Texting Lingo for Parents

Texting: Learn the Lingo, Connect with Your Kids

In general, kids really want to communicate with their parents but on their terms. By aptly and diligently using cell phone options and text messaging, parents can connect with their kids in more meaningful ways. Text messaging is a great alternative because of several reasons:

• Parents get a quick answer to their questions.
• Kids are more apt to respond to text messages.
• You, or they, don't have to worry about tone of voice.
• Texting allows you to enter your child’s world.
• Text messaging allows parents to compose and edit a message before pressing send.
• Texting vs. calling gives kids more space but allows parents to keep in touch as often as necessary.
• Text messaging can also be used to strengthen parent-child bonds, and let kids know that their parents are thinking of them.

According to the standard definition, text messaging is: A brief, electronic message (less than 160 characters) sent and received via a wireless network and viewed on any number of mobile or handheld devices, such as a Blackberry, a cell phone, a PDA, a handy, or a pager. As more and more people send text messages to each other (especially in Europe and parts of Asia), they are increasingly using acronyms and smileys since the screens on mobile devices keep getting smaller and smaller.

So, for all you parents out there ready to enter the generation of texters, here are just a few lingo basics submitted by Valley Teenagers for TXT 101:

ata2ud: attitude
AYT: are you there?
baik: boy am I confused
br@: brat
m8s: buddies
btt: bored to tears
404: clueless/lost
Cofy: coffee
QSO: conversation
LIBBY: Life is Better Because of You
Ly2p: Love you to pieces
Loc8: locate
: smile
Footy: soccer
SOHF: Sense of Humor Failure
W3: Website

There are literally thousands of others out there! Familiarize yourselves with as many as you can and you’ll feel closer to your child and maybe even be considered a “cool parent” (yeah, like that matters).

So, here is my shot at the texting lingo:
“thx 4 readN dis RTcl. parNts r d bst! ck ot my W3”

Translation:
Thanks for reading this article. Parents are the best! Check out my website