Our son went on an overnight campout with some high school friends when he was a senior. I didn't know the parents, but I trusted my son and his friends implicitly. That's the only time till he went to college.

I'd be interested in a better definition of "not our close friends." To be honest, I wouldn't trust my daughter with people unless I knew them extremely well. Not so much because she's a girl, but because she's the type who will always push the limits of what's allowed. I suspect Busy Girl is more like our son.

My 10yo daughter has only gone out of town with relatives or very close friends, so I am interested to read the comments as well. She is so not trustworthy yet, in the sense of noticing what's around her and being aware of her own safety. I sometimes wonder how she's made it to 10 without wandering cluelessly into traffic.

And since I'm reading this Thursday morning, after the morning news, I'm wondering if Busy Girl will be flying, and if so, are her plans changing now?

my youngest went off on an airplane! all the way to Key West! with a family when he was 10! And, they took him hang gliding! Over the ocean! EEEKKK!!!
I feel yer pain, gurl! :/ haha . We lived through it, tho. My kids have gone on many great vacations, thru friends.

I'm still trying to figure out how old my toddler has to be before I can leave her at birthday parties, rather than enjoying it with her. Good luck! xoxo

Both of my oldest kiddos (14, 15) went away with other families this summer on vacation. I was a bit nervous since I really didn't KNOW-know these parents, but I do trust my kids, and everything was fine.

Enjoy the quiet time. I did. :-)

If your daughter wants to go, I think that says a lot! I mean it's not like you're forcing her to go away (it's not, is it?) So this is a friend she likes and a family she feels comfortable with --- and you do too since you've agreed to let her go, albeit with a little bit of doubt and reservation. I think it will be important to find out how she felt when she was gone -- comfortable/cared for/tended to, etc. And if you would like to take MY daughter away with you next time --- from this post I know that I would be very fine with it!! :-)

Heck if I know. I still don't let Hula Girl ride her bike past the stop sign at the end of our block. I wouldn't be a good person to ask I'm afraid. I think my answer would be something like....30!

I think once they turn 12-13 is ok, my daughter went to SC with friends and had to get a plane (alone) from Nashville to WI and that was they only problem we had, but that is United's fault......they didn't even know where there plane was....which obviously ticked me off. If I can help it, I will never fly United again.

D-e-e-p b-r-e-a-t-h-s.
She'll be fine.

Also? What's the worst that could happen?

Wait. Don't answer that.

Seeing what I see everyday, they will be lucky to go off with our close friends.
Sigh, poor kiddos.

But, my friends all remind me that we have to let them learn how to deal with all of the things that life throws at us and we don't want them to be needy, dependent kids unable to cope.

My daughter started going away with friends families just this past year. Most of the kids we know go to camp all summer, which leaves little opportunity for going away, but this past year she got to go on a quick trip to PARIS with a friend and their family. Yeah, life is SOOO tough.

I just sent my 11 y/o son off by himself to visit with family in another state. While it is with close family he still traveled (flew) alone for the first time. When my daughter was younger we took her best friend on vacations with us... They were 12 or 13 at the time.

what do think is a good age for kids to travel with other families? What's been your experience with it? Will you hold me tomorrow?

1. Personally I think around 35 years old I might be ready for my daughter to do this.

2. honestly... None! (and plan to keep it that way)

3. But of course :)

Im so with Hula Doula on this one. Twice a year I have to put my 13 year old on a plane by herself to visit her dad, but only because she wants too, not because I let her. This year (13) she has finally been allowed to ride to the next stop-sign. I'm sure she will be fine though. Really.

Don't worry, BM. Everything will be fine. As long as you have all the info and are in constant contact, it'll be a great experience for Busy Girl.

Besides, it's all relative, isn't it? I actually went to sleepaway camp for two months when I was only 8 years old. Being relatively new immigrants, my parents just didn't know any better. I was the youngest kid at camp by more than two years. But it all worked out just fine.

The only time my parents allowed me to go on a trip was when I was 17 and it was with my boyfriend & his family (bad judgement on their part - the boyfriend, not my age).
Seriously tho, my parents starting allowing us to bring a friend on our yearly trip to Lake Tahoe when I was around 13. Mainly because they didn't want to have to entertain us all the time and having a friend made the whole thing easier. With the friend, I did plenty of "rebelious" things - like kiss a boy for the first time. Ok, I'm probably starting to make you feel worse about your daughter's trip. The point is, she'll be fine, she'll do things that she normally wouldn't do at home, but that's exactly what she should be doing. And I'm sure she'll tell you all about it when she gets home (well, maybe not the kissing boys part, but the rest of it).

OH Busy! I just let my 18 year old go to Nashville with some other girls between 18 and 25, for the weekend. THAT was SCARY! No Real grown up went and I tried not to TOTALLY FREAK OUT! I think busy girl will be alright....but this is coming from someone who has an 18 year old without a drivers liscence, because the 18 year old is too chicken to take the test. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is just the beginning!!!!!

sit down, have a drink and a valium and relax! : ) Busy Girl will be just fine going out of town with another family. Now, TPFKABB - that's a different story! Heck, I think Busy Boy would even be fine, depending who he was going with. But the girl, that's another story - she's been away from y'all for extended periods of time and if she is friends with the kid, then she will be pre-occupied with her, hence - no missing mommy! sorry Biz - she's tearing away at the spped of lightening and there's no stopping it now. 7th grade was our worst year in terms of New Orleans Teen breaking away and wanting independence. we had to learn how to do it and TRUST is the key! This is only the beginning too. Now, N.O.T. has all new friends from other schools and I do not know any of them nor their parents... now THAT is hard to deal with. But, deal I must and trust I must... so you can learn to do it too! : ) and YES! It will all be OK!

now - chug (not sip) that drink! : )

She's going to be great and have fun and come back just a little bit more ready for life in a good way. It's great you are letting her and great that she wants to. FABULOUS.

Kel got on a plane by herself to head to Arizona all alone when she was ten. She was met there by her grandparents, of course. But up to that point the flight was by herself. She went on a cross-country drive with her friend and family a couple of times during the summer (a couple of weeks at a time) at the pre-teen age and LOVED it. I didn't know them all that well. It was SO GOOD for her.

All of these adventures help prepare them for the big stuff. Like flying off to Japan for two weeks with other high school and college kids at 16 and a few adults you've never even MET. ACK. With word that you probably won't even HEAR from her the entire time. *WHAT???* It's more preparation of MOMMY for these things to come than kiddo, I think. :)

Now that I think of it? She was 7 when she made that flight alone to see the grandparents. My bad.

When my daughter was 15 she went away with a family we did not know as well either. But her friend was well brought up, and polite. the Dad was a minister, and my daughter was quite self sufficient.My daughter snuck away to the only phone on the campgrounds to tell me how horrible the trip was. It seems the hghlight of camping with this family was driving around after dark and shinning flashlights on deer. Suddenly going on vacation withher own family was not such a chore!

I'm sure you wouldn't let her go unless you trusted the parents, right? We've never really dealt with this until they were around 16 or so. Sorry I can't help more!

I went away with friends for the first time when I was 16, but that was many years ago! Kids do everything younger now. At some point, we have to hope they will remember everything we've taught them. I'm sure it will go well and it's a good experience for both of you.

I'm a horrible person to ask because my kids are both still toddlers and just reading the question is making me break out in a cold sweat. Eeek!

That's tough. My older girls have been going off with friends forever, but now that I think of it, we've always known their parents very well...

I guess team sports are a good thing in this case, because the girls always end up being close friends with girls on their soccer teams- and we have ample opportunities to get to know their parents because we're always at games and practices and generally the girls end up on Dennis's rec teams as well.

I think 12 is a good age for the trip. It's a perfect time for her to spread her wings a bit.

... the summer after 7th grade I let BabyGirl go to Cancun, Mexico with her friends family.

Gulp. LOL.