Teenagers travelling alone

Jagraf

Whilst nerve wracking, opening up these opportunities makes me so excited for her. What age do they start tidying their bedrooms :rotfl:

Nikkisun

Jagraf wrote: »

Whilst nerve wracking, opening up these opportunities makes me so excited for her. What age do they start tidying their bedrooms :rotfl:

Don't hold your breath on that one! My 21 year old never tidies his room when he's home from uni (unless his girlfriend is coming round!)

balletshoes

Jagraf wrote: »

Whilst nerve wracking, opening up these opportunities makes me so excited for her. What age do they start tidying their bedrooms :rotfl:

i didn't make a habit of tidying my own bedroom until i had my own house :rotfl:.

missbiggles1

fierystormcloud wrote: »

If the train travelling up and down the country, is a case of a responsible adult puts them on the train at departure and a responsible adult meets the same train at the other end, then yes, at any age over 14...

But if we are talking about gallivanting around, changing trains, wandering around on lonely rural platforms, and not really knowing where they're going, then no, not until they are 18 (can't stop them then anyway!!!)

Flying on a plane alone would not sit well with me, until they were over 18, but that is just me, and I am not being critical of anyone who lets their child do it at 13/14 or so.

A National Express journey alone? At 14-15 yes; if they are being met at the bus station.

Tube across London isn't too hazardous is it? Maybe from 14...

I remember my good-as-gold demure little niece, turning into a little hellbat at 15.

She met some people on the internet who had the same hobby as her, as she went to a couple of get-togethers with them. At the city 30 miles from home the first time, and another city 45 miles from home the second time. Her father took her the first time, and it was a public open space, and she was instructed to not go off with any of them. He stayed in the city for the 3 hours she was there. The second time, her mother did the same; took her, and stayed while she was there.

She stayed in touch with these people, and then 3 months after first being in contact with them (bearing in mind they were mostly 18-24,) she wanted to go to a sleepover/party at the house of one of them... The house was 115 miles away, it was 2 changes on the train to get there, (with a 40 minute wait between 2 trains at one point, on a rather isolated outside rural platform,) and my sister and her husband didn't know this girl from Adam OR her family. Yet my niece who was 15, expected to go to this party - 115 miles away, with 2 dozen people aged 18 to 24, and stay with a family her parents had never even met. (And she expected to travel alone on the train, with 2 changes, on a route she had never been on, and also had to make her way to the girl's house at the other end, that was 5 miles from the station!)

They didn't let her go BTW!

She is 20 now, and travels the world with her friends, and lives with friends in a shared house near her uni -100 miles from home. That's fine; she is now 20 and can do what she wants. At 15, she could not do what she wanted, as she was under her parent's jurisdiction.

But at the end of the day, it is dependent on the individual and it is also up to the parents. There is no right or wrong.

People of my age group will remember "gallivanting " all round the country by train for university interviews when we were 17, in the days when nobody dreamed of parents taking them by car to and certainly not putting them on the train. :eek:I can certainly remember travelling from Surrey to Birmingham and Surrey to Newcastle, journeys my parents had never done themselves.

Fortunately it was considered that if you were bright enough to be going to university you were bright enough to read a train timetable and ask a staff member for directions.

Progress - huh!

ETA
I wouldn't have let your niece go to the party either, but not because of the travel involved.

Errata

I was 11 and 4 months when I started travelling on my own by train and bus to attend school 20 miles away. Had the usual 'talk' from parents and school about iffy blokes and no speaks to strangers.
I don't think parents today wrap their kids in cotton wool, I think they treat them as thickos, which they very rarely are.

Gloomendoom

fierystormcloud wrote: »

If the train travelling up and down the country, is a case of a responsible adult puts them on the train at departure and a responsible adult meets the same train at the other end, then yes, at any age over 14...

But if we are talking about gallivanting around, changing trains, wandering around on lonely rural platforms, and not really knowing where they're going, then no, not until they are 18 (can't stop them then anyway!!!)

belfastgirl23

fierystormcloud wrote: »

If the train travelling up and down the country, is a case of a responsible adult puts them on the train at departure and a responsible adult meets the same train at the other end, then yes, at any age over 14...

But if we are talking about gallivanting around, changing trains, wandering around on lonely rural platforms, and not really knowing where they're going, then no, not until they are 18 (can't stop them then anyway!!!)

Flying on a plane alone would not sit well with me, until they were over 18, but that is just me, and I am not being critical of anyone who lets their child do it at 13/14 or so.

A National Express journey alone? At 14-15 yes; if they are being met at the bus station.

Tube across London isn't too hazardous is it? Maybe from 14...

It's always interesting other people's perceptions of danger. To me flying alone is very safe for a teenager, airports and planes are very protected environments where everything is monitored and security is everywhere (obviously presuming they are dropped off and met where relevent). Relatively speaking, bus is also safe as they can sit near the driver (obviously depending on number of changes and whether they need to change station at some point). Train slightly riskier in the sense that they can't necessarily sit near staff. Tube the least safe as it's so anonymous. But all should be safe for most teenagers, bearing in mind the provisos about some being more mature than others. That said, it might be the ones you don't trust that it's most important to send out in a way that exposes them to some level of minimal/managed risk - else how will they learn?

Gloomendoom

A 16 year old is regarded as responsible enough to have a child of their own but not to change trains at a railway station without holding his/her mummy's hand?

Teddi

Between 12-14 depending on maturity level.

Lily-Rose_3

Gloomendoom wrote: »

A 16 year old is regarded as responsible enough to have a child of their own but not to change trains at a railway station without holding his/her mummy's hand?

What a ludicrous analogy.

Why are some people on here mocking and maligning people saying they would not be too happy to let their child travel alone up and down the country on a train, or fly alone, at 13-15 years old?

The OP asked a question, and people are giving their views and opinions.

People are different; some people are cautious and worry more. Why the spiteful put-downs, just because they have different views to you?

Making comments like 'can't a 16 year old change trains without holding mummy's hand?' and 'we used to work at 14, and now people won't let their child on the train alone at 14,' and 'why are people mollycoddling their children like they're thick?!' is just pointless and mean.

I do not see one person on here being horrible to people who allow their children to travel alone on trains and planes at 12-13 years old, so stop being so spiteful to people who are doing nothing worse than just being extra cautious.

If people want to let their children travel alone on trains and planes at 11-14 years old, then that is entirely up to them, but the snide and snarky remarks against people who prefer not to do that, (from several posters here,) is just unnecessary and mean. Moreover it's making it look like they are being defensive.

Re; the OP. It is largely down to the individual child, and the individual parent or parents. Only you will know what's right. You and your children.