Letting your teenager grow up and become more independent is a struggle. Parenting teenagers
As a feminist, I try hard to parent without labels but I do find myself treating the genders differently parenting boys throws up different challenges.
Dylan supports our local football team and over the past two years has gone to most Saturday afternoon home games. He goes with his two friends from primary school who is not at secondary school with. I love that this has maintained their friendship and I know that these two boys mean an awful lot to Dyl and this is what they do together.
Just recently he has started to ask to go to Tuesday night home games in addition to the Saturday games. This is just for local derby’s or in half term (like this week) and this is where I find parenting gets tricky.
Going to the game requires Dylan to bus to Cheltenham or meet his friends in Gloucester and then bus to Cheltenham. They left at five pm and it was already dark. I wasn’t too concerned because it was early. But the coming home requires the same journey back at about 9.30pm and then he walks home from the bus stop on his own. Finally getting in about 10.15 pm
Now I am not entirely comfortable with this, despite my husband having no such qualms! The ‘I used to do it’ mentality! Dyl is not quite yet 15 and statistically, I know boys are more likely to be a victim of crime than girls. Probably because we don’t let girls wander around in the same way we let boys. Read more on what-mums-can-teach-their-teenager-sons-about-keeping-women-safe.
As a parent I want to let Dylan grow up, I know that he is sensible and so are his friends, but where are my boundaries at this age? I am not sure.
Should I be treating my children differently because of their gender? After
I wish he didn’t want to go! But he doesn’t do much else so I don’t want to say no. Parenting teenagers
One Response
It’s hard isn’t it?! My two are 13 and 14 and a half and I actually struggle more with letting my eldest have freedom because he has Type 1 Diabetes and that gives me all sorts of worries…. but I do let them both have freedom within reason and according to how mature they both are. I don’t let either of them go far without a lift at night time though, even though it’s a pain I always drive them for my own peace of mind, but eventually I’ll have to and I will feel exactly like you do I think, torn!
Stevie x