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AIBU?

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To not want my child to go to a friend's house when I haven't met the parents.

234 replies

orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements · 11/07/2024 18:27

My son is 11 and is about to finish Y6 and start Y7 in September. The past month or so he seems to have grown up in lots of ways in a short space of time. He's come home saying he has a gf, a new girl at school, and spends a lot of time on the phone with her (he's only had a phone since he started cycling to school independently a year ago and never bothered with it. We had to remind him to charge it). Today he said he was going to cycle down to the nearby park to meet said gf and some other friends we know. He's never gone out independently to meet friends before, he's quite shy and timid but I was really happy he wanted to do this and let him go. About 20 minutes later he comes back home with this new gf in tow.
I said it was lovely to meet her but did her mum definitely know she was here and was it OK with her? I said I can't have children in my house with the parents not knowing, she said her mum does know as she texted her. I said sorry but I will need to check can I have your mums number, she willingly gave it to me and they went upstairs and I texted the mum. I don't know her name, whereabouts she lives or anything about her. I said "Hiya, it's XX, DS's mum. Just checking you are aware YY is at our house and that is OK with you? It's fine with us if it is with you, lovely to meet her" 20 mins later she texted back "yeh that's fine but back by 6 plz".
Is it just me that thinks it's a bit odd to let your kid go to other peoples houses without checking with the parents first and not knowing a damn thing about said parents? I could be a raging drug addict, passed out on my sofa with a needle in my arm with a couple of rabid dogs running around for all this woman knows.
I don't know if DS is expecting to go round to GF's house on the whim of an invite but I am not at all comfortable with it until I've met her parents.
Am I too uptight and is this just a normal part of growing up? It gives me the heebie jeebies.

OP posts:
Oblomov24 · 11/07/2024 18:36

This seems ott. He's year 6. Just a text from parents to say they are fine with it is enough.

Maria1979 · 11/07/2024 18:34

Some parents are quite comfortable sending their kids to other people's houses. I'm a helicopter parent just like you so I do want to meet the parents.. But, that being said my son is the same age as yours so y7 will start, he will make new friends and they will meet up for school projects etc so I do realise I won't be able to insist on meeting the parents (don't want to be THAT mum). So I will just have to let go of my vivid imagination of druggie mum and abusive dad who will molest my child and try to be reasonable, most parents are ok and our children will be just fine...😊

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 11/07/2024 18:34

He's basically secondary school

I think the only parent of a friend my mum knew was the one who was a teacher at the school!

She didn't even know exactly where some of them lived. I'd just go around after school

Believeinmarmite · 11/07/2024 18:33

Honestly, while I see where you coming from I think you are going to find high school very hard! The reality is they make lots of new friends and you won't meet the parents, you have to trust your child. A code word for dodgy situations is a good idea

crumblingschools · 11/07/2024 18:32

It’s only a few weeks to go. And you probably won’t be contacting parents then. This is a learning curve for you as well as DS.

orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements · 11/07/2024 18:32

crumblingschools · 11/07/2024 18:31

This is how it is going to be once they are in Secondary school. They will get a new cohort of friends you won’t know

well, that's terrifying 😄

OP posts:
crumblingschools · 11/07/2024 18:31

This is how it is going to be once they are in Secondary school. They will get a new cohort of friends you won’t know

orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements · 11/07/2024 18:30

PuttingDownRoots · 11/07/2024 18:30

Secondary school is completely different. I haven't met the majority of Dds friends parents. The only reason I've met others is because I'm their Scout leader!

He's not quite in secondary school yet though

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 11/07/2024 18:30

Secondary school is completely different. I haven't met the majority of Dds friends parents. The only reason I've met others is because I'm their Scout leader!