[Mommy24]

I just had this very same conversation the other day with my aunt who has a daughter around the same age as my daughter, she is not allowing texting.I do allow it and monitor it daily. I have yet to find anything overly suggestive, although I have found some things that have caused great discussion in our house.

The one advantage, imo, to texting is the ability to know what goes on in the world of my teens. Can they delete things before I see them? Sure, but they also know that if I find out they have deleted anything then they lose the phone, for good. We have open communication here, I do not give out the shock factor to my kids, they have been told at a very early age that no conversation is off limits and that while I may not always like to hear what they are going to have to tell me I would rather know than not.

So, I think as long as it is monitored and as long as the kids know that we understand they have no ability to control what others may send and that if they receive those kinds of texts they need to be discussed amongst us as to why they are wrong or not acceptable to us, it is a good way to keep up with what they are talking about and doing.

That's my opinion and for now it seems to be working with my 2 teens.

Good luck, parenting sure can be hard but in the end you have to do what works for your family.