would ya?

[scruffscat]

if you found your 13 years olds diary would you read it?

[aka estie]

Yes, definitely!

Actually, you just reminded me of a really cool thing my 8th grade teacher did with us: we wrote our future selves lettters in class, and put them in envelopes, and she said she would mail them to us in 5 years... So mine arrived during my first year of University. It was soo great to read it and feel like I was a kid again. What a wonderful feeling.

[miss_me]

no of course not!! everyone needs a few secrets. Its probably just full of who they fancy this week!!

[aka estie]

OOOOOH I totally misread the Q! Oops.

And, to finally answer your Q, no I would never read my child's diary, unless I was worried about them for a specific reason.

[lilposhgirl]

I had a diary a few years back and its diapered....... but hey. I guess if you were to read it you've got to expect the worse and NEVER bring up what you read so that the child still trusts you, but i think i'd read it......

[Rubyrose]

Noooooooooooooo way! My mum read mine when I was 13-14 and I haven't forgiven her since. I still don't trust her. No matter what a parent thinks their child is doing there is NO excuse for reading someone elses diary. NO excuse. Just coz someone writes their thoughts down instead of keeping them locked in their head it doesn't mean they are there for the world and his wife to see!

[scruffscat]

ohmigod ..!! i am such a bad mother

[b13thy]

i would, but i would say that i hadn't. i would read anyones diary given half a chance. i am very nosey :)

[Rubyrose]

And a little tip... if a child keeps a diary.. then they aren't doing anything worth reading, thats for sure. I stopped writing a diary when I got a best mate I could get into trouble with and meet boys with.

[pinksmartie]

no i definately don't adivse this (i don't know if you have but i'm presuming you have). Im a teenager and i would hate my mom or dad to read my diary. i'd rather that they asked me about things than go through my diary. (plus there's usually really embarassing stuff in it lol) ;-)

[pinksmartie]

scruffscat why are you a bad mother? if you have just don't let them know you have lol. :)

[scruffscat]

there really wasnt an excuse for it, i have 2 fab teenage kids.the oldest ,a boy, doesnt keep a diary, he is 15, but i suppose it was just too much temptation....i didnt find out anything bad tho bless her!

[pinksmartie]

lol. Scruffscat that doesn't make you a bad mother. Just inquisitive ;)

[Rubyrose]

Scruffscat - I don't mean to be rude but if there was no reason you needed to read it then why did you? Why couldn't you have reisted the temptation? Thats a truly disrespectful thing to do!

[scruffscat]

not disrespectful, i love my kids to bits,but sometimes you just need to be sure theyre ok,especially your little girls.

[mousey9t]

my daughters bedroom is such a mess cant find her bed let alone a diary! lol!

[raysparx]

No,it is private,that is a betrayal of trust,private thoughts should remain private.

[scruffscat]

just curious,all the people that have said they wouldnt read the diary, have you got teenage girls?...

[miss_me]

i havent got teenage girls....but i was one myself once!! from that point of view i would have been REALLY upset if my parents read mine.

I do understand the sense that if you suspected your child was upset/very secretive and down about something then it could help to figure out what was wrong if you were genuinely concerned. But even then i would never let on i'd read it, i'd just have a better understanding of how to deal with the situation

[Rubyrose]

No I don't have any children but I used to be one and I remember how I felt when my mum read my diary. Tell you what.. as you don't think what you did was THAT awful... ask your daughter? I'm sure she would see it differently. I could never justify reading someone elses diary. Especially someone I cared about and was meant to trust and who was meant to trust me in return. Even if I thought they were causing trouble.

[B00]

I'd like to say that I wouldn't but like scruffscat I'm afraid i wouldn't be able to help myself.

Luckily for my daughter she's a sneaky blighter and I havn't come across one yet :-(