Would you let a 14 year old travel alone?

QueenOfTheDesert

My 14 year old daughter wants to go somewhere without us/alone next summer and she has her heart set on an international summer camp in Canada.

They take children from 12-18 flying in as unaccompanied minors from all over the world and act as if it's perfectly ok but I have some misgivings. She is very confident and pretty sensible and has been to quite a few countries including China without us but always as part of a group.

I want to allow her as much independence as her age allows but I balk at the idea of putting her on a plane for such a long flight without at least one person she knows; has anyone else had any experience of this sort of thing, or indeed any ideas for a similar trip a bit closer to home?

rictus123

Yeh i would...but then you will know best how mature she is. I also dont have kids so difference in opinion...

Lobell

Again, I don't have children but I would allow her to travel. The major airlines all have polices and procedures in place for looking after unaccompanied minors and it sounds like the company who run the camp do too. Perhaps check airline policies and see if they help set your mind at rest at all.

I completely understand your reservations, but your daughter, in your own words, is sensible and confident and she would gain so much from the entire experience, incuding travelling independently.

jackieb

Only you know if you think she's capable. If she's so keen i'd say she probably is.

My 14yo daughter won't ever go out on her own. She won't even walk to school. I'd just love her to have a teensy bit of your daughter's confidence.

Marty21

Why not try one closer to home, like PGL they do summer camps in the uk but also france. Well worth a look if you dont want her going as far. I have been on one and can highly recommend it, i went when i was 15

miamoo

Personally no I wouldnt, my Daughter is 13 and a half, she is very confident and out going but I wouldnt let her travel to Canada alone, I think that freedom and experiences should increase with age, I would allow her to go to camp anywhere that she would be accompanied during the travel by myself or a minder (pgl have people that collect children and accompany them on there journey).

Rachie_B

No way ! my son is 14 in May and although sensible etc there is no way i'd allow him so far "on his own"

I could never forgive myself if something happened!

He has been to Germany etc with school and even then you panic! lol but it's not too far if "anything should happen"
but canada is just soooo far away!

x

PolishBigSpender

Rachie_B wrote: »

I could never forgive myself if something happened!

So you don't allow him out by himself? You wrap him in cotton wool and allow him to do nothing, not even walk down the stairs by himself, in case "something happens"?

What exactly is going to happen if the 14 year old is travelling as an unaccompanied minor on a plane, and is met at the other end? I really struggle to imagine what kind of dangers lie on a flight!

All I'd say is make sure that the holiday camp company is reputable and there should be no problems whatsoever.

miamoo

Is she met at the other end though? and where?
What if she got chatting to a lovely bloke/woman on the plane that was going to the same camp (supposedly), and offered to take her there?
kids dont always make the right decision, they are growing and developing common sense comes with age, she wouldnt be the first girl to go missing never to be seen again.

Adults make stupid descisions at times, so kids shouldnt be expected to be 100% sensible 100% of the time, going on a organised trip to china in a group is nothing like going to Canada on your own in my opinion.

cazziebo

get the feeling I might get slated for this...!

My daughter went to a summer camp in Northern Ontario when she was 8. It was a fantastic experience. slightly different situation in that my sister lives near Toronto and her two sons were attending the same camp. She flew British Airways, glasgow - LHR - Toronto was handed over to the right people, and spent some time with my sister before coming back (so she took her to the airport for her flight back).

When her dad moved to London when she was about 12, she became well used to flying up and down to visit him. She has made friends there and gets the megabus (he pays for her to travel only when she spends time with him! so she pays for these trips herself hence no BA luxury!)

When she was 14 she spent a year at an International School in Canada. I flew over with her in the August for the orientation (which included parents) and she flew back and forward on her own for holidays.

She is very independent, mature and is much more able to cope with what life throws at her than kids who might have had more sheltered lives. She's currently trying to raise enough money to spend a year at an orphanage in Africa (she's now 17).

Worse thing you can do is shelter your kids from life. Set them free and they'll be much safer.

Kazipoo

Oh dear, can't say I would like it very much, but if it were something my daughter really wanted to do, and I thought she was responsible enough then I probably would let her, although I don't know whether I would want her to travel alone, maybe I would look into booking myself a return flight just to accompany her. And yes I do wrap mine up with cotton wool, and yes I am an overbearing, protective mother!!