Taking teens to the movies- or - the rules are different here.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by nimchimpsky

I was getting around alone and using public transportation by age 12.

Different topic, except on the point of overprotection, but yes, when my daughter was 14 and wanted to go to the mall all the time, I suggested she and her friends take the bus. The mall was about 8 miles away and the bus would go through three suburban towns. And it would be on a Saturday afternoon. I was shocked when all but one of the parents of her friends were horrified at the idea of their delicate little babies actually getting on the bus. The parents of the one who let her go are from Germany. What's wrong with these people? Why wouldn't you WANT your kid to learn to use public transportation???? Are you going to allow them to become adults and not know how to take a bus or a train?????

[jasper12]

I think that 14 is plenty old enough to go to movies at night, with a friend, and be picked up and dropped off. Especially in these days of cell phones. And, I do think that at age 14, even in major metropolitan areas, that 14 year old girls can go places, like the mall, alone during the day, if they don't have a friend to go with. And take the train or bus to get there.

[Katarina Witt]

I grew up taking public transportation; my brother and I would take the bus "downtown" (a suburban dt) at ages 10-11, alone. If my kids could have taken the bus to the mall, they probably would have. They used to take the bus to a ski area as teens.

[amanda0808]

As a youth, I was dropped off at the movies with my friends once I turned 12. We felt completely safe and our parents didnt worry. My son is 10 and as of right now, if he and his friends want to go to the movies, either I'll take them or I'll make sure one of the other parents takes them. However, I feel that 12 is a good age to let them go by themselves (as long as the parent trusts the kids, that is).