Knowing Your Child's Texting Lingo May Save Their Life

To my readers: I have opened up my blog to guest bloggers. There were so many knowledgeable people who wanted to be on the radio show that I never got the chance to have on. So I am giving them a forum for their ideas.


Knowing Your Child's Lingo May Save Their Life
by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

Parents, your children's safety may depend upon you knowing their text and instant messaging lingo. Numerous web sites including TrueCare.net, and Netsmartz.org are now helping parents learn how to understand what their kids are saying to each other in an effort to prevent and stop bullying. For example, did you know that CD9 means parents are around or that MIRL means meet me in real life? If you think you have had the talk with your child and they understand the rules about texting and instant messaging, don't be sure that this is all you need to know to be safe. I participated in 17 stories for HLN and CNN last year. Thirteen of those stories had to do with children being hospitalized or killed due to bullying, suicide, or kidnappings from people they talked to on the Internet or texting.
Here are a few terms that will help you get started with understanding your children's texts or instant messaging:

Starbucks...*$
Thanks...10x
One to one...121
I love you...143
I hate you...182
To...2
Too cool...2c
Too cool for you...2c4u
Today...2 day
Too hot to handle...2H2H
Too late...2L8
Too much to handle...2M2H
Too much information...2 MI
Tomorrow...2morrow or 2mrw
Tonight...2nite
To you too...2U2
Mom...303
Threesome...3sum
For...4
Information...411
Marijuana...420
Forever...4ever
Forgive me...4GM
For real...4rl
For you...4U
For you too...4U2
Forward...4ward
Oral Sex...8
Over, out of, get rid of...86
Parent in room...CD9
Parent has left...99
Anyplace, anywhere, anytime...A3
Always and forever...AAF
As a matter of fact...AAMOF
Address...addy
As far as I'm concerned...AFAIAC
At home...AH
AOL Instant Messenger...AIM
Actually laughing out loud...ALOL
Available on cell...AOC
Angel on your pillow...AOYP
Age, sex, location...ASL
Age, Sex, Location, Picture...ASLP
At what time...AWT
As you know...AYK
Are you stupid or something...AYSOS
Drug of choice...DOC

There has become a sexualization of youth in our society.
Sex is power, and kids want power. They want to fit in and feel good, and there are people who do not have your children's best interest at heart. These people are available at all times via the internet and texting. Parents must be aware and talk with their kids. Make your home a safe place your child can come home to. You can create a safe place by following these guidelines offered by Netsmartz.org.
1. Keep the computer in a common area.
2. Create safe user names and profiles.
3. Don't let your children meet face to face with strangers they met online (you have to be checking to know.)
4. Teach children what to do if they get an offensive or threatening IM, E-Mail, or chartroom post (they should begin by showing you.) For cyberbullying, go to wiredsafety.org or email www.cybertipline.com. You can also call them at 1-800-843-5678.
5. Look into filtering or monitoring software for your computer.
6. Let children show you what they can do online and visit their favorite sites.
Parents, it takes your involvement to keep your child safe.

Remember that girls cyberbully more than boys and that bullying is no longer the bullying you grew up with. It is constant torture; and it happens at a time your child'ssense of self is not fully developed. This is part of the reason it can have disastrous effects on children. Any child under the age of 14 should not be on a social network. If your tween is on Facebook, MySpace, or any of the other social networks, I would ask you to reconsider setting firmer boundaries at home. Blaming the schools, churches, or wherever else your child encountered a harmful person will not help if your child is hurt, nor will it heal your pain if your child takes their life.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com. Twitter Mary Jo: @maryjorapini
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Start Talking features succinct yet lively answers, sample conversations, and real life stories to help open the door to better mother/daughter communication. Rapini and Sherman have compiled more than 113 questions girls (and their moms) routinely ask – or should be asking – about health, sex, body image, and dating.