<p>The times we have been to Panama City Beach and high school kids show up by themselves they seem to be from neighboring states. I don’t think many parents would let their 18 old kids drive to Florida all the way from Michigan over spring break.:)</p>
<p>I think the “beach week” thing depends on being able to get to a beach easily when you have a week to spare and everything at the beach isn’t already rented for a zillion dollars. In the South, that can be Spring break. Here, the beach isn’t so hot at Spring break, and by the end of June no one will be renting to high school kids. So it’s beach weekend after prom.</p>
<p>Beaches are common in our area, but having a beach weekend and renting lodging on or near beach isn’t so much. D has had an overnight slumber party (girls only) from HS thru now (they’re in their mid 20s now. She has not ever participated in coed slumber party, nor has S – also now in his mid 20s. </p>
<p>The judo team did have a bonding sleepover which was coed at coach’s hind and heavily chaperoned – grad note was coed and similarly heavily chaperoned. </p>
<p>Seems much safer to have lots of competent chaperones when you have young adults and teens in large groups. </p>
<p>In this case, sounds like the folks and D are happy. </p>
<p>We live in Michigan, and my sister went on spring break to Panama city with a bunch of friends her senior year (a lot of kids do.) She was not yet 18. My parents were really against it but didn’t feel they could tell her no ( don’t get me started). She came back in one piece, but barely! Trip did not go well, lots of hysterical crying home, at one point my sister begged my mom to come get her, she got a tattoo (illegally?), and a few other things happened that I can’t even mention. But my parents had strong reservations about the trip and pretty much knew it was going to be a disaster. </p>
<p>Incidentally, my sister ALSO took a trip to California when she was 18 or 19 to visit her “fiance” (let’s use that term loosely) who was stationed there with the marines. Also lots of hysterical crying, at one point she got stranded at the airport because “fiance” did not show up to pick her up and she didn’t know what to do, they fought the whole time, and she ended up getting sick and there was nobody there to take care of her with fiance busy doing marine things all day. My mom almost had to fly out to go get her. In the end she was able to make the trip home by herself but went straight to the hospital when she got home.</p>
<p>Moral of my story: listen to your gut! My parents knew my sister wasn’t ready, but she paid for the trips herself and they didn’t feel they could stop her. It isn’t as though they thought she’d be fine and were blindsided. I took a couple trips with a friend when I was 18 that went great, no trouble at all. That same friend took the same Panama trip my sister did when she was a HS senior and that went fine. You know your kid. Listen to what your gut is telling you!</p>
<p>IMHO, I would call his family and introduce yourself and inquire about the plans for the week. If nothing else, you could see if there is anything they need her to bring for sleeping arrangements and meals.</p>
<p>
To me, this sounds pretty wholesome, especially compared to how h.s. seniors comport themselves on unsupervised beach weeks. I’m sure you’ll feel better after checking in with the family. If they describe a lot of family type activities, meals, and tourist options nearby to explore, she could have a nice week. I find it impressive that she’d rather do this than the beach week, with her own money. Also, the boy could have instead invited her off somewhere just the two of them, but instead he would rather hang out with her while surrounded by his extended family. That’s to his credit. </p>
<p>Sometimes I try to decide by asking myself this question: “what’s the worst thing that could happen and am I willing to deal with it?” To me, it sounds as though the worst likely possibility is she’ll have a bad time and feel stuck out there. If you’re willing to bail her out with a plane ticket home on very short-notice, then she and you have an escape. After that, are you ready to trust her judgment in the moment whether she is better to stay on than run home? If so, you’ve got your bases covered, so less worry.</p>
<p>Your DD may have college and career in mind, and also boyfriend. </p>
<p>Maybe DD wants to check out his family to see if there are any alarm bells there. If he is marriage material?</p>
<p>However having her date him this past year laid the ground work.</p>
<p>To me it would be a shame for her to get so ‘in deep’ with this fella that she loses out on have a ‘regular’ college experience.</p>
<p>Neither of my DDs had a ‘beach’ experience yet (one is 18 and one is 20), nor a serious boyfriend.</p>
<p>In a year how is she going to feel about him? How is he going to feel about her?</p>
<p>Many deep conversations with DD needed IMHO.</p>
<p>^ I was in a serious relationship from the time I was 15 until 20 (Freshmen year of high school until sophomore year of college). I spent many a vacation with his family and he with mine. I thought we were going to marry and blah blah blah. I don’t regret getting close to his family (his mother, sisters, and some cousins still talk to me). </p>
<p>I think that post above is WAY too much planning for an 18 year old. Why should worries about the future affect what she does for a week of her senior year?! </p>
<p>Obviously CC posters have much varying backgrounds and experiences. </p>
<p>Positive and very negative things can happen during a week of a student’s senior year.</p>
<p>Some people actually do wait for marriage for intimate relationships.</p>
<p>And contraception often fails.</p>
<p>Playing with fire, sometimes people get burned badly.</p>
<p>What are the chances for differing outcomes? One poster reflected about sister having two bad experiences…</p>