sending a nearly seven year old alone on a plane to Germany...

[emkana]

... for a holiday with her grandmother, for five nights?

Dd1 keen to go and not scared. Have never done this before, but as I understand it airline will look after child?

MIL so upset at the thought that she can't even talk about it.

Have to go now, but will check back later.

Do you see imaginary enemies everywhere? That must be quite difficult for you.

Emkana, take no notice. It was clearly a joke about risk and people's illogical and inconsistent attitude to risk, not drink driving. Any more than it was a joke about child abuse.
But I'm sure most people are smart enough to realise that. Even, I suspect, KKM.

Ah but if you could bear to be honest with yourself for one minute you would know you were actively looking for something to be 'offended' about so you could launch another attack. It's very obvious. Embarrassingly obvious really.

KKM, you are not getting my point, or partypieces point. I meant what I said about how horrific that was for you.

Noone would presume getting in a car would be easy for your family after such a horrific accident. I dont see what htat has to do with emanka putting her DD on a plane UA??

emenkas post was not laughing at drink driving, it was pointing out the risks taken every day by parents, the risks we could all sit at home and worry about and as a result not let them leave the house, ever!

It CLEARLY was not a joke about drink driving. it was about the irony of it being ok to put your child on a coach to a theater with school, or about letting your child cross the road and it be unquestioned and how she is thinking of putting her DD on a plane with many many procedures set in place. A LOW risk from on transport.

NOT about drink driving, and certainly NOT about your family. The sigh, I think you will find was because she had already apoligized to ANOTHER poster, before you, who took the apology very graciously.

I cant help feeling, that whilst it is a subject ( drink driving) very close to your heart, and one which you feel very passionately about and quite rightly so, that you are using her mis guided use of that scenario to your emotional advantage. and there for getting one up on her about you posting the plane crash information.

Thank you very much susiecutie and partypiece for explaining my intentions more clearly than I could have done.

Kerry, I have no interest in arguing with you. I have apologized to you for offending you (which is more than you have done for upsetting me, but there you go). I will say again I am sorry I put the subject of drink drivers in that post, it was ill-advised.

I will make sure I avoid you in the future.

FGS Kerrymum. Emkana (if you meant her) is just about the last person on here to be 'insulting and nasty'.

too much time on yr hands with broken foot Kerry I reckon. Paranoia is setting in.

I think if you feel your DD will be comfortable travelling alone (which you clearly do) then I don't see why not. I could have allowed DS1 to travel in the same way when he was 7 as he was sensible. I don't think I could let DS's 2 and 3 do it at 7 but they are all different children. You have researched everything that needs reasearching and will obviously explain to DD everything that needs explaining. I can't see the problem.

I didn't take your post which mentioned the coach driver having a pint as a joke, it was clearly a suggestion that when we allow our children to go on trips etc, we don't know who the drivers are/other mums etc etc.

We have to use our own instincts when it comes to our own individual children.
Every child is different.

Emkana, I can't believe this thread has turned out this way, it's mad! All you did was ask a simple question to which we could agree or not!

I mean, lets face it, Emkana is hardly likely to send her DD off on a flight if she thinks something might happen to her!

"If someone posted to say, 'My kids are going on their first school coach trip to a museum' I think posting links to fatal coach crashes would be appalling behaviour."

Exactly. KKM, sympathise completely with that horrific experience and terribly sorry for you and your family but it seems you misinterpreted the intention behind Emkana's post there.

Haven't read the whole thread, but if your dd - and you (and your dh) - are confident about her ability to cope, then I owuld do it. She will be an unaccompanied minor and will be well looked after.

I know I was older - but it was longer - but my brorher and I went to South Africa from the UK when I was 13 and he was 11. The only thng I didn't like about it was that they put us above the wing both ways, which spoiled our view, (scowl) as apparently that is the safest place.

BTW - I'd have been OK letting ds do this at that age as he is a confident wee boy. Only you know your daughter.

In fact, now that I calcualte properly, I was 12 and db was 10.

To answer the original question - don't think you're being unreasonable at all. Cod is right - you will get her checked in etc, introduce her to the person who takes them to the plane. She won't be (shouldn't be) left alone for 1sec. She will be put on the plane, air hostess will keep a close eye on her. At the other end someone will take ehr through baggae, passports, etc and give to family on other side.

God when I was 11 I had to catch 2 buses to the south of France by myself and there was noone looking out for me. I had to change bus in London, be on the ferry by myself, get back on the right bus, etc. Buy food by myself in a foreign country when we stopped at service stations.

well done justabouttosplashoutinthesales (jeez thats a long name) for getting the last word

Not read the thread but in my experience of sending/ receiving 12-13 yr olds they will insist on some kind of auntie service being booked and paid for. If you book an auntie, she will be accompanied throughout, no need to worry. However, it may actually be cheaper to get an adult to accompany her, if you book tickets earlier enough...

Forgot to say I flew with my little sister and a younger cousin, all of 8, 6 or 5 from London to Bordeaux in 197*. The most upsetting thing was the customs officer sticking his fingers through the seam of my teddy bear to check for hidden drugs, and making a hole (he still has to this day!!!). Everything else was fine, eve back then.

Went to Germany with sister and another friend on train from Normandy, via Paris, aged 15. My brother travelled routinely from Northern France to Somerset to his boarding school, alone on trains boats and planes, from age 12 (that does make me quake however, even 20 years on). My own son travelled alone by plane as soon as he turned 12 (lowest unaccompanied age limit) and is very competent. I do think we no longer expect enough of our children.

I flew on my own when i was 22 and crapped my pants, so i have to say no.

On a serious note, hmmm, personally i think 6 is a bit young but you know your child better that anyone so its up to your judgment to decide. Good luck with what ever you do in the end x x