She wants to go with four friends once the Ganesh festival starts. Evening, after school, by metro. I said no. She said everyone else's parents have said yes. I asked for names. She stopped talking to me. I'm not against her going. I'm against the evening crowd. Is there a version of this that other parents of teens have agreed to?
Find out what 'everyone' means. In my experience it is usually two families, and one of them has said 'we'll see'. A quick call to one parent tends to settle it. If you want to say yes in some form, a weekend morning is a different crowd altogether.
the 'everyone's parents said yes' line is coming for me in a few years. what did she say when you asked for names
it comes sooner than you'd think. mine tried it at 12. calling one other parent usually shrinks the story. 'everyone' became 'two of us and maybe one more'
We went as a family last year, on an evening during the first week, and I would not send a group of teenagers at that hour. It took us a long time just to move a short distance near the queue. A daytime visit on a weekday, with a fixed time to message you on reaching and on leaving, seems much more manageable. She may find that less exciting, but it is still a yes.
Keep going
More from the parents who were here.