<p>My mom, who recently died, would go bonkers on what we let our kids do…the travel and all. But when I think about it, back when I was a senior in HS, over my winter break, my parents let me go with a friend to Miami on our own. We stayed at a hotel that was full of all young people and one big party scene. I think the potential for me getting into trouble there was far greater than my D has had traveling in Europe and living over there. The whole atmosphere alone was very different. Also, I was still IN high school!</p>
<p>Did’nt you tell your children not to talk to strangers or volunteer personal information?
Within a couple of months of coming to the US, I got lost in an area of Boston, saw a flasher and was accosted by some guy. Gallic shrug.</p>
<p>S went to London the summer after freshman year. On his way to Manchester, his duffle bag was taken by someone else by mistake (I doubt the intent was to steal) so he had to buy everything he needed using his credit card. Despite that, he had a blast. At the time he did not have a cell phone but managed to call collect and let us know what happened.</p>
<p>Marite - you know, I did tell my kids not to talk to strangers. Normally, she’s the last one to give out any information about herself to anyone. I don’t know what it was about that man that D1 felt comfortable enough to give out her information. She did feel stupid about it afterwards. I think my point is that no matter how well we thought we have prepared them, kids at that age brain is still not fully functional sometimes. </p>
<p>Almost every parent on this forum would say never to leave a teenager at home by themselves no matter how responsible they are. I don’t have any issue with my own kids because I know them. I think it is the case here.</p>
<p>Yorkyfan: we also had taken our kids to Europe, and faced this decision with an 18 yr old son and friend. We decided to allow London because they couldn’t speak or read French. We insisted our son use one of those pouches around his neck and under his clothes to hold his passport, extra credit card, travelers checks. A London friend met them and set them up with an international cell phone… and was available in case of emergency. We were nervous wrecks. It all worked out okay.</p>
<p>That scene in Sydney could have just as easily happened in the US, away from your eyes and ears. I lived in London for 5 years without ever having my pocket picked. But my wallet was stolen on a bus full of passengers in NYC. I was accosted in Boston. My S got his bike stolen within one month of being in a suburban campus.
Parents need to raise kids to be self-reliant and let go. I am grateful that mine did.</p>
<p>My kids are very self reliant and I am letting go when it’s appropriate. I am not one to foolishly let go and hope for the best. They grew up in NYC and are perfectly comfortable in riding subway by themselves. US is not safer than other countries, but being one’s own country one would usually know what to do when there is an emergency. We dial 911, I think in Taiwan it is 119. In this country it is no big deal to be caught with possession of pot, but not the case in some other countries.</p>
<p>In this country it is no big deal to be caught with possession of pot, but not the case in some other countries</p>
<p>This is certainly something to be aware of.</p>
<p>When D was in India, I got an itouch and downloaded free language applications for travelers, ( I also got a passport, in case I had to go find her)
Several of the applications had the phrase * Those aren’t my drugs*! under travel safety. In Tamil, the phrase was twice as long as in English.
However in some of the languages, Turkish and Arabic for example- that phrase was not provided.
I guessed that if you are in Turkey or Saudi Arabia, it probably doesn’t matter * what * you say , if they find drugs on you. :(</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s a prescribed way for handling this properly. It depends on your kids, their maturity, street smarts, and their individual ability to handle difficult or potentially dangerous situations. </p>
<p>Oldfort, I’m tempted to speculate that your daugther wouldn’t have provided as much info if the situation were to take place at home. Somehow foreign territories can intefere with our danger antennas.</p>
<p>Interesting thread. Personally, I’d save the trip to Europe with a friend for after COLLEGE graduation…and I’d even help pay for it. What’s the rush? So many places to see in this country. Is there no other option for a trip than Europe??</p>
<p>So you send your kids with relevant info. But you send them. By the way, my kids (boys) would not be caught with pot or engage in binge drinking.
I sent my S when he was 12 to my brother in France equipped with a booklet of survival French (he had learned some but was by no means fluent). It also had phone numbers and other important info. That’s the same S whose duffle bag disappeared between London and Manchester. No big deal except that he had to wait until he got back to London to hit the GAP store on Regent Street and replenish.</p>
<p>So many places to see in this country. Is there no other option for a trip than Europe??</p>
<p>that was my initial thought too- although my daughter was going to do NCCC ( division of Americorps) for a year, traveling the country working on projects- but I thought sleeping in church basements with little alone time or privacy would be overwhelming to her.
So she went to Mumbai.
:eek:
but she was so happy there- I didn’t get to talk to her much, ( and while she was traveling in Goa, I couldn’t get through to her at all), she loved it all.</p>
<p>She went to Africa when she was in high school, India right after, she is planning on Egypt/Africa or maybe Australia during college, but after college she is planning on the Peace Corps.
Europe is not so compelling to her.</p>
<p>I just want to chime in and say how ridiculous you are being.</p>
<p>(1) In the UK, it is extremely common for girls and boys to take a year off and travel the world before college, including to places way more dangerous than Europe. Most UK people wouldn’t think twice about the plan your girls have.</p>
<p>(2) If, on the other hand, you are worried about them drinking and screwing their way across the continent … you are right to worry.</p>
<p>Keep, are you an American kid? If you are, stop trying to bait parents into a discussion with The Onion as a source, go find something more productive to do - you had your laugh.
If you are from another country - The Onion is a parody. Very funny. Not true.</p>