Independence Day

[poinsettydog]

Dd1 (10) has finally arranged with a friend to go down to our local town centre to hang out and go shopping.

We live in a small town with a crappy shopping centre which consists of little more than M&Co, Greggs the bakers and Cocoa Beach Tanning Salon. I've given dd1 a fiver (although her pal turned up with £20, wearing a very smart outfit - lol ).

I'm all for giving her independence but dh is not so relaxed. As it's her first time, dh is 'shadowing' them on the bus (he's not allowed to sit near them), he'll go to a cafe with dd2 until they get the bus home and he has the mobile phone so dd1 can phone him.

Now, is he over-reacting or would you do that?

This might be more complicated than I thought. Dd1 wasn't to spend more than a fiver but her pal bought her a t-shirt for £7 so dh felt obliged to pay her back.

Those of you with older kids, what should the ground rules be?

I think after Soham it's hard not to be overprotective. I think most parents I know would have wanted to shadow. Not sure I would in our little town, either (but that's probably what people in Soham used to think, too).

I don't have older kids so maybe not qualified to comment... but I would imagine that most of our DCs will end up with friends who can afford to spend more, on many outings. My gut feling is that the kids should sort that kind of thing out themselves. we shouldn't interfere with other children's spending habits. Maybe your DD could have done her a favour to pay her back, instead, sometime.

So I don't think your DH should have felt obliged to pay the friend back.

I take your point, flack. If they spend on each other, leave them to it.

Dh said he'd be worried about 'strange men'. Must admit, I think my main concern would be other kids of about the same age who they don't know, having a go at them.

Maybe we should shadow for a bit longer.

Sigh. I've picked the wrong thread title ahven't I