16 yr old boy staying with strangers abroad

[Rumors1]

16 year old boy went to European country during summer for a summer camp with his 16 year old friend. They met boys there from that country one of whom who invited them back to stay with their family for a week.

Would you let your 16 year old stay with a family you have never met or spoken to in another country?

Yes. I'd make sure there was an exit strategy in place but overall yes

I'd want contact details of the family and to know exactly where he was staying but yes I'd probably allow it.

Depends on the country. Is he going alone or is the friend going too?

I'd be nervous about it.

Friend is going too but no contact with the family and no exit strategy.
The child is not the most responsible - he is the kind who would be open to peer pressure.
Is is Spain which is safe enough but I would be very uncomfortable with it. Didn't know if I was overreacting.

The exit strategy could just be callig home to make arrangements to leave early if uncomfortable.

I'd struggle as the parent of the 16yo, but I think logically I'd allow it.

No. Absolutely not.

I’d need a video call with the parents to confirm everything and suss them out. But then yes.

I think I'd rather they stayed in a youth hostel or somewhere independent of the family.

It's not sitting easy with me.
Do they have good Spanish to ask for help?

I’d be OK with that. He is already travelling independently. Staying with a family is probably much safer than all the other stuff he gets up to while abroad. A quick phone call with the family to make sure they are aware of the invitation and have my details in case of emergency is the only thing I would insist on.

The camp was fully supervised so very safe, they weren't allowed off the premises without the leaders. This is much more ad hoc, they could be allowed do anything. They have no idea who is in the house, where they will be going, etc.
Neither boy has a word of Spanish!! The camp was to encourage Spanish boys to speak English.

No

Have you really no idea, or no way of finding out, who these people are. What is the 16 year old saying about them. He must have some idea. Are they a family, what's the address - so many questions. There must be some way of getting answers surely.

No.

No.

Op I don't think I'd be happy with that either.
I'm over thinking which is daft but if the hosts were to be horrible it could be a very difficult situation to get out of.

You can picture the scene, "Hi give us your passports and I'll put them somewhere safe"

I'd be happier if they were meeting in a neutral place and in their own hotel room with their own safe.
I'm seriously over thinking it.

Thanks guys, it’s my nephew and he is already over there. Sister “hopes” everything will be ok. I haven’t said anything as she blocks it out.
i wouldn’t be at all comfortable with this. She said it fine as she tracks him on phone numerous times during the day and spies on his instagram account.

My son did this at 16. Went to visit someone he had met the previous summer at a camp and stay with her family in Italy. Family didn't speak English so I couldn't really talk to them. It was fine.

I would want to communicate with the parents. Surely, it’s as easy as the 16 year old asking his new friend for his parents’ number and sending them a WhatsApp using Google translate if necessary.

I know my dd has a way of inviting all sorts of random people to things that she claims I have agreed to. 🙄 I would want to clarify the arrangements and make sure the parents are happy and know the onward travel arrangements, so they are sure they aren’t stuck with some random kids for the summer.

So why are you posting here if it isn’t even your child and there is nothing you can do to change the situation in progress? Were you going to show this thread to your sister to guilt her?
To your point about supervised camp. I went to one of those at 15. It was full of drinking and teenage sex after curfew. Frankly, I was much safer at the age of 16 travelling to a different country with two of my slightly older mates.

When I was going my OLevels (so I was 15), most of us went off to France to stay with families we didn't know for a couple of weeks. These weren't trips organised by the school or anything. My parents packed me off and I flew on my own (never been on a plane before) and was met by the family at Le Bourget. It was fine, I was fine and I grew up a lot in those couple of weeks. Nobody gave it another thought back then.

Thanks guys, it’s my nephew and he is already over there. Sister “hopes” everything will be ok. I haven’t said anything as she blocks it out.

i wouldn’t be at all comfortable with this.

Have you considered that she doesn’t want your input, as you are siblings, not co parents?

She said it fine as she tracks him on phone numerous times during the day and spies on his instagram account.

She sounds comfortable with him travelling then.

If the 16 year old is already abroad with just a 16 year old friend, I don't see why this is of any more concern to be honest. They could literally be up to anything and already miles from home.