Letting him grow up

I found out yesterday that J-man has a MySpace account. He set it up while over at Dad's... and didn't tell me.

I'm sick to my stomach.

He's 13. He only has 4 friends on it and they all go to school with him. Yet it terrifies me that he has an account that is so open to so many people. So many possible freaks.

I laid down some ground rules...

1. I have to have his password. I told him that wasn't so I could be nosey. It was so I could check in every once in a while to see what was up and that he wasn't "talking" to anyone suspicious.
2. He had to keep his account PRIVATE. He had to invite only people he knows and accept invitations from people he knows in the REAL world.
3. He couldn't put anything out there that gives any hint of where he was. To his credit he had already done that... he put he was born in 1958 (hee) and hadn't filled out any of his profile except his name (which is only his first name...) and the age.

That was it. Seemed pretty reasonable to me - and he agreed to it all. His account is set up with my dad's email address. Dad has agreed to randomly check the messages that come in to make sure J-man isn't doing anything silly.

I know I need to let go a bit. I know I need to let him have some space to make his own decisions and mistakes. I know that there are freaks out there and it is a slim chance that they would make my son their target, but I can't help but worry!

I remember who I was at 13... but I didn't have texting, the internet, IM, email, MySpace, etc. at my disposal. How do you control all of that with a teenager!? How do you keep them safe and yet give them the space they need to come into their own? How do you let them out of your sight and not cry at the thought that they could get hurt? Or become a druggie? Or get in a gang? Or get hurt by other, bigger kids? Or have their hearts broken because they are a cute, quirky, silly, little dude that wants nothing more than to have a girlfriend?

I don't want to be over protective. I don't want to push him away. I don't want him to feel like he has to sneak around and do this kind of stuff. BUT I don't want to let things slide either. What is the middle of the road here?

How do I let him grow up?

What a find!

Do you love Sesame Street? Or, I mean, DID you love Sesame Street?

Check out this page.

Sesame Street videos! OMG! I am in heaven.

I mean, I would be if I still liked Sesame Street.

• C is for Cookie (Cookie Monster)
• Doing the Pigeon (Bert)
• The aliens and the phone (Classic and still hilarious)

If you have small kids this is a great place for them. If you are an adult and want to remember your childhood... well, this is a great place for you, too.

You can thank me later.

Enjoy!