After picking my 12-year-old up from camp today, she asked if she could sleep at a new friend’s house. I wanted to scream “Hell no! I don’t know this girl or her family.” Instead, I said I don’t know and expressed my concerns. I told her I’d think about it and we endured about 10 minutes of silence. Then I tried to get information from her on the new friend.
Parent: What is her last name?
Child: I don’t know
Parent: What does she do on the weekends?
Child: I know she skis Parent: Is she involved in any sports?
Child: I think she plays soccer. Parent: Where does she live?
Child: I don’t know.
Parent: What do her parents do?
Child: Through tightly squeezed and annoyed eyes, “We don’t talk about our parents.”
So I know she is starting the separation process from us, but I’m not ready. I’m terrified in fact.
Luckily the girl never followed up for the sleep over, but what would you do?
