Omfg!!!!!! My 12 year old son has had a few sleepovers lately and I’ve found out that the parents have let them walk ALONE late at night around the streets. To say I am LIVID is a total understatement!!! I am absolutely fuming!!!! Who the hell willingly lets their kids walk the streets at night?!? What the f*ck!!!!!!!! Pull your heads in parents ffs!!!!!!
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Perfect age to teach your child how to be assertive and what he is and isn't allowed to do. You can't always rely on friends and other parents to do the right thing, your child needs to be able to see when a situation is not ok and be able to say no and tell you about it. If he can't do that then no sleepovers. At this age they need to take some responsibility themselves.
He does know that it is wrong. He does know it is unsafe. He does know that I don’t allow it. But when in a group of kids, he doesn’t want to be the “wuss” and get laughed at for not going. My son finds it hard to make friends and has struggled with it since primary school, so when he gets invited on a sleepover, how can I say no!
"How can I say no?"
Quite easily if you know he's not mature enough to refrain from doing things that compromise his safety.
What was the story behind the roaming then?
Are you sure the parents allowed it? I used to do stuff like that when I was a teenager (not as young as 12 though) and my parents had no clue.
Before I had kids, nothing could have prepared me for how effing moronic and irresponsible so many parents are!
You kind of expect some kind of universal common sense amongst parents but let me tell you, there's not! I trust no one now and in the most respectful way, I simply assume everyone is an idiot.
But the best thing you can do is be very selective about who you let your kids stay with and you have to equip your kids with a sense of self preservation. I've always been real with my kids about the repercussions of bad choices, peer pressure and all that stuff.
I've also made it clear that I don't talk to them about all this stuff because I like the sound of my own voice or because I'm trying to be the fun police, it's because I have their very best interests at heart and I only want what's best for them.
This is also a really good age to let them know that even if they've fucked up majority, they can count on you to help them. Went for a late night walk and now you're scared? Call me, I'll come get you. Got drunk at a party and you're not okay? Call me, I'll come get you. Told me you were at a friend's doing home work but were actually getting stoned in a field? Were gonna talk about that tomorrow but call me and I'll come get you.
Have the other child sleepover at your house only, and if the other child doesn’t respect your house rules then that’s it for sleepovers.
How far? Where to? What for? What time? Have you spoken to the parents?
I think there's a difference between kids walking around 1 block only with rules on Halloween in a larger group or 3 doors up to another friend to see if they want to come over too than walking the streets with no actual aim at midnight.
I would still want parental permission or to supervise, but I guess I'm just wondering about context.
I completely agree with others though, my son is 12. If he did this, I'd be upset with him. If he isn't mature enough to say no, he isn't mature enough to go.
Before blaming parents how.sure are you the kids aren't just sneaking out.
Because the parents were drinking and let them go.