
Teen texting: Help your teen avoid the risks
Be aware of cyberbullying
Monitor your teen's messages
Enforce consequences
Content
Don't allow texting while driving
Stop texting from keeping your teen up
Be honest about sexting
Talk about cyberbullying
Provide guidance and set limits
Provide guidance and set limits
Texting can be tricky even for adults. Talk to your teen about how the emotions behind a text can easily be misunderstood. You might encourage your teen to actually talk to friends, rather than always texting.
Set expectations for your teen's texting behavior and keep an eye on how your teen is using his or her phone or other devices or platforms to communicate. Sit down with your teen and look through text messages occasionally — or let your teen know that you'll periodically check his or her phone for content.
If your teen isn't following your rules or you're concerned that texting is interfering with your teen's schoolwork or other responsibilities, take action. You might set restrictions on your teen's phone use or simply take away the phone. Preventing potentially serious consequences outweighs any anger your teen is likely to express.