Single dad horrified after accidentally reading teenage daughter’s texts
Should one read their child’s messages?
Teenage is a tricky phase of life where children find their identities, undergo body changes and hormone surges, develop a sense of independence, and more.
Some teenagers might engage in illegal (for their age) activities. Therefore, parents might have to observe their teenagers to guide them correctly.
This topic was highlighted in a recent Reddit post about a single dad who was horrified after accidentally reading his teenage daughter’s messages. He learned that she and her friends were planning to engage in activities children of their age aren’t advised to do legally.
The online post went viral with over 10K upvotes and 3K comments and was published in Newsweek.
Should a parent go through their child’s messages?
The author starts the post by saying he is a single dad with three children, and the eldest is a 16 years old girl. He and his daughter usually get along well. Recently, she bought a ticket to a music concert from the money she earned, which he didn’t have any issues with.
Having said that, the author says their Apple iCloud malfunctioned and, as a result, their texts showed up in each other’s inboxes. Although usually, he doesn’t go through his children’s messages, the thread said ‘we should be able to sneak it in if we hide it well’, so he read it. He was horrified.
The author found out that his daughter and her friends were planning to sneak in things they shouldn’t be trying because it’s illegal for their age. Also, she was planning on wearing something he didn’t think was appropriate.
Guiding a teenager
The author decided not to let his daughter go to the music concert. She thinks it’s wrong that he took away something she spent on, but he clarified that the problem isn’t with her going but what she was planning to do there.
Then, she asked whether he could reimburse her. Since the author isn’t that well off, he said he can’t’.
Now the author is wondering whether he is a bad parent because he can’t pay her back.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below.
