Facebook Faux Pas

Annika borrowed my computer today to go on Facebook - and started exchanging comments with a friend from her class. Turns out this friend is moving, and leaving the school. So she started messaging him - "Are you glad to go?" to which he responded (surprisingly) yes. "So you won't miss us" she replied, "So you are glad to leave the class", she pushed, and then again, "So you won't miss X, Y and Z?" she pushed again...

When I came into the room, she proudly showed me the exchange - having fun with a guy on Facebook. I reacted pretty strongly - gossip-mongering, gathering the negatives, talking about others behind their backs - would she want the whole class to see the exchange? She was extremely defensive, though she did delete her last comment and shut down. I reminded her that comments live forever in the electronic world. She disappeared into her room and stayed there for an hour, doing nothing but thinking. Then after some games, dinner, etc, she came back to admit that I was right (shocker) and was a bit worried about whether the exchange might be viewed by others (doubtful, thankfully).

I need to remember this about my daughter. She has a good head on her shoulders - it just takes her a while to find it at times... and some things just take a lot of processing time. I need to say my piece and then back off - she will find her way in the end, and a very good way it will be.