Just turned 13 year old dd wants to go to Bournemouth on the bus with several of her friends and no adults. That's 30 minutes to 1 hour away depending on traffic. Would you allow it?

[hmc]

There will be no accompanying adults. I don't think it is a good idea

I think that would be OK .

I think I would allow it. At her age I was getting the train to Glasgow and back to Edinburgh. My did is 15 and has been doing it for 2 years.

I 've found she has more savvy than I give her credit for.

Yes I would let her. We live about an hour from London and my DDs started going up there last year with friends when they were 13. I was worried about them but they loved it and it gave them a lot of confidence.

They have a teen Barclays account with a card that I can top up from my bank account.

Do you have a car? Can you drop everything and drive to her if needed? If yes, I'd say yes.

good old X3!

I'd let her as long as she knows the town quite well. I'd drive her in first and do a recce. See where the bus stops there and back are, and spot a couple of nice looking cafes. But they're old enough to go round as a herd and have a little adventure. It's good for them. My DC have been going into town on their own with friends since they turned 11. It develops their confidence.

Yes I would. They're sensible, there's a group, they have phones. They will have a great time. Worst case they get lost......they ask for help. They miss a bus, they wait for another or you go and get them.

Yes. I did train journeys at that age with a friend or two - 45 minutes away and no mobiles!

I got the train to school that distance from age 11, so yes, I would.

Hi had this worry just last sunday with my 13 year old son and tow of his mates wanting to go to thorpe park alone from london. I suggest you do what i did. I actually did the journey there with them. made sure they had their return tickets, showed them where to get the train home from, showed them the right platform, etc. I felt confident they were OK. and made sure their phones were fully charged. I had t do that with a boy, but i find girls much more grown up earlier. or you could go, and wait for them in a cafe, be in Bournemouth but give them some space. ive just posted a question about my 17 year old. Makes you wonder why we become parents, all this headache! best of luck.

I have a 13 year old Ds and would be ok with that. As long as he had his phone and debit card.

Yes - My 13 year old has recently started getting the train into our nearest city which is 30 mins by train. He goes with a small group of friends and seems to just visit a comic shop, eat lunch, and come back! He thinks it is great!
First time he did it I gave him a good talking to about a whole range of things, but mostly I was concerned about then f'ing around on the platform, although that is just my personal paranoia.

My DD went from Heathrow to Pietermaritzburg, SA with a friend on a school exchange at age 13.5 Months. No parents travelled with them and they had to change planes in Joburg. I am all for children flying the nest without a parent hovering all the time. What, realistically, is going to happen to a group of teens in Bournemouth? Let them grow up a bit. You can take them there and let them wander around for a bit if you really think they can't manage without you. I bet they can though.

I did a dummy run with mine. I did it more for myself than her really , and felt fine about her going for real on the day

Yes, Dd is 13 and first got the train into Liverpool at about 11. She was familiar with the train as we had done it lots of times before. She had to text me every hour the first time!!

Yes without a shadow of a doubt
Mine are adults now,25 and18 and I think it is critically important that as parents we allow our children freedom and independence.

It depends on how mature your DD and her friends are. I used to shopping in the nearest city with my friends at 12+, but I was quite mature and I knew the city like the back of my hand, because we went there every week when I was growing up and most of my family lived there.

As long as your DD has a phone with her and sufficient funds I think I would allow it, but I would talk her through any potential problems and how to deal with them (they encounter other teens who are unpleasant, one of them gets separated from the group, someone loses their purse, the bus is cancelled, etc).

I'd let mine.
Actually I let 13yo DD go up to little bad city entirely by herself. Which is about an hour walking out our door to the first shop.
On the train (we all know the journey & walking routes & timetable well).

Presumably there's at least one person in the group who can read a bus time table, knows the way from bus station to town centre, knows how to get around the town centre, and it's a group that get along well, who are full of phones with credit on them. Can't see the problem.

Admittedly, DD is the only one in her social circle allowed to do such a thing.