Am I interfering?.

[fizzypop100]

DS made some friends at the park. They are a year older and already at college. I don't know them and don't want him hanging around with them. He is 16 this June. Should I let him go and make his own choices ?

I think you or we need a bit more info. How did he meet them? Was he at the park on his own and made friends with some random older kids or was he at the park with existing friends and the two groups got talking?

Where does he want to go with them? Just back to the park to hang around or to do something specific?

Most of us do end up with friends who are older or younger than us but I’m assuming you’re worried that this particular group may be a bad influence?

Got talking to them when out with another friend, played some basketball etc. Just wants to go to park with them

He's 16. let him go.

Why don’t you want them to hang out? 12 months older is nothing

Technically he could marry at 16 op! Maybe agree a night time curfew?

They're still engaged with education
They're in a small group of friends
They're out at the park during the half-term holiday
They're a welcoming friendly bunch
They're sufficiently active to enjoy a knockabout game of basketball

They sound fine to me, I must say.

@fizzypop100

Got talking to them when out with another friend, played some basketball etc. Just wants to go to park with them

In that case it sounds completely fine.

Butt out. He’s 15, he can manage hanging out with lads of 16 without spontaneously combusting. They find their own friends at this age.

I would say interfering. I would often meet friends at parks and end up joining a bigger group full of people I didn't know, friends of friends of friends etc, from different schools, some older, some younger.

Does he really need your permission to go to the park? I would just say I'm going at that age on a weekend, and say "to see friends", no names. But then, my parents often didn't know my friends because I didn't bring them home.

It sounds fine to me, the fact they are older doesn't mean a thing. I'd let him go, give a cerfew and ask him about his new mates to find out a bit more about them. Is there anything in particular you're worried about? I think some of this is context dependant as I grew up in a village where we all hung out together regardless of age but I taught in central London where there were knife crime/gang/drug issues with some groups of teens...wasn't really age dependant more to do with how vulnerable they were due to personal circumstances. You've not given much info but from what you've said I can't see a problem. Nice to find some friends to play basketball with x

If they were 30 and dealing crack in the park I could understand your concerns...

But what is wrong about kids a year older getting together in a park to kick a ball?

Do you expect to vet all the young people a 16 year old meet?

Or is this something else you are not saying and you think this might be a gang of some sort?

I would say, they are usually pretty obvious to spot (I live in East London and I could tell what is a regular group of kids and what is a gang doing business with one glance...).

Interfering.
I can't imagine how this is even a concern.

In truth, I can't really grasp how this has even come up in conversation when he is 16.

Surely it's great he is outdoors being active in the fresh air and making new friends ? Having friends a year or two apart in age is healthy and part of normal life.

Be glad he isn't stuck in front of a screen all day and is out being a healthy engaged human.