Would you tell the parents?

[Marianos]

If you thought that some teenagers were drinking alcohol/ taking drugs and you vaguely knew their parents - would you say anything or would you assume they knew?

[Mummydummy]

I have a very honest and open relationship with my DCs I think. A few years ago they asked me about this ie. - 'would you dob my friends in it to school or parents if I told you something about their involvement with drink, drugs, sex or alcohol?' I thought it was quite an important question that would affect how open and honest they would be with me in the future. I said no, unless it was a very close friend and I was concerned that they were at serious personal risk.

As it turns out DD (who is now 16) tells me alot about what her friends and her are up to - many of them do all of those things - and she often has ended up helping out her friends in difficult situations like being sick and nearly passing out from drink and drugs. As a consequence I know that she does drink sometimes but doesn't do drugs and hasn't slept with anyone. I am glad that our openness and trust means we can talk about all these things and maybe its part of the reason why she seems pretty sensible. I also have a very good relationship with her friends. I have never said anything to other parents and stick to what I told the DCs. Most of what I know of course, has not happened in front of me, so it would be hearsay anyway.

[Chopstick17]

In my experience, other parents allow their DC to drink at 14/15. I only found out when they threw birthday parties and supplied alcohol. As it's my eldest child I wasn't ready for it!

[Violetcharlotte]

No, not if I hadn't witnessed it directly and was just hearsay. If I knew for a fact they were then maybe, depending on what/ how much and how well I knew the parents