To not want 13 year old to spend evening hanging out at O2 Finchley?

[waterfallrainbow]

Still learning to parent a teenager! His friends wanted to spend someone's birthday hanging out at the O2 centre. I'm a country girl - the idea of hanging out at a shopping centre all evening is totally alien to me! We're in Islington, where there's a serious knife crime issue. I realise O2 is a different scene, but I can't help thinking unsupervised teenagers in a mall for 2 hours could go horribly wrong?

All evening doesn't sound so bad. How late is the plan / open? Though it's not unknown for teens to be moved on.

Are they going to eat or see a film or something? Wander round Sainsburys?

It's not Finchley, it's Finchley Road. Honestly, it's perfectly safe - I've never seen so much as a raised voice in there.

Maybe they just want to read in Waterstones

Gosh, maybe they'll get into a rumble at Gymboree! Or mess up the cushions at Habitat.

Aside from it being a pretty uninspiring way to spend a birthday, I'm sure they'll be fine. Presumably they're just going to go to Nandos or something.

Maybe they'll spend all evening sitting T the little pop up lawn they've put in the patio tables have lovely flowers on them. Very quaint.

Seriously, let them go. There's not much they can get up to there anyway - see a film, have dinner, buy picnic homewards from Sainsbury's? There aren't that many shops really.

Would help if I could type at all homewares, obviously

By the way, my 12 year old regularly spends hours unsupervised at Brent Cross which, as we all know, is a haven for crime and wrong-doing.

What on earth are they going to do there? It's a Sainsburys Cinema, Habitat, Olivia Bonus, Interior Design company and some restaurants!

Could you go out to eat there or sit in the car park there, yourself, if you are really worried?

....in disguise of course!

There's a Nando's. It's incredibly civilised.

Mess up the cushions at habitat lol

Ooer I'm a country gal in Islington lol.
It will be fine. No different to hanging with mates on a Saturday afternoon to go shopping. Just sounds they want to go in the evening to avoid all the teen girls doing the exact same thing.

Disclaimer - I am not saying every teen girl goes shopping with their mates

It is the most boring mall in the world so unless they are going to the cinema, there is nothing to do. But it is hugely safe with security on the doors.

For what it's worth, I spent most of my youth (in an american suburb) hanging out in the local mall. That is what teenagers do!

Disclaimer - I am not saying every teen girl goes shopping with their mates

Relieved to see you added this disclaimer. How do you know none of his friends are girls though? Girls and boys can be friends with one another.

Actually when I was 13 I wasn't allowed to go for evenings out. Days yes, but had to be back by dinner unless I was at a friend's house. Still, I doubt anything would happen.

It's small and pretty self contained with few entrances and exits so little scope for anyone getting lost. Unless they are going to the cinema or having something to eat there is not a lot to do.

From what I have seen in the past , they hang out, play on their phones and play rowdy tag type games with other kids around the building. Security on the door is a good point, but I think there's a very real probability of them being moved on.

My DS idea of the best day ever would be to hang around a shopping centre with his buddies. Get a Starbucks with their name on it. Have a cheeky Nando's. Snapchat every second of it.

Security will sort out the 'tag' problem if it arises but at 13 they probably want to look grown up so might have moved on from that??

Let him go

I'd prefer that to the party that my then 13y year old was invited to - nandos in Valley Park, Croydon, then hanging around the amusement arcade without parents until 11pm ...... errrr no.

I think I' d fine with this OP.

Yes, go and do some shopping at Sainsbury's then sit in the car park and wait for him if you're worried. You could pick yourself up a book from Waterstones and a coffee from Starbucks, if you like. I have to say I am lolling at the thought of the bottom of Finchley Road being an area you need to worry about.

I just think wealthy areas can be a target. People are regularly mugged at gunpoint in Hampstead on the school run. Used to live with a policeman and it was quite eye opening when he pointed out to me one of his 'clients' in a cafe in Highgate But I'm probably being paranoid re the O2! Still adapting to the idea of my little boy going out at all! Just the idea of spending the evening in a shopping mall seems so wrong. But the shopping malls of my childhood were not the O2.

Squeaver I am definitely not spending the evening in the O2 carpark!

BigSandy no that doesn't sound like a good idea!