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I would really try to respect my LOs privacy and not read it...but I would be tempted, honestly.

I wouldn't read it. I don't know if my parents ever read my diary, but I know my sisters did. It was awful! I felt so embarrassed after that, and it really damaged my relationship with them.

I honestly dont know. it depends on the situation and my relationship with my child at that time

I'd read it

My mom's opinion about diaries (and other person things) were that if you left them out in a public area (like the living room or kitchen), then that was your signal to her to read it! If you didn't want her to read it, you kept in somewhere private (like in your bedroom - can be out in the open in your bedroom though, doesn't have to be hidden).

So I'll probably take the same approach! If my kid lives their diary lying around, I'll read it. If they don't, I won't!

I'd be really tempted, but I'd only read it if I suspected that something bad was going on and/or if my child was acting out a lot or in a lot of trouble.

This is a topic that seriously makes my blood boil... I STILL have grievances against my mother for how she treated me as a teen.

She gave me no privacy whatsoever, if you asked her, she'd say that it was because I never told her anything. But the reason I didn't tell her anything was because she invaded my privacy and made herself out to be someone I couldn't trust. She couldn't wait for me to come with her, she always had to go snooping about to try to find answers.

Or if I did tell her stuff, she'd make light of it, like it was a joke. "Mom, I've been struggling with depression lately and it's really hard." And she responded, "Well, then don't." And walked away.
Seriously?! And you're going to get mad at ME for not opening up to you?!

She read my diary ALLL the time, even when I was 18, 19 - up until I got married. I was SO SO SO mad, hurt, angry, betrayed. Ugh yeah it still gets me mad to this day.

So that being said I will NEVER read my daughter's diary because I know how that feels. The only exception would be if I feared for her life. But I would never want her to feel betrayed or that she couldn't trust me.

No, I wouldn't betray their trust unless like you said there was something going on.

My brothers did!!! I was soooo mad!

I would be tempted for sure. But if I had a good relationship with my child, I hope I won't feel the need to.

@redsmarties: did she at least try to talk with you before?
My mom never did...

@redsmarties: yeah same here..
This one specific time I remember my mom reading it while I was at school (I was in college at the time, living at home). I was having a REALLY busy first semester (freshman) and was stressed trying to adjust to college work while juggling my volunteer work at church, friends etc. She never even bothered to ASK me why I was stressed/upset all the time. And beyond that there was NOTHING wrong. But she assumed there was and while I was at school she went into my room to find it, intentionally. I was so mad when I got home and found out. She was even more mad about what was in there though.
But there really was nothing wrong an she just assumed there was and that made me so mad.

I might if it was laying out in the open. But I would never let them know. If there was something in it that concerned me, I'd bring up the subject, but would never say "I read this in your diary."

I have a feeling this is what my parents did. I do know they read notes friends and I had written back and forth in class, because when I graduated from college they gave me a big stack they had collected over the years from pants pockets (laundry) and waste baskets. They were embarrassing but we had a good laugh reading them. They just thought it would be funny to re-read them one day

In high school, my mom read my diary every morning when I was in the shower. My sister told me after a few months. No wonder why she always asked if I was "sure" I didn't have a crush on my best guy friend.

I think it's really terrible. She never apologized, and said she was the mom and was "worried" so she could. I didn't have anything going on at that age - perfect student, perfect grades, never in trouble, not depressed, had friends, etc. She was just curious. I stopped journaling after that and haven't really kept a diary since, though I've been thinking about restarting.

Journaling is really therapeutic and I think that if you take it away as a safe confidential option, you are doing a disservice to your kid. The only time I would do it is if I suspected drugs/physical harm. And if I didn't see that, I wouldn't keep reading.

I won't need to read theirs, we'll be Facebook friends so I'll just stalk them! Now kids are still stupid, but they post YouTube & fb posts every stupid thing we would have written about but denied doing. 'You weren't drinking and smoking pot at jimmy's house? Really? You were at Sally's? 'cause your friends checked you in and posted pics!' but their actual diary, I won't read it.

Not unless I thought they were doing something really bad and not telling me. I was such a good kid and my mom had no reason to read my diary, but she did, and then discussed it with me. I think that definitely did some damage to our relationship. She could have tried to ask me questions about my feelings instead.

My mom totally read mine, even though I was a really good kid, and there was nothing in it except that I distinctly remembered calling a teacher of mine a bitch. And my mom was SO MAD at me for using "such language". She had no reason to go looking, and I was livid she did. She said she had every right to and didn't need a reason, but I didn't trust her much after that. She also had a habit of telling my dad stuff after I explicitly told her not to. Even to this day, I know she can't keep things a secret, so I'm guarded about what I tell her. Like the first time I was pregnant--I explicitly said for her not to tell anyone. And she told a bunch of friends. And then i m/c at 12 weeks. She's lost so many trust privileges, and the diary was the beginning!

Never, unless their life was in danger.