Re: When parenting goes wrong....
Yes, that mother was shocked over what her son did. But there were pretty loud clues. I think I remember that she worked and spent little time with him. His computer was a wealth of hate and destruction sites and blog rants. He was unpopular andd picked on incessantly. He always wore black. He listened to extreme goth and rap hate music. And built up quite an armory of weaponry in his home.
Dont you think the mother should have picked up on any of this?
Those 2 kids opened eyes in the US. Parents who decided that 2 incomes were more important than spending quality time have reconsidered. Schools have developed "zero tolerance" policies about bullying. There are many more supports available now to kids with low self-esteem and schools are more inclined to get parents involved when they see a child with low self esteem.
I'm all for giving kids a bit of independence when they earn the trust. But vigilance is very key. You have to know your kids, what they're doing, who they're hanging out with, what music they listen to, what websites they visit and what they publish on the internet. I'm not saying a parent should never allow one bit of privacy but keeping an eye on them is essential.