Text messaging has given rise to a new lexicon. Your kids are masters of it. How about you? Your kids probably text you occasionally.

Does this look familiar? “w’r @ d mal. wen RU picken us ^?” (We are at the mall. When are you picking us up?) Deciphering their strange lingo can be difficult. Of course, that’s the point.

This truncated language is a product of the medium. Text messages allow relatively few characters. This slang packs in information. But that’s not really why your kids use it.

For some, it’s a way to privatize communications. Parents struggle with it. For others, it’s just cool. It’s like a secret handshake. Either way, children are flexing their independence.

You don’t have to stay in the dark. Understanding the lingo is important. It can help you stay in touch. You can be sure they’re being safe. It could be fun, too.

Here are common terms you’ll see:

LOL – Laughing out loud
ROFL – Rolling on the floor laughing
IMHO – In my humble opinion
B – Back
BG – Big grin
VBG – Very big grin
FWIW – For what it’s worth
OMG – Oh my God
RU – Are you
U or Y – You
UR – Your or you are
TIA – Thanks in advance
WOT – What