Nervous Mommy

[Elf Mommy]

I just let my kids ride on their scooters, 5 blocks away, to the grocery store to pick up 12 ears of corn for dinner. They called me when they got there. They called me again to ask if they could buy a drink. I'm sure they'll be on their way home in a few minutes.

I know I shouldn't be too nervous. ....sigh.... but it's that mother thing in me.

just sharing...

 

[Elf Mommy]

ok, home safe...nervous for nothin'

 

[JadeIcing]

Just a good mommy worried about her babies.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Its ok to be scared my mom was like that the first time we rode our bikes to Ci Ci pizza. I was 12 and my neice was 9.She had me and justus call when we got there and where headed home.

It was about 10 blocks from our house.

 

[Elf Mommy]

Yep, they are 12 and 9, too.

 

[slavetoabunny]

Haha....I remember when I was a kid and we didn't have cell phones and mom's didn't think twice about sending us to the store. It's a different world now.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

My parents gave my brother and I pretty free reign growing up, but we always lived in the middle of gigantic neighborhoods that were very safe. We were allowed to ride our bikes to the school though or across a busy road to another neighborhood to see friends, and with permission we could go to the gas station for an ice cream which was about a mile away. This was when I was 6-10 years old and in the early 1990s. I'm glad I had that freedom. Some of my friends' parents were much, much stricter- I had a friend whose mom wouldn't let her out of the yard and she was 11 years old!

Incidentally, my own mother was kidnapped and had bad things done to her when she was walking home from kindergarten with a bunch of other kids in the 1950s, again in a nice neighborhood, so bad things can happen regardless of where you live and things are not less safe now than they used to be

Kudos to you for letting your kids go out on their own! I'm sure they had a great time and felt like they did something important for you since they got the corn :biggrin2:

 

[irishbunny]

slavetoabunny wrote:

Haha....I remember when I was a kid and we didn't have cell phones and mom's didn't think twice about sending us to the store. It's a different world now.

My Mam always tells us stories like that now, how they used to just go off playing for the whole day without coming back and her Mother was never worried, now my Mam wants to always know where we are all the time, things have changed.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

LOL! Don't feel silly, Minda. I am still nervous when my 18 year old drives into town!!

I was supposed to take my daughter to a concert later in the summer - it's not working out for me to be there.... I am letting my niece take her.... I'm already nervous!

 

[Elf Mommy]

Crazy, isn't it? They did well, but I don't think it will be happening on a regular basis yet.

 

[Numbat]

It's perfectly normal to be worried, just shows how much you love your babies When I was 12 I was walking to and from school and taking public transport into the city by myself even when I wanted a lift.

 

[maherwoman]

I just recently went through something similar...just letting Em go across the street ahead of time to go to play at the park. Thankfully, the neighborhood is very safe, so you see kids alone at the park at Em's age ALL THE TIME. In fact, you rarely see kids her age WITH their parents.

Still, though, coming from LA, it was really tough for me!! We had her check in and everything! She loved the freedom, but I was a nervous WRECK!

Little by little...it's hard, but we moms have gotta do it!

:hug:

 

[SOOOSKA]

slavetoabunny wrote:

Haha....I remember when I was a kid and we didn't have cell phones and mom's didn't think twice about sending us to the store. It's a different world now.

I was thinking the same thing Patti. Gosh time have changed. I remember playing outside for hours and my parents did not worry one bit that something would happen to us except fall and scrape our knee.

Susan

 

[wabbitmom12]

maherwoman wrote:

Little by little...it's hard, but we moms have gotta do it!

:hug:

So true! Our 14 year old rides her bike to the library (about 1 1/2 miles). I feel better knowing she has her phone with her, and the route is busy with traffic (so it's doubtful anyone could snatch her). I get a little extra nervous because she looks young for her age, so some creep might think she's an easier target, but we've talked a lot about what to do in an emergency. The more often often she handles it successfully, the more confident she (and I) feel/s!

We actually started with letting her ride to the convenience store that is 1/2 way, about a year ago, by herself. Before that, she was allowed to ride there with a friend her age. And before that, she could go with her older brother. So it really is a matter of going little by little.

 

[Numbat]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

Our 14 year old rides her bike to the library (about 1 1/2 miles). I feel better knowing she has her phone with her, and the route is busy with traffic (so it's doubtful anyone could snatch her). I get a little extra nervous because she looks young for her age, so some creep might think she's an easier target, but we've talked a lot about what to do in an emergency. The more often often she handles it successfully, the more confident she (and I) feel/s!

We actually started with letting her ride to the convenience store that is 1/2 way, about a year ago, by herself. Before that, she was allowed to ride there with a friend her age. And before that, she could go with her older brother. So it really is a matter of going little by little.

For me that's kind of funny because my parents don't just let me go everywhere by myself, they won't go with me! The usual rule is just get home before dark. My mum's parents were really overprotective of her and when she moved out (a bit early) she was pretty naive, so she lets me have more freedom.

 

[Saudade]

I hate overprotective parents.

Though considering when I finally have kids I will probably get them Lojacked. I can only hope that by the time they're old enough to be wanting to go to places on their own they'll have enough common sense to avoid situations that could put them in to danger.

 

[Numbat]

Saudade wrote:

I hate overprotective parents.

It's only because they love their kids so much :hearts: but yes you have to let go of them sometime. It's easy to become overprotective when it comes to your child's safety but sometimes it's better to let go and let them do it their way. However it's all about balance and this is all coming from a child I could go on and on but I'll shut up now :biggrin2:

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

During the summer we where never home. My mom had us up by 8 out the door by 9 and we switch witch parent fed us lunch. There where seven of us so each parent had a day that parent would call the other parents and say we made it in for lunch.

Normally played video games for a hour then went back outside. This was as far back as I can remember.

I had to be home by the time the street lights came on. It was not dark yet but getting there very quickly. Ifr I was not I had to stay in the next day and boy did I hate that.

So we where gone all day without worry. But I did not even had my own cell phone tell I turned 18 and could pay for it myself. Now my 11 year old niece hasa cell phone?????????

What does she need that for?????? My other neice now 16 I think takes all the younger one on bike rides to Ci Ci pizza a little farther now cause they moved locations. But they are all in the age of 8 to 13 so they enjoy it then and its a group of like 10 kids.

 

[wabbitmom12]

Numbat wrote:

Saudade wrote:

I hate overprotective parents.

It's only because they love their kids so much :hearts: but yes you have to let go of them sometime. It's easy to become overprotective when it comes to your child's safety but sometimes it's better to let go and let them do it their way. However it's all about balance and this is all coming from a child I could go on and on but I'll shut up now :biggrin2:

Yes, balance is definitely the key. You can't just unleash your kids when they turn 12 and say, "See ya when ya get home!" Being safe is like any other skill...it is LEARNED. You keep giving them more (age appropriate) freedoms, as they prove that they can handle the situations that come up. And you talk, talk, talk about it a lot.

MRS PBJ ~ The whole cell phone thing for youngsters does seem a bit weird, but it really can be good for safety. Even my very tall son, when he was 14, had some creep try to give him a ride home from a basketball game...and wouldn't take no for an answer! So Josh whipped out his phone and said, "I'm dialing 911 right now!" The guy took off like a bullet out of a gun, so you know he was up to no good. The funny thing was, Josh told me later, "My phone battery had run down earlier, so I couldn't make any calls...but I figured he didn't know that!" SMART THINKING!!

My daughter has had a part time job since last September, so we had made the bargain that she could have the phone, as long as she was keeping a job. It's been a good incentive for her.

These days, the phones are an important social tool for the kids. We used to talk on the phone (landlines, of course) for hours at that age, until our parents threatened bodily harm if we didn't hang up. Now they text back and forth, more than talk on the phone. I don't see any harm in it, and if you make it an earned privilege, not a right, then they aren't being spoiled. And have some good conversations about using them for safety, of course!

 

[Becca]

Because there isn't many people in my village that aren't...how do I say it..err druggies? h34r2 Now my village isn't like rough or anything but I'd rather live somewhere that had my friends so I could go out and stuff because I think I'd go out more if I did.... so whenever I do go out like walk to the shop or something I have to text my mum when I get there when i'm on the way back etc etc...i'm nearly 14!!
And if I do forget to text her (a mistake I've made whoops) she gets in a massive mood with me...:?
Its kinda annoying...I want to live in the next village with my best mate - a lot of my friends live there - I understand shes being protective but I'm not stupid...in fact a lot of her worrying rubs off on me...now I'm always wary of people around the village wondering whether their following me and what they're going to do. I just want to relax and hang out with my friends...:twitch: