Too much freedom?
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| Sat, 04-28-2007 - 1:39pm |
My step-son is 14 and very independent. I was the same at his age and I find that I have to force myself to ask all those questions that you are supposed to ask them when they leave the house!
Who are you with?
Where are you going?
When will you get home?
What are you doing there?
Lately I've been goofing up and forgetting to ask. He is just so predictalbe for the most part. He hangs out with the same people and he has managed to get a real handle on his curfew so that we always know when he'll be home.
My question is this, do any of you ever go through phases with your kids where you just assume they are fine? Right now I know who he's with, I know he's down town (he usually doesn't go that far but it's the weekend and early in the day and he's with a group of friends) but I have no idea when he's planning on comming back other than 'by 10pm' cause that's his curfew.
I hope he'll call to check in some time in the middle of the day as 12 hours is a long time to be on your own...but I forgot to tell him to call. So he probably won't. Erg. How often do you guys just let them have a day to themselves like this? Has it back fired on you?


I've done it occasionally and esp if I know my dd is with her usual group of friends. She is usually off on her own for hours at a time given she takes regular dance classes. I assume she's at the studio but of course if she weren't trust worthy, being away from home for hours at a time she could be virtually anywhere as long as she were back there at pick up time.
I've also let her be when she's done the whole day at the amusement park with friends thing. She'll be out from 10AM to dinnertime and she might call me once ie when she's on her way home. But she has a cell phone with her and I have all her friends' cell phone numbers so I know that in a pinch I could contact her no problem.
Does your son carry a cell? Because it sure relieves the stress knowing that, if you had to or if HE had do there is a quick and easy way to contact him.
Rose