Was I crossing the line doing this?

YOU are absolutely RIGHT!!! I still can't believe this wife of yours thinks that the internet is made of good people. No the sad story is that people are all born into sin and have evil tendencies. The internet was made with the intentions that people are 100% good. Look at how Craigslist people are getting hurt, murdered, raped, etc. YOU ARE VERY WISE and thank GOD for someone like you to test this with your daughter!! No way would I allow my kids to go on some chat line I dont care if its mr rogers neighborhood website...Pedophiles go on there and POSE just like you did and bingo a kid is gone! I mean it will only be time before your child grows up and uses the chat rooms, but keep them away from chats and also other accesses to the computer as long as possible. My child just emailed a fireworks catalog company for a catalog and he gave them all our information to mail it to us. I am going to buy software that tracks everything down and sends me copies of all activities. It's like dropping kids off at a park and leaving them open to abusers to come and get them. Please have your wife read this ok? Thanks!

I agree that chat sites are dangerous. And although maybe you went about it the wrong way you did make a valid point. wen I was in high school we actualy did an entire project on the dangers of chat sites. If my husband did this with my son I would agree that maybe it was a little over the top and I would have wanted to know as and share the experience. I would look up the horrific things that have happens because of chat sites. Look up episodes of to catch a preditor they do chat site things similar to that and these men will dive five six hours to meet a 14 year old girl. Then show all of this to your wife. And if she still insists that she is fine on the website then insist that if she is going to be on there she needs to see and learn about ALL that happens on these and what lesson you were trying to teach. (p.s you and you wife can't do that in front of her because she will always feel well if mon wont let me dad will and vise versa. By having this open disagreement you are just teaching her how to cheat your system and that she can lie and sneak. You must stand as a single unit! So talk about all decisions in private meet in the middle and then tell your daughter. Trust me on this I got away with so much because my parents were so busy arguing about what was right for me that I managed to do whatever I wanted.

I almost want to admire the effort you put into making your point. I think that you're right, though. Girls around your daughter's age don't exactly know what information can and can't be used to identify and find them, even if they can think for yourself.

So although you did prove your point and you're maybe even right, there's no way on this earth (short of someone abducting your daughter using a chat room to find her) that your wife is going to admit it. She's "known" she was right ever since she took her position on it, and very few things will convince her. I'd simply drop the whole conversation with your wife and let her win. However, the most important thing to do at this time is to teach your daughter. Explain to her that there are adults out there with much worse intents than you that could do the exact same thing as you did. Tell her what to look out for and the kind of information she shouldn't share in the chat rooms.

I admire your efforts to prove a very good point and teach the lesson. However, the real problem is between you and your spouse. If you aren't on the same page, you will create a situation like this again, and your girl will catch on and use it. Your wife is right to a point, this wasn't about your girl, it was about proving your wife wrong. I suggest more communication immediately. I would have also told her to get off the site because I said so, and we will discuss it when Mom gets home!

you weren't crossing the line, you wanted to make your point and you think that it is not afe. it obviously isn't safe for your daughter to be on that website is she is giving personal details away to people whom she does not know.

But all of her friends probably have this chat site and she would feel really left out if she is the only one without it. Maybe if you sit down with your daughter and wife and explain that not everyone is nice. Tell her she is not to give her address, number etc and must not meet with people. Her profile picture shouldn't be of herself and she doesn't have to have her real name on it, just a nickname?

Im a 23/F. and i say way to go dad!!!!!!! i give you serious points! Your wife needs to listen and respected your decisions and thats why you are a "couple" bc you make decision "together" and i agree with everything you said as well. the internet is very dangerous for a 10 yr old and i think you proved yourself very well. if she cant she that that women is blind. her number 1 priority should be the saftey of her child. interesting story. Hope everything works out okay and good luck!

-Lauren

Your wife needs to wake up and smell the coffee. It really is that easy. She should want to protect her daughter.

My computer is in the family room so if my kids, ages 13 and 14, are on it my wife and I can monitor what they are doing.

We trust them but we dont trust the psychos out there.

I'm 20, and well I have to agree with your wife on this one, being that this is the age of technology, I don't see anything wrong with her being on the internet, i've had plenty of friends online, infact, my husband has had a female he has been friends with for about six years online, and i became friends with her too, and we met over the weekend for hte first time in person, she was amazing, everything i thought she would be, you're not giving your daughter enough credit, younger people know how to present themselves online, they know what to say and what not to say contrary to popular belief, i've had friends online since i was about thirteen, I DO however think she should be monitored, but not in an over protective way, she is a preteen, and everyone is online these days, my best friend met a girl when she was ten online, and they are still close to this day, talk online everyday, and still haven't met in real life. I think you're over reacting, are there pervs online? yes. But your daughter should be fine, i was. Me and my husband met online, btw. just putting that out there, we chatted for about a week before we met, and my parents were present during the intial meeting and he was told by my father he had to meet him before he took me on a date.

You did kinda crossed the line there. You could have told your wife about the experiment before it started. Your wife was wrong on too, she should have told your kid about the Dos and Don'ts in online chatting, to not say personal stuff like your address, etc. Though you did prove your point.

You are 100% right! Your wife shouldn't be angry, she should thank you. Predators are that slick.