FAMILY HELP LINE: 10 is too young for unsupervised trips to the mall
By Beth Pfalmer, Special to the Rocky
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I don't allow my 10-year-old daughter to be away from home unless she's supervised. Sometimes she can't go to the movies with her girlfriends because another parent drives and lets the girls have a couple of hours to walk the mall before the movie. Am I too strict?
Malls are not safe places for unsupervised children. Your rule is prudent.
Because others don't share your concern, it may be necessary to do most of the driving, or your daughter may not be able to go to the movies as often as she'd like.
As an alternative, make your home a welcoming place for your daughter's peers. At their age, playing board games, cooking or making crafts is good fun. The kids will appreciate your attention.
Entertain the kids now while it's fairly easy. Learning to be kid-friendly will help you keep your home a welcoming place as the kids mature. They will need supervision for years to come.
In the meantime, consider escorting the kids through the mall for 30 minutes before a movie. After all, a gaggle of giggling girls can be gads of fun while cruising the mall on a Saturday afternoon.
My husband wants to get our kids - ages 4, 6 and 9 - some kind of yard toy that uses water. I think they would ignore conservation rules about using water outdoors. He says I'm denying them good fun.
This difference of opinion is an opportunity to practice family problem-solving. Call a family meeting and let the kids think of solutions about how they can have fun with water and follow the water-restriction rules.
Set a budget. Write down ideas, being clear about which ideas will work only on watering days. See if everyone wants to eliminate any ideas and then take a vote.
Maybe they'll choose to have squirt guns any time rather than be restricted with a toy that needs the garden hose.
Have a parenting question? Call the Family Support Line, 303-695-7996 or 1-877-695-7996, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Family Support Line is a program of Families First, sponsored in part by the Rocky Mountain News.
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July 7, 2008
6:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
yeastyc writes:
There are people who leave their 10 years olds unsupervised at the mall? Really?