most of my life until i was about 10. 20+ years later, living here in so. cal the whole time, you can still pick up my Ohio accent. In college, after giving a report/speech, i would often be asked by the first person, "Where are you from?" I was, and still am, shocked that the accent is there. We'll make trips to Ohio every summer or so, and while staying there, my accent comes out big time.

OK, the word 'crayon'. I say "cra'n", and my wife (a native californian) says "cra-yon". My wife had no idea what i was talking about the first time she heard me say 'crayon'. I've noticed most of the midwesterners say cra'n, and it's been a subject of playful debate for my wife and i for years.

Anywho, i'm fighting back a nasty cold, so could someone mix me up a drink with a little NyQuil? LOL