Do you have your parents/kids as Facebook friends?

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Ankle Breaker's avatar

Ankle Breaker

Senior Member

398 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:41 AM
Just signed up on Facebook and have been encouraged by my two offspring to NOT be their friends on there. We are a very close family but I, too, feel like I would rather give them their space. Just wondering if this is the norm on Facebook?

Primarily signed on as a way to get back in contact with some old college friends from a few decades ago.lol
Jan 15, 2010 8:41am
derek bomar's avatar

derek bomar

Senior Member

3,722 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:43 AM
you dont wanna be friends with your kids on fbook...just way too much bad would come from it
Jan 15, 2010 8:43am
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:47 AM
^^^Agreed
Jan 15, 2010 8:47am
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:48 AM
I am friends with my mom and my grandma and various aunts and uncles. Of course, I'm almost 27 so it isn't a big deal.
Jan 15, 2010 8:48am
W

WebFire

Go Bucks!

14,779 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:48 AM
I concur with the above. HOWEVER, take a look at their FB every once in awhile. How old are they?
Jan 15, 2010 8:48am
B

baseballstud24

Senior Member

547 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:56 AM
I'm friends with my Dad on there, but I'm also a teacher so I keep my stuff PG...just in case any student or administrator breaks my security and reads my stuff.
Jan 15, 2010 8:56am
D

Dr Jones

Member

52 posts
Jan 15, 2010 8:56 AM
Heck ya I am friends with my kids on facebook, Its my job as a parent to look over them and teach them NO matter how old they are .....
If my kids did not want me to see what they are posting on facebook then they would not have facebook. JMHO
Jan 15, 2010 8:56am
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:00 AM
My daughter isn't allowed to have facebook yet. Neither of my parents have it.

I do have several aunts and cousins who are facebook friends, but my facebook is pretty boring anyway so I don't have to worry about being pg.
Jan 15, 2010 9:00am
Ankle Breaker's avatar

Ankle Breaker

Senior Member

398 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:02 AM
I see your point Dr. Jones but my kids are now 28 and 23. They are responsible and independent. In my situation, I don't feel a need to watch over them so far as Facebook is concerned. Perhaps it depends on how old your kids are?
Jan 15, 2010 9:02am
zambrown's avatar

zambrown

Senior Member

1,093 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:03 AM
Dr Jones wrote: Heck ya I am friends with my kids on facebook, Its my job as a parent to look over them and teach them NO matter how old they are .....
If my kids did not want me to see what they are posting on facebook then they would not have facebook. JMHO
I have to agree with this. I am not intrusive and I mind my own business and let him mind his, but I do peek in now and then just to make sure. My kid is very responsible and a very "law and order" kind of kid, but the agreement when we allowed him to get one was that I would be able to access it. Too many bad people on the internet and teenagers are entirely too trusting for their own good.
Jan 15, 2010 9:03am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:04 AM
justincredible wrote: I am friends with my mom and my grandma and various aunts and uncles.
Me too, but not on facebook.
Jan 15, 2010 9:04am
just_a_swimmer's avatar

just_a_swimmer

Senior Member

674 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:25 AM
If my kid was in high school or younger then yes I would insist on being able to access the account. After they graduate then they need our trust. I am not facebook friends with my son. He is 21 and lives in Maryland part of the year working and attends college in Ohio part of the year. I have to believe he is smart enough not to put bad things on his facebook page and also when your kids get to be in their twenties I feel some things are better off me not knowing. I remember being that age and I wouldn't have wanted my mom or dad invading my space. As long as he gets the grades and goes to work and doesn't act like a stoner he has my trust. I guess that is the way I look at it.
Jan 15, 2010 9:25am
CenterBHSFan's avatar

CenterBHSFan

333 - I'm only half evil

6,115 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:25 AM
No. I see them everyday. I don't want to turn on my computer and see them again.
Jan 15, 2010 9:25am
power i's avatar

power i

Senior Member

1,296 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:25 AM
My kids have stongly encouraged me to stay away from the Facebook. My oldest (23) is friends with the younger ones and keeps an eye on things. If things get out of hand, she'll let me know.
Jan 15, 2010 9:25am
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:26 AM
Friends w/ my dad and my girlfriend's dad, but, like Justin said, I'm long gone from college and there aren't any pics or stupid stuff on there so NBD.
Jan 15, 2010 9:26am
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:32 AM
I haven't yet found a reason yet for my kids to have a Facebook page.

I d not have one.
Jan 15, 2010 9:32am
Mountlax's avatar

Mountlax

Member

79 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:34 AM
I've added mom and dad, I just make sure they can't see pictures.
Jan 15, 2010 9:34am
krambman's avatar

krambman

Senior Member

3,606 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:35 AM
I am friends with my parents and my grandparents on Facebook. I'm also a good kid who has nothing on my FB that I'd be embarrassed for my parents to see. Honestly, if your kids have anything they'd be embarrassed for you to see on their FB then maybe they should clean up your FB. They need to understand that while FB is secure, it's also very public.

Now, I will be honest, when FB was expanded to allow anyone, not just students, to join, I didn't tell my parents, but they eventually found out and I had no issues adding them.

Also, I think it depends on how old your kids are. If they are in high school then I'd definitely make them add me. If they're under 18 and living in your house you should be able to monitor their FB. If their in college or just out, I suppose that's a decision you can make with them. If they're over 25 and don't want you to be friends with them then they need to grow up and start acting like an adult and not care.

That's just my take.
Jan 15, 2010 9:35am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:38 AM
I have my parents as my friend. I thought about not adding them, but I have to keep a close eye on what they're doing. They get out of hand some times.
Jan 15, 2010 9:38am
R

raiderbuck

Senior Member

1,623 posts
Jan 15, 2010 9:44 AM
My parents aren't on facebook (thank God)...my dad can't/won't join because of security issues with his job, and my mom isn't the most computer literate.

However, I am friends with various uncles, older cousins, and my friends' parents. I try to keep it clean on my page. If my mom joined, I'd befriend her...but I'd probably delete a lot of stuff first.
Jan 15, 2010 9:44am
J

jmog

Senior Member

6,567 posts
Jan 15, 2010 10:06 AM
When my kids are old enough for FB (or whatever is out at that time) you better believe my wife and I will be "friends" with them.

My oldest is 8, and he does play some of the FB games on my and my wife's accounts (like cafe world or w/e) so even my wife and I's FB accounts are really "PG" because we let our kids on ours as well.
Jan 15, 2010 10:06am
F

fan_from_texas

Senior Member

2,693 posts
Jan 15, 2010 10:09 AM
I'm friends with my mom, who has a FB account. Of course, I'm also 26 and married, so it's unlikely that there'd be anything too offensive on my page.
Jan 15, 2010 10:09am
Tiger2003's avatar

Tiger2003

Kill or be Killed

15,421 posts
Jan 15, 2010 10:11 AM
Im friends with my Mom and Dad....Not a big deal to me...
Jan 15, 2010 10:11am
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Jan 15, 2010 10:13 AM
fan_from_texas wrote: I'm friends with my mom, who has a FB account. Of course, I'm also 26 and married, so it's unlikely that there'd be anything too offensive on my page.
Naw, if they've accepted your being a lawyer... ;)
Jan 15, 2010 10:13am
sej's avatar

sej

Senior Member

540 posts
Jan 15, 2010 11:15 AM
I'm friends with both my parents on FB. I'm also friends with most of my cousins, aunts, my siblingsand my grandma. I was the one to request my parents because its useful for me to be able to keep up with the little stuff. I get pictures of my fam much quicker that way. I also keep an eye on the younger cousins/family whose parents aren't on FB.
Jan 15, 2010 11:15am