Juve's thread reminded me of something.. and I'd like to discuss it without taking her thread off topic.

So, as a parent, would you read your kid's personal diary behind their backs?

As a kid, have your parents ever done it to you?

What do you think about the whole matter?

Should teenagers have their own privacy in these matters or does a parent have a right to know what's been written in their diary?

This is why I never thought of having a diary. Seriously.

I think it's probably a good idea to CONCEDE your kids zones of privacy. But I don't think they can demand it as a RIGHT.

If Billy had a diary, I would probably not read it. But if I suspected with good reason that he was doing something dangerous -- like drugs -- I might.

I always tell him, the more you show you can be trusted, the more freedom you will find yourself with. I think that's the right policy.

People don't like the feeling of being spied on. I understand that. But if you're always hiding stuff, you need to be spied on.

In a lot of ways, it's uncomfortable being a kid, especially when you are morphing slowly into an adult.

I have two diaries but no one has read them...they are too cleverly stashed. Now mom used to read my school notes and my sister's. She told me years later that mine were too boring (translate....innocent) while my sister's were chalk full of goodies.

I never had a diary with a lock and key.

I had files. rofl

I used to write alot.. real stuff and imaginary LOL, like stories, poetry etc and I knew that my mum never touched them. Once her own father read hers when she was a kid and grounded her like forever.. and she wasn't going to do that to me. I had ALL the privacy I wanted. But on the other hand, I always talked to my mum about almost everything.

my older daughter has about six diaries under lock and key....
i think it's the thrill of having something 'hidden' from me. i have access to all her passwords and stuff on the computer. as to her diaries, she uses it one day, and then it's off on the bookshelf to gather dust.

i wouldnt want to do that to my kids as i dont want my parents to do that :)

however, my mother once read a signiture book i have, and that was the reason i got my baby bimmer :D:D

I think when I'm a parent I would give my kids their personal space, because I know how disturbing it could be when parents attempt to intrude privacy. Anyways, I once had a diary, but my brother was the one who got hold of it :bored: Yes, it was embbarrasing and I had to explain everything in it! Since then I burnt it and never considered writting a diary again!

My daughter has a diary and I have never read it nor want to. I respect her privacy and sometimes she has her email up and we share the same server..yahoo and I just log off of it I don't ready her msgs. I believe in karma so if I were to mess around like that I would have the same happen to me. Plus respecting privacy is a huge deal with me.

I never kept a diary so I wouldn't know, but yeah I guess if I did keep one then I wouldn't have wanted my parents to read it. Diary entries are usually very personal and if we wanted to share those thoughts then we would have simply talked about it instead of writing them down, on the other hand..as parents I'm sure it's tempting to read and know what kind of thoughts are in our children's minds for protective and reassuring reasons in knowing that everything going well for them. I don't know where I really stand in this matter..I wouldn't want someone to read my diary but as a parent I would probably want to know whats going on if my child had a diary. Ah the dilemma.

I don't keep diaries. My life is not that complex.

i dont have a dairy! maybe a book of my own poems thats all
and i even was laughing when dad read it

my dairy is my blog thats all

A parent should never read childs personal things. It's not theres and a teen should have the right to privacy. We need space and we sometimes need to let our feels out without having to say it. A diary is something that we can just spill everything into from things that don't matter to thing's that do. From whats going to happen in the future to anything about life. If a parents wants to know more about there child they should communicate and trust your child because just when thats lost its hard to get back.

I keep a journal and i use to write in it everyday but now i barely both my parents know and my dad loves the fact that i have one and he really keeps reminding me to write in it and so0o therefore they know they shouldnt touch it and my mom whenever she cleans my room she cleans it and doesnt touch my papers...even though its just normal papers she just puts them aside


i believe that parents should just not read journals thats the only way kids can actually let out wuts inside without getting in trouble and if i ever read my kids diaries i dont think i'd forgive myself

Also I think for those who's parents snoop around their rooms, there are always blog sites.
Password protected and all.

Now days for modren children they can put there diary in the internet ''Online Diaries" I find it more save but not comfortable though.
I use to write in my diary when I was about 8 years old, but then I stoped cuz one of my brothers cut off the lock and read what was in it. I got very ungry and I didn't write in it again. Now I do from time to time, in my note book, no one looks in it, cuz I keep my door room locked whenever I am not in it.

I've never had a diary... If my kids had a diary, I won't go looking for it unless I feel there's something up and going on.. I'd always try to get my children closer to me and be able to talk to me about anything, but if I really feel suspicious about something they're doing, I would read it and if there's something wrong, I'll try finding out the problem in another way. I would never let them know I've read their diaries.

I would like myself to be the diary of my kids.

Seriously it has nothing to do with being strict or OVER protecting, but in this world we live in there is no way to let kids run their own life without being fully monitored.

Also, I do agree with Jeff.

I never had a diary, I keep everything in mind....
if I was a parent, I wouldn't see diaries of my children..I'd rather them telling me what they have in mind as a friend.

This thread reminded moi of the time.. My mom Read miiine.. looooool..
I was reallyyyyyyyyyyy young.. And stupid to think they actually wouldn't read it If I had it hidden somewhere.. lol.. ( even the spot I chose was the most obvious place u can think of :p )

Seriously it was one of those "Kill me moments".. She was all like.. so whos so and so and im like..:o oh hell noooo.. lol.. But yeah.. I remember I got yelled at and im like.. WELL ITS A DIARY IT WASNT MEANT FOR U TO READ.. and after that incident I ripped the papers up.. and never wrote in one again ;)

What I find funny now is the fact that.. I share everything and everything with my mom.. stuff u would usually keep to urself.. I'd tell her.. But from that incident.. You wouldn't think thas how it would be with us.. but it is.. And no complaints over here.. I bring up that situation till this day and we laugh about it ! :dev:

& I think.. Kids should have their privacy unless a parent was suspecting something that could harm them.. you do wut u gottah do to protect your own.. They'll eventually get over it like my situation ;p

i dont really get the idea behind diaries ... i find it stupid .. and i know my kidz will never use them oO they will spend most of their dayz playing videogames and watching cartoons/anime with me :) Oo

i never had diaries just signature books and i didn't mind showin them to anybody :D

I burnt it and never considered writting a diary again!

Thats funny, I did that too.

Seriously it was one of those "Kill me moments".. She was all like.. so whos so and so and im like..:o oh hell noooo.. lol.. But yeah.. I remember I got yelled at and im like.. WELL ITS A DIARY IT WASNT MEANT FOR U TO READ.. and after that incident I ripped the papers up.. and never wrote in one again ;)

So let me get this straight... they read your personal diary, and YOU got shouted at? Shouldnt you be the one thats angry when that happens?

Yeah I know tell me about it..
I guess w.e I was writing about wasn't appropriate at the time.. LOOL :p

I think a parent should only attempt to intrude their chid's personal space when they are concerned about something, if not then just let it go and don't make it a habit! :bored:

i think a parent should read their kids diaries... BUT..

if a parent wants to read his or her kid's diaries, then he or she should do it in a smart way.. i mean, it would be completely stupid to show the kid that you actually read his or her diary!.. that would really annoy the kid.,..

I've never written any diaries down, cuz i always thought they were gay lol

i think a parent should read their kids diaries... BUT..

if a parent wants to read his or her kid's diaries, then he or she should do it in a smart way.. i mean, it would be completely stupid to show the kid that you actually read his or her diary!.. that would really annoy the kid.,..

I've never written any diaries down, cuz i always thought they were gay lol
Wow. I'd love to have YOU for a parent. lol

What a great example to set to your kids.

It's obviously plain to see that not giving your kids their privacy only means two things:

a) they will find ways to hide their things better
b) they won't ever trust you or anyone else with a secret or a questionable thought. They will just keep it up in their heads.

And this thread proves it. All those who were caught simply stopped writing. They didn't stop thinking! Or doing what is was they were doing!

a) they will find ways to hide their things better
b) they won't ever trust you or anyone else with a secret or a questionable thought. They will just keep it up in their heads.


Really valid points you've got up there!

Personally, if my mum forces me to tell her stuff and threatens me if I don't she'll do this and that, then I'd be stubborn and make-up something instead :p But thank God, I don't have that kind of relationship with my mum and I hope one day I'd be able o open up and be close to my kids the same way she is towards me :cute:

Kids should be treated like adults to be adults! therefore i think diaries are part of their privacy that parents shouldn't read or least ask about! I mean if a child want you to know whats on the diary s/he will tell you without having to write it and then for you as a parent to read! However its not harm to try to know or gain trust by letting your kid tell you eventually whats there hidden! And diaries can be a phase in my opinion! it won't last for good depending on what type or diary the kid has!

I dont have diary XD!

If I was a father, I'd read it. Haha!

if a parent wants to read his or her kid's diaries, then he or she should do it in a smart way.. i mean, it would be completely stupid to show the kid that you actually read his or her diary!.. that would really annoy the kid.,..
I think this has got to be the best point ever made in this thread. I mean come on, I don't think it should be any harder for the parent to hide something from their child. :rolleyes:

a) they will find ways to hide their things better
b) they won't ever trust you or anyone else with a secret or a questionable thought. They will just keep it up in their heads.
The naked truth.

I would like myself to be the diary of my kids.
I reckon this would be the best deal for any parent... in a perfect make-believe world.

I wouldn't mind it if they did. Actually I think they are gonna be more proud of me :p

...I strongly believe that every human deserves to have their own privacy……no matter what age they are in………unless what is written in the diary can cause them to be in danger………then yes there is a strong reason for someone to interfere……….otherwise …………no one has any rights really to read any thing that is written in such form or another……….its works the same with the mobile phone….

i don't think parents should read their kids diary unless they suspect something in them so they start their investigation from the diary to see what's going on and as Bint Arab says: the parents should be thier kids diaries though there are sometimes some topics are too sensitive to be discussed between a parent and a kid

and for me i never had a diary i just keep it in my mind :D

They can read mine when am gone=dead


=)