Was helping my 14 year old troubleshoot her phone when I discovered she has a secret TikTok with like 2000 followers that I knew nothing about. She's not doing anything crazy from what I can see, but the fact that she hid it really stings. We talk about being honest and open and then this. Any advice on how to handle the trust issue here without completely shutting down her independence?
Yeah we're dealing with similar stuff with our two. The social media thing is wild now compared to when we were kids. Maybe frame it as wanting to understand her interests rather than policing her?
Man, that's a tough spot. I'd probably sit down and ask her about it without coming in hot - maybe find out what she's posting and why she felt like she needed to keep it secret. Teenagers need some privacy but 2000 followers is worth understanding.
My older one tried the same thing last year. Turned into a good conversation about privacy versus secrecy and how they're different. Might be worth framing it that way with her.
Yeah this is the tricky part of parenting teenagers. The secret account thing is definitely something to address, but approach it as curiosity first before going full disciplinary. Find out what she's posting and why she felt like she needed a separate account.
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This is tough. I'd have a conversation with her about trust and why she felt like she needed to hide it rather than just deleting the account. Understanding the why is important.
How many followers does it have? Sometimes knowing what kind of content she's putting out there helps you understand what's going on.