14 year old "dating" 19 year old - UHGHGH!!!

daralex

Clinging onto my sanity
MidwestMom, you're so right. I think my guilt sets in and I feel bad because difficult child has no friends and the computer has become her link to the outside world. It started out that there were no issues and I was able to check her myspace, etc. She now has them locked with passwords, so that will be the battle today. I guess I let the rope out too far and she has very much hung herself. I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I could trust her. She has made unsafe choices and now needs to be watched like a hawk all over again. So I guess it's back to square one. At least I know she will start this therapeutic school in September, I just have to get through the summer with her somehow. Sometimes I just get tired of always having to be one step ahead of her.

Dara
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
If she called 19yo and 19yo did not call her back, that's good - maybe she got the hint. Keep an eye on those phone logs, if it continues call the sheriff in LC as well as your own.

The therapist you went to needs to go jump off a really high bridge. Sure, some parents cause problems (i.e., the difficult children' BM), but on a first appointment to jump on you?

NO ONE is too bad for help. Especially not an abused, confused 14-y/o.

Keep strong and do NOT let difficult child get on that site. If you can, I would suggest blocking MySpace, Facebook, etc. For a while at least. She is not mature enough to handle it.

HUGS! You're doing great.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
It's possible that 19yo didn't realise how young your daughter really is, and actually is now showing some common sense.

I remember when I was 13, two friends of mine (also both 13) were each going out with 21 yo blokes in our church youth group. And the way they carried on, in public, I have no doubts as to what was probably going on at other times. If not actually goingon right then, certainly building up to it. And from how those girls ended up in life later on, they didn't have a good start.

They came from good families, but parents who really allowed far too much leeway and the girls only valued themselves for when the blokes around fancied them. And although I'm a lot more broadminded than I was then, I STILL say, for a 13 yo girl to be 'canoodling' with her guy so thoroughly in public that they're both acting as if there is nobody else in the room and they're of legal age - it's way too much. It was really embarrassing to watch, and you just couldn't talk to any of them, they were totally tuned out and only tuned in to each other. Public groping, etc. NOT good. And the age gap - also not good.

Girls tat age are generally not mature enough for anything long-term. My friends broke up with their guys after a few months and I think the blokes moved on to other more pliable girls.
But as to girls of 14 in long-term relationships - easy child first met BF1 (I still need to change my sig) when she was 14 and he was 15. OK, much more appropriate age gap. But the relationship has lasted, they got married last Friday. it was also a long-distance relationship for the first few years. We supported that (for a whole lot of reasons). Even though back then, we didn't feel they would ever end up together. We were wrong. But happy to be wrong.

I think you did the right thing sending that message to the 19 yo. If nothing else, hopefully it has saved her from making a very silly mistake.

A possible ground rule, especially given this breach of trust - no "locking out" of parents from websites, until the child is legally an adult. WHat do others think?

Marg
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Given my personal experience with on-line meetings and difficult child's, I may be thinking a little overboard here.

1. Tell difficult child straight up what your feelings are and why.
2. Contact this 19 year old, remind her that your daughter is a minor at only 14 years of age and explain to her that if she tries to make any further contact with your daughter, whether in person or via computer or telephone, you will call the police, who will then bring in the FBI. Be firm and tell difficult child your plan. She needs to know you are not messing around and that her romantic relationship with an adult of 19 is illegal.
2. Pull plug on this website and take away camera. Tell difficult child that you are doing this. Do not HIDE it. Either give it away or throw it away. No need for cameras ever at all, period.
3. Tell difficult child that she needs to broaden her base of places to meet other kids her own age, whether it be through a PT job at a local farm, at camp, volunteer work, youth group, gymnastics, dance, pottery, painting classes, drama school, whatever. She needs an outlet/place to meet other kids, not just gay or lesbian kids on line. She needs human contact - of the platonic kind and not all gay/lesbian - it's a big world out there and she is only 14 after all. While I don't have a problem with her exploring her sexuality at 14/15, she should be doing so with other teens her own age and not all about physical contact.
4. Yes, prepare for battle, but do not engage in battle. Be very matter of fact - do not say anything or threaten anything that you are not willing to follow through on. It will be difficult to change things up since you've allowed what you've allowed thus far. But you are the parent and you've allowed things to get this far until she spotted trouble and now it has to be changed up a bit - tell difficult child that. It's allowed for a parent to change the rules once a parent spots trouble and this situation is trouble. Period. No need to explain yourself or motives too much.

Begin to make plans for yourself outside the house or inside the house without difficult child. When you make those plans, plan something appropriate for difficult child so that she is not unsupervised.

Do not allow yourself to be held captive by the idea that difficult child may hurt herself in some way. If she does, she does. There is no way for you to stop it. It is unrealistic for you to be policing her 24/7 and it won't work anyway. I know because I tried and it didn't work. My difficult child still tried to hurt herself, she still ran away, there were still battles. Remember that you are not her buddy. You are her parent and her teacher. You love her and it's your job to broaden her horizons at this age, guide her and love her, show her the ways of the world, but also allow her to explore on her own, with care and safety. You cannot protect her all the time - you have to trust on some level that you've taught her to protect herself. So, be firm about this, but also realize that she will likely get herself into some messes you can't get her out of. And it's nobody's fault. It's just a part of life and growing up, learning.

I will be praying for you for strength, courage and determination.
 

daralex

Clinging onto my sanity
LoL stepto2!!

JoG - so here's where we are -
  • I emailed the 19 yr old and she does not seem to have made any contact since that
  • I took away the camera and blocked that website
  • Informing difficult child this morning that I need her my space password or that will be blocked as well
  • Hunting for a job for her
  • Hunting for a psychiatric for her
  • Checking her online history daily
  • Checking her phone log daily
  • Checking my sanity daily!
Everything is in my purse (now luggage!) My internet passwords, the camera (I'm going to get rid of it), her Lexapro, my cigarettes (bad habit, I know, but keeps me semi-sane) and anything esle she should not be near.

I also have to tell her today that she I am not renting a hotel room for her birthday as requested (IS SHE NUTS?!!!)

I will have to wake her up soon so I guess we will see what today brings. Ugh!

Dara
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think there are age appropriate websites that are monitored for teens. I saw something about this on Dr Phil and this man who works in or with the FBI or some agency about predators said it was the only place or software his kids would be allowed to use. I am sure the link is still on that site. It was like a social world for teens and kids that was safe.

I know years ago there used to be a place called surf monkey but it was for young kids and parents had to sign the kids up and send in ID and approve friends and they got copies of all emails and there were moderated chats and things like that. They even had voice chats for kids too young to read...lol.
 
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