My 12-Year-Old Shocked Me
August 5, 2013
My 12-Year-Old Shocked Me

As a mom of a 12-year-old boy, I knew this day would come, but I had no idea the resolution would be so positive and powerful and such a compliment to you, Dr. Laura.

A little back story. My son is a good, smart, healthy, respectful young boy. But he's a boy. At 10, my husband found he had looked up "hot boobs." on the computer. We immediately sat him down and said this is not appropriate and put on parental controls and hoped the situation was resolved.

I have listened to you for years with my children in the car on the way home from school. I knew they heard, but wasn't always sure they listened.

My son had a play date with a 10-year-old boy at our home. Upon him going home, the other child's mom went through her boy's i-touch looking at his history and found "terribly raunchy sites." When asked he said that my son had shown him how to get to the sites. She immediately called me and I did the same. I was ready to come unglued, but his phone had no history of naughty sites. I calmed down and asked my son, "What do you and Camden do when he plays here?" He said they play games and he had downloaded some games for the younger boy. So I probed deeper, and he listed games sites that for his 30 minutes a day, he is allowed to play. He then said, "Are you asking me if I look for porn?" Shocked he even knew the word, I said, "Yes." He responded, "Mom I got in huge trouble with you and Dad two years ago when I did. And I remember the radio lady talked with a guy who lost his wife, his house and his job because he was looking at porn. I don't want to be like that guy. I want a good girlfriend and a good marriage. You can't do that looking at porn."

As I picked my jaw up off the floor, beaming with pride, he asked to have a conversation with the other little boy and both moms to discuss the situation. During the mom/son meeting, it was nothing short of amazing as I listened to my son explain how porn was not good for your brain; it could ruin your relationships, how lying would just complicate your life, and the story he remembered from your program. I was so proud of him and grateful for your consistent message of doing what's right and how to make better choices.

The radio may be on in the background, but what goes in those little ears matters. You don't always know if your kids are listening, but why not try to have morals going in all the time. I know that my son is listening and it is making a real difference.

Thank you for helping me raise a great kid.

Ashley

Posted by Staff at 11:38 AM