Quick question. Started noticing he's deleting his search history regularly and closing tabs super fast when I walk by. He's at that age where I expect some privacy seeking but I'm trying to figure out if this is normal pre-teen behavior or if something's off. Haven't confronted him about it yet because I don't want to seem paranoid. Thoughts?
We had the browser history chat with our 12yo and framed it as "you're old enough to have privacy but also we care about your safety." Made it about mutual respect instead of suspicion. Might be worth trying that angle.
Before you assume the worst—is he generally acting normal otherwise? Happy kid, eating, sleeping okay, no behavior changes at school? If everything else is fine he's probably just becoming aware of privacy.
I wouldn't confront him yet. Maybe just have a "I'm not snooping but I'm here if you need anything" conversation without mentioning the history specifically. Opens the door without being accusatory.
This could also just be him becoming aware that privacy exists and wanting to establish boundaries, which is actually healthy development. Doesn't necessarily mean anything sketchy.
Could be totally normal privacy seeking. Could also be worth a casual conversation—not an interrogation, just like "hey I noticed you clear your history, that's cool, just want to make sure you're safe online."
Honestly at 12 this is pretty normal behavior, especially if he's already thinking about his independence. The key is whether he's acting different in other ways or if it's just the browser thing.
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The fast tab closing is the part that would worry me slightly more than the history clearing. Like if he's panicked about you seeing something that's different than just wanting privacy. Any other signs of stress or secretiveness?