So proud of my 18yo DS...

[clary]

He was out in town on Friday night with schoolmates - last day of term for them. They were out late afternoon and by 1am, still not home. I messaged him to ask where he was and he messaged back, sorry, we were helping a lass who was a bit drunk.

Anyway he duly came home safe and sound - today I discovered the full story: he and a couple of mates came across a uni student very very drunk and on her own, saying she was planning to go to some club. DS2 and his pals talked her out of this, found out where she lived, walked her home and got her flatmates to come and take her in. DS2 took a number for one of the flatmates and texted him the next day to see how the student was - she was fine.

I am just really impressed with DS - he and his mates are not long turned 18, literally just left school, this was one of their first times in town - and they had the nous to realise that the young women was vulnerable and the compassion and care to get her home safe and even check up on her later.

Not even sure why I am posting this except to say, lots of teenage lads get a bad press but at least there are some who know when to do the right thing.

You should be proud, how nice you know how he behaves when with friends, you've raised a good un

A lovely young man walked me home one night after some “friends” abandoned a very very drunk me in a bar in town. I was so drunk I fell over and he had to scrape me off the pavement and pour me through my front door and get me onto the sofa. I was extremely grateful to him.

Well done your son and his friends.

What a lovely and thoughtful young man. Really gives me hope - agree with pp, teenagers do get a bad rap. Tell him well done from MN!

Well done that lad! If I was his mum is be proud for to burst - enjoy the feeling. 😊

What a great lad you must be so proud of him!

I think teenagers sometimes get a bad reputation but this is the second heartwarming story I have heard about today. My son came and told me he had read a post on our local FB community page where a lady had found her cat deceased in her neighbours garden, and was obviously hysterical. Two young girls saw how distressed she was, came back to her house twenty minutes later with a big chocolate bar and a sympathy card for her! What a lovely gestures from the young girls, the lady was so in awe of their kindness. I have hope for our children's futures hearing lovely things like this!

Look to the helpers. There are so many of them but we don’t see them only the badness is reported.

That’s how it’s always been.

Well done those lads x

Well done your DS, and to you for raising him.

DD1 (18) has just started a waitressing job 10 minutes away from halls of residence. Her flat mates have said if she has a late shift one of them will always meet her and walk her home safely. There are some great kids out there-and OP as a Mum of a uni student your son did a lovely things.

You should be proud, you did a good job raising a decent man. Your son and his friends sound like fantastic lads.

Lovely story OP. Well done your lovely DS and his friends. You’re so right, we are fed a narrative of teen boys and men being opportunistic and exploitative and it is important to remember that so many do want to do the right thing.

One of my absolute favourite stories of campus life as a student back in the early 90s is of a female student, walking back to her halls of residence fairly late at night, quite pissed, fumbling in her bag for her keys, set rape alarm off by mistake. I was in my room and remember it so well. Seconds after the alarm was triggered there were s doors banging open, windows pushed wide, footsteps running, lots of other students (male and female but mostly male) swarming out of halls and down stairs and out into the night shouting “you okay? Where are you? Do you need help?”

Poor girl was mortified to have set her alarm off by mistake but the reaction of everyone else on campus was so lovely.

Thanks again all for your lovely comments, and also thanks for the other stories of similar positive behaviour. It's good to know that we are actually raising a generation of pleasant, helpful, supportive young people :)

Congratulations OP, and OP"s son. You must be very proud.

This thread has reminded me to have a chat with my teenage DS about positive things he can do to help keep others safe. Recently as a mother of a boy I've felt the need to talk to him about things not to do, as a male, eg not walk behind women at night etc, it's nice to remind them that there are more than just two choices, to be a predator/scary or not. There is a third choice - they can go out of their way to be helpful when necessary, a more positive perspective for boys and young men.

And providing the support that women and girls occasionally need.