Rant about other parents!

[KG]

My son spent the night at a friends. I've been friends with the parents for years. I specifically told the mother that he is inexperienced riding bikes on the road, and that he not be allowed to. I also mentioned that due to a tight schedule, he should be ready at 1 PM.

I get there, the 2 boys are gone...the parents explained that my son had practised in the driveway, so they let the boys go riding...but didn't know where they were...this is very rural location, and drivers fly down this road!

I finally find them, riding on the wrong side, in the middle of the lane, approaching a hill! My first thought was "I'm going to see a car come over that hill and kill my son!"

After getting them to the friends house...TENSE!!!!!, on the way home I found out they had been biking, sans helmets all day. They went 6 miles to an off limits rocky gorge, with permission. They crossed 2 major thourofares, with permission.

Then in the afternoon, they rode into the next town, hence no one knowing where they were.

I am so stressed that these parents would do this, didn't try to ask me if it was OK, then have the guts to tell me they didn't know where my son was.

Never going back there again. WHO DOES THIS???????

[livinginsbi]

I can certainly relate! I had been astounded many times about what other parents would let their kids, and mine along with them, do. Very inconsiderate

[thejigsup]

I know this goes against today's notions of protecting kids from everything, but I think exploring their world is how they learn. When I was a kid, we took our bikes out and told our parents where we were going, with whom, and what time we would get back. We lived. Did we do stupid things? Heck yeah! That was part of the adventure of being a child. My son was allowed much freedom to come and go at a fairly young age. At twenty, he is very independent and can get anywhere he wants in L. A. without a car. Do I worry? Sometimes, but he has always thanked me for not being overprotective like his friends' parents when he was growing up. I know what worry is, and I do understand your point. It's just that I think adventure is worth the risk. I was injured a few times in my youth, but my mother never derailed me. As an adult, I am not scared to try new things and I am very self-sufficient.

[agent1607307371]

definitely. But... how old is your son KG?

[Lana0120]

I think regardless of how old your son is, the fact that the parents disrespected your wishes like that is unacceptable. I don't understand why people would let out a boy on the road, unsupervised, knowing that he was inexperienced!

[afonselaca]

The friend's parents disregarded his specific instructions from him. If they didn't want to or feel the need to keep a tight rein on the kids (and actually supervise them) they should have alerted him to that fact so he could have made the choice to leave his kid or not. They didn't respect his wishes but led him to believe they were on the same page.

 

Ultimately, you can't control what is going on unless kids are always at your house under your supervision sadly enough.

[avman]

I'd have been upset too if I were you. They completely disregarded your wishes and that's really irritating.

 

But if you've been friends with the parents for years, do you think you have a good enough relationship where you can talk to them about this? Frame your concerns about your son and tell them that you were really disappointed and upset that your wishes were totally disregarded. Maybe you can work this out so that the next time you son gets together with their kids it will go better.

[healthseeker]

I would not take my son back to their house ever!