prompting this thought was tonight’s after dinner walk with the dcs (preschool and nursery age) and we walked past a group of teens 15 or so all vaping (ages between about 14 and 16 by the looks) one girl, she seemed about 14 maybe younger (hard to tell) and a 40 year old man, clear that they were buying drugs off him. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be a teen and have literally nothing to do on the weekend, I never touched drugs but I ‘hung out’ with on the streets and did stupid things, luckily I grew up in a very safe village but I was still taken advantage of. Back then there was still some provision for youth clubs and places for teens but now its something that worries me, especially seeing as youth clubs and the like have all but closed down and it’s something I’d not really thought about as my kids are so young.
what do your teens do that still allows them independence and socialising but ultimately keeps them safe
(not sure it’s relevant but we don’t drink or smoke for religious reasons)