Would you allow your 17yr old go camping?
- Thread starter foxylady
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Males only or mixed group? Is it proper surfin' and survivalist camping? Or just a gang of hormonally-burdened teenagers getting drunk in tents? Without a lot more info, it is impossible to know. Hard one to call; ordinarily I would say trust your first instinct - but at 17, you are getting to an age where it is natural for them to want more independence and natural for you to want to postpone it as long as you can.
Just back from Camping in Rathdrum with my 5 year old. He thought it was majic and It's something we plan on doing a lot more of we really had a ball with swimming in the river and kayaking. Better than hanging around at home watching TV or in your sons case maybe hanging around with mates.
It would depend on the attitude of the lad himself, is he generally a sensible lad? Does he get into bother? What are the lads he is planning on going with like? Where are they going? Is it a recognised camp site with secutity etc? is it within an easily reachable distance?if he decided he wanted to go home can you get him in an hour/hour and a half? Does he drink (I know he's only seventeen) but can he be trusted to take it easy.
Basically you know your son so you'll have to decide if you can trust him and think he's sensible enough.
You could insert a condition that he call you at intervals of every 2 - 3 hours till midnight to ensure he's not going overboard.
It would depend on the attitude of the lad himself, is he generally a sensible lad? Does he get into bother? What are the lads he is planning on going with like? Where are they going? Is it a recognised camp site with secutity etc? is it within an easily reachable distance?if he decided he wanted to go home can you get him in an hour/hour and a half? Does he drink (I know he's only seventeen) but can he be trusted to take it easy.
Basically you know your son so you'll have to decide if you can trust him and think he's sensible enough.
You could insert a condition that he call you at intervals of every 2 - 3 hours till midnight to ensure he's not going overboard.
Its a gang of boys and girls so thats why the worry. He is sensible enough for his age however Im not sure if this would just go out the window with a load of friends around. Its not so much that I dont trust him, its more the worry of all the weirdos that are around nowadays.
Z
z104
Guest
Agree with the above. If he is the type of lad to get into trouble with the law or if people complain about him to you then I would be hesitant. But if he's a normal youngfella then I don't think you have much to worry about.
Every 16/17 year goes camping or should do. It's a good experience.
Every 16/17 year goes camping or should do. It's a good experience.
Hes a trouble free lad thank God and has gone camping in the past with scouts so was supervised. Its the lack of supervision I would be worried about
Ah yeah let him go. Clamp down on him now and he'll rebel later.
I cycled from Galway to Kerry with 2 mates when I was 16. Planned to stay in hostels each night. Missed the ferry at Killimor on Day 3 and ended up sleeping in a hay barn. We ran out of money in the end and stole money from a fountain to buy some bread/butter/milk/tayto to get us home. Slept rough in a school bike shed another night on way home too...chilly night...brokeback mountain style...ah those were the days my friend....
On second thoughts...
I cycled from Galway to Kerry with 2 mates when I was 16. Planned to stay in hostels each night. Missed the ferry at Killimor on Day 3 and ended up sleeping in a hay barn. We ran out of money in the end and stole money from a fountain to buy some bread/butter/milk/tayto to get us home. Slept rough in a school bike shed another night on way home too...chilly night...brokeback mountain style...ah those were the days my friend....
On second thoughts...
Bubbly Scot
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The scouts will have prepared him well
Granted there will probably be a bit of horseplay and such given they are unsupervised but if he's generally sensible, I'd let him go.Of course it depends on the guy and how much you trust him and how sensible you think he is going to be, but he is only a year away from being 18 and begin legally an adult.
At 17, I had done a year at college, and went abroad for the summer with friends to find work. Unfortunately, I happened to be at college, close enough to home to be living at home, but most of my friends were living in flats. We were bold, but we survived.
If he cant go camping for a few days, whats going to happen when he has to cope with the real world.....
Of course, I do sympathise with you. Its another hard part of parenthood, which I haven't got to yet, but at 17, maybe its time to let go.
Presumably, he is finanacially dependent on you and will be for a few years yet, so I would let him go, but with some serious ground rules and the risk of money beign withdrawn if he blots his copy book.
At 17, I had done a year at college, and went abroad for the summer with friends to find work. Unfortunately, I happened to be at college, close enough to home to be living at home, but most of my friends were living in flats. We were bold, but we survived.
If he cant go camping for a few days, whats going to happen when he has to cope with the real world.....
Of course, I do sympathise with you. Its another hard part of parenthood, which I haven't got to yet, but at 17, maybe its time to let go.
Presumably, he is finanacially dependent on you and will be for a few years yet, so I would let him go, but with some serious ground rules and the risk of money beign withdrawn if he blots his copy book.
At 17 and you're thinking about NOT letting him go camping for a few days ?
Think again. He's already grown through the dodgiest years where he wouldn't have had much sense. If he's got to 17 and has his own mind, then he'll be grand.
He'll hate you if you don't trust him enough to let him go, and saying it's because of other wierdos/dodgy friends is just gonna make it sound like you're grasping at straws.
I spent a weekend camping in Feile when I was 16 and loved it. No mobiles back then either and my parents were old-fashioned (or so I thought!) and we were in the midst of drink, drugs and debauchery but we had enough sense to stick to one and not go overboard.
Let him grow up. He'll respect you more for letting him go.
Think again. He's already grown through the dodgiest years where he wouldn't have had much sense. If he's got to 17 and has his own mind, then he'll be grand.
He'll hate you if you don't trust him enough to let him go, and saying it's because of other wierdos/dodgy friends is just gonna make it sound like you're grasping at straws.
I spent a weekend camping in Feile when I was 16 and loved it. No mobiles back then either and my parents were old-fashioned (or so I thought!) and we were in the midst of drink, drugs and debauchery but we had enough sense to stick to one and not go overboard.
Let him grow up. He'll respect you more for letting him go.
DrMoriarty
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Which one did you opt for, Pique318?
foxylady, seriously, I think everyone's giving you the same message here.
Would I be right in assuming he's your eldest? Because in my experience it's the second child you've to watch out for...
(Joke!)
I am fairly flexible with him already and give him way more freedom than I ever had at his age, but the only problem is give him an inch and he will take a mile if you get my drift. He doesnt even know where to go go how to get there etc etc.
DrMoriarty
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Don't give him an inch and he may take more than a mile some day.
Insist on knowing who's going (and call the other parents to cross-check), insist on having all their mobile 'phone numbers, and having all of yours stored in each of the lads' 'phones. Then take a deep breath and let go. I think you'll find he does know where to go and how to get there, etc., etc. If he doesn't, then it's time he learned.
Insist on knowing who's going (and call the other parents to cross-check), insist on having all their mobile 'phone numbers, and having all of yours stored in each of the lads' 'phones. Then take a deep breath and let go. I think you'll find he does know where to go and how to get there, etc., etc. If he doesn't, then it's time he learned.
The kid is 17. In a year he'll be off to college and will have to fend for himself. Let him go away and enjoy the camping weekend. It will be a good bonding session with friends he could grow apart from in the next few years.
I know I look back at the group of lads I went camping with at 16 and 17 and I'm only close with 3 of the group now. But the fond memories remain.
I know I look back at the group of lads I went camping with at 16 and 17 and I'm only close with 3 of the group now. But the fond memories remain.
That'd be telling
Which one did you opt for, Pique318?
foxylady, seriously, I think everyone's giving you the same message here.
Would I be right in assuming he's your eldest? Because in my experience it's the second child you've to watch out for...
(Joke!)
Yeah he is my one and only which is why so protective.