Why does the Teen Club make me nervous?

[mom2hac]

How can you say there is absolutely no reason to worry? You can't and there are plenty of reasons to worry, about 4,000 of them, including staff. You should worry and be aware of that fact.

 

OMG, I actually find myself in agreement with knucklehead for a change! LOL...your post above, also...was exactly my thought as I read through this board. Natalee didn't think anything would happen to her on her senior trip to Aruba, one of the "safest" Carribean islands, nor did her mom. Now her mom will live with the decision to let her go on this trip the rest of her life...sad.

 

Jen

[huskerdude]

OMG, I actually find myself in agreement with knucklehead for a change! LOL...your post above, also...was exactly my thought as I read through this board. Natalee didn't think anything would happen to her on her senior trip to Aruba, one of the "safest" Carribean islands, nor did her mom. Now her mom will live with the decision to let her go on this trip the rest of her life...sad.

 

Jen

 

My only problem with this thinking is that this could happen any where. Is it tragic, yes without question, but should you also not them out of the house because bad things happen?

We know personal tradgedy, we were told at 2:30 in the morning that our 19 yo son had died in an auto accident. Do we like wise not let our 17 yo daughter drive becasue it is dangerous? Of course not. Can bad situations be avoided? Yes. Teach your children right from wrong, stranger danger, not to miss curfew, because they are all for a reason. Their saftey, and our sanity:D .

If you want to hole up your child until college, or later, because there are bad things that can happen "out there" they may never learn to be an independant and responsible person. Again just MHO.

[babyher]

My only problem with this thinking is that this could happen any where. Is it tragic, yes without question, but should you also not them out of the house because bad things happen?

We know personal tradgedy, we were told at 2:30 in the morning that our 19 yo son had died in an auto accident. Do we like wise not let our 17 yo daughter drive becasue it is dangerous? Of course not. Can bad situations be avoided? Yes. Teach your children right from wrong, stranger danger, not to miss curfew, because they are all for a reason. Their saftey, and our sanity:D .

If you want to hole up your child until college, or later, because there are bad things that can happen "out there" they may never learn to be an independant and responsible person. Again just MHO.

 

Very true !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Right now you can keep them on a short leash and know every move they make, But at 18 and they are in college in a far away city living on their own and you don't know what they are doing? Do you make them live home and only go to a college they can drive to and be home by dinner? NO!!!!

 

Eventually they will move out of the house, either alone or with roomies, they will be 21 and working. Then the "My House my rules" line no longer flies. They will be making their own money, living in their own place, can smoke, drink, sleep with (sorry folks but it DOES happen) whoever , wherever, whenever.

 

That is not the time to start learning what life is all about, and when being sheltered all their life (despite a parents best intentions) can be detrimental.

 

Like Huskerdude said, You can't hide them from everything, you teach them to use their heads , use caution, stranger danger , and all that. Of course it isn't easy, But the world isn't always sunshine and roses and kids today need to know that and how to beware of certain things, how to protect themselves from certainthings, and to avoid other things.

 

life is a series of choices , some good, some bad, and all have consequences. Keeping them under lock and key is not the answer. Empower them with knowledge and then doleing out freedoms to them a little at a time as they show maturity and responcibility.

 

Great they have to be in the cabin by midnight, just pray the Whacko isn't out by the pool watching them at 11 in the morning. Anything can happen at any time any place.

 

Huskerdude , I am terribly terribly sorry for your loss.

[justaknucklehead]

Huskerdude, I am so sorry about your son. I can't imagine the pain of that phone call and what you live with every day. But, I have to tell you, I would put my kids in a protective bubble if I could. I always controlled what I could and forgot about the rest.

 

I think a cruise ship is only dangerous if people think they're safe. I just want them to be aware that they are not safe. Be aware of your surroundings and always walk around with others. There is safety in numbers.

[PhoenixCruiser]

We know personal tradgedy, we were told at 2:30 in the morning that our 19 yo son had died in an auto accident.

 

Huskerdude, I'm so very sorry to hear about your loss!

 

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[huskerdude]

Huskerdude, I am so sorry about your son. I can't imagine the pain of that phone call and what you live with every day. But, I have to tell you, I would put my kids in a protective bubble if I could. I always controlled what I could and forgot about the rest.

 

I think a cruise ship is only dangerous if people think they're safe. I just want them to be aware that they are not safe. Be aware of your surroundings and always walk around with others. There is safety in numbers.

 

Thanks everyone for the thoughts.

Here is a pic of our son, Jared, with his son, Joseph. Joseph was only 8 months old when he lost his father. Joseph is the light that keeps the memories of our son alive.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Very heavy heart here...Joseph is just adorable! ((((hugs))))

 

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[babyher]

Again so so sorry

 

 

 

God bless that beautiful baby he is just precious :)

[PartyHearty]

Parents NEVER stop worrying about thier young.

 

I am 49 yrs old and up until my mother passed away in 2001 I would always get a phone call if anything bad was on tv near my work place or on the route I take home. And whenever we would visit her and my dad I wolud always (and gladly) give her 2 rings on the phone to let her know we had got home safely. One time we actually forgot and went to bed and got a call from her a little while later wondering if we had arrived home. I do miss that a lot!

[herecomesthesun]

When I said there is absolutely no reason to worry, I did not at all mean that there are not real dangers. If you read my post again, I definitely acknowledged those dangers. However, if you set up a system with your child concerning curfew and their activities, there's no need to worry. Unfortunately, terrible things happen to children and teenagers all the time. That is why you should try and be as safe as possible. But sitting around worrying about it will not achieve anything.

 

I am 17 and live in the real world. I go out at night and do things unsupervised all the time, so to the poster who made the comment about being afraid of dark hallways - its not like I am sheltered or anything. My mom has strict guidelines for me, though, and I abide by them and generally am responsible about my own safety. If I am out after dark, I almost always have a friend (preferably male) walk me to my car. That doesn't mean I'm afraid of life or the world, I am just trying to be responsible. When I first heard about Natalee Holloway, the first thing I thought was, "She shouldn't have gotten that drunk. She should have stayed with her friends the whole time. She should have never left with boys that were near strangers and left her friends behind." I'm not saying at all that she shouldn't have gone to Carlos n' Charlies, or been unsupervised, or even drank. She was 18 years old and it is perfectly legal for her to go out and have fun. She just should have been more responsible about it.