Is it ever okay to check your kids' texts?
A little background, my daughter is 18 and in college and I never once checked her texts. She was always truthful and responsible and it was never an issue, even during the divorce. I have also never tracked my kids; I don't judge those that do and whether it's okay is another argument. My son is 15 and struggling with mental health. He is seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and I'm doing everything that I can think of to get him help. He's been in PHP and we're changing schools to something less stressful. However he doesn't seem like the same kid: he's becoming shady, talking about drugs and dropping out of school, and even acting out. I know that he has some friends that he met from group therapy that are not in school and are on drugs. My concern is that they are feeding into his troubles. His mom thinks that it is a major violation in any way.
What are your thoughts Dads? I hate to invade his privacy but he is also talking about not wanting to live. I feel like I need to know if his friends are helping the situation or making it worse. And yes, I've tried talking to him about it but feel I'm not getting straight answers. I understand that snooping without his consent is not a good idea, but maybe having him show me or the phone goes bye bye?