While helping a friend navigate the world of social media, I had just shared, “Remember, anything you post online can be seen by anyone who follows you,” when a notification popped up on my phone. My 13-year-old son, Lucas, had just updated his status.
“Lucas is feeling frisky.”
“I’ll call you back,” I said, my heart racing.
As I reread his status, I noticed a comment from his younger brother’s friend: “Wow.” Panic set in as I envisioned all the parents of his friends discovering my son’s rather revealing declaration. I began to craft a comment of my own that went something like, “You are soooo grounded, you…,” but then recalled an article I read about the worst things to do on social media if you want your kids to keep their accounts open to you. So, I decided to take a different route.
I devised a plan—a plan that would leave my son utterly mortified and thinking twice about what he posted in the future. With a mischievous smirk, I texted him, “How frisky are you?”
I could hardly contain my laughter.
Within moments, I received a frantic response: “WHAT?????????”
Oh, now I was fuming. How dare he act oblivious? I could picture his exaggerated shocked expression, the one where his mouth and eyes opened wide, giving him an almost cartoonish look. That was his “I’m lying” face. Every. Single. Time.
Feeling pretty smug, I shot back, “I saw your Facebook update.”
He quickly replied, “What are you TALKING about???????????????????????”
At that moment, I felt a tightness in my chest. What if he hadn’t posted it?
With a twinge of uncertainty, I texted, “Umm, your Facebook says you are… well, ummm, frisky.”
There was a painfully long pause before I got his response: “OMG. I would NEVER post that on my Facebook. My friend did it. I checked my Facebook on his phone and forgot to log out. OMG. I can’t believe you texted me that.”
I was left in shock. My unsuspecting son was strolling along with his friends, blissfully unaware, when he suddenly received a text from his mother asking, “How frisky are you?”
The rest of the day, I wondered how he would ever look me in the eye again without needing to dash to the bathroom. When I picked him up from the bus stop, I was relieved to see he made eye contact without looking like he was about to hurl.
He tossed his backpack into the car, came around, and upon seeing my sheepish expression, burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. I joined in, and for a few moments, we laughed so hard that it felt like we were both trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation.
As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t shake the thought: no 13-year-old boy should ever receive a text from his mother asking, “How frisky are you?”
This incident was a wake-up call for me, revealing that navigating the world of parenting teens would require my utmost attention and careful consideration—especially when it came to texting. For more insights into navigating parenthood, you might find this article about home insemination helpful.
In summary, this experience taught me that being a parent to teenagers is a learning curve filled with unexpected surprises and lessons. Always think twice before hitting send!