Would you let your teen goto the mall alone for an hour? At what age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FFS. At age 15 I had a JOB at a mall.

Unclench, lady.

Haha

Me too and I took the city bus to get their got home at ten ish and had to walk a mile to my house - it was good for me!

Yes. Would let my 12-year old go no problem. Probably not my 11-year old - she is a bit anxious and wouldn't want to on her own anyway.

Kids today get no independence. How are they going to function when they go to college, people???

[Anonymous]

Our mall won’t let unaccompanied teens under age 16 roam. Then ages 16-18 can be together in groups larger than 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FFS. At age 15 I had a JOB at a mall.

Unclench, lady.

SAME!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our mall won’t let unaccompanied teens under age 16 roam. Then ages 16-18 can be together in groups larger than 4.

This is normal, whether it’s a stated rule or not. It has nothing to do with an individual’s behavior and everything to do with the mall and stores not wanting rowdy behavior, drugs and/or shoplifting.

[Anonymous]

I dropped mine off at the mall and got a call about 20 mins. later to come pick him up. Security escorted him out because he was underage and sat with him until I got there to make sure he didn't re-enter through another door.

He wasn't with a group of friends or meeting friends. He had some Xmas gift cards that he wanted to use to buy clothes on his own.

He was so embarrassed about being escorted out and then babysat outside of the mall that he didn't go back there for a year after. He just shopped online, showed me stuff online to buy him in the store, and if I saw something I thought he'd like, I'd facetime him.

Just total crazyness! I understand not wanting groups of minors in the mall, but to not let them in at all to shop unsupervised? They can work there but not shop there? That's just insanity. No wonder brick-and-mortar stores are dying.

Hell, I probably single-handedly kept Auntie Annes, The Limited, and Icing in business when I was a teen. We spent every Friday night pre-football game there in the food court and then every Saturday night there. So many paychecks were blown there. So many lies of "no, I'm not going to buy anything, mom, gosh, chill out!" were told by me each weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an errand to do near the mall today, my son suggested that he goto the mall while I am out doing my errand. He is 14 and does not usually go places alone except in the neighborhood. Would you let a 14 year old goto the mall alone for an hour? It's a nice kind of upscale mall if it matters any. On the one hand everyone says 14 is almost an adult. On the other hand I am not sure I want him there without me, even though I know he would be fine.

If you are this worried about a 14yo left alone for an hour, then frankly I think he should be left at the mall for an hour. He probably needs the confidence builder and independence. I would also consider (seriously) an outward bound-type program for him this summer or next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dropped mine off at the mall and got a call about 20 mins. later to come pick him up. Security escorted him out because he was underage and sat with him until I got there to make sure he didn't re-enter through another door.

He wasn't with a group of friends or meeting friends. He had some Xmas gift cards that he wanted to use to buy clothes on his own.

He was so embarrassed about being escorted out and then babysat outside of the mall that he didn't go back there for a year after. He just shopped online, showed me stuff online to buy him in the store, and if I saw something I thought he'd like, I'd facetime him.

Just total crazyness! I understand not wanting groups of minors in the mall, but to not let them in at all to shop unsupervised? They can work there but not shop there? That's just insanity. No wonder brick-and-mortar stores are dying.

Hell, I probably single-handedly kept Auntie Annes, The Limited, and Icing in business when I was a teen. We spent every Friday night pre-football game there in the food court and then every Saturday night there. So many paychecks were blown there. So many lies of "no, I'm not going to buy anything, mom, gosh, chill out!" were told by me each weekend.

Wow! That's crazy. How old was he?

[Anonymous]

At 14? Yes.

But I would also assume that by 14 your child has done many other things out of the house alone. If that's not the case, now is the time to start with small excursions and time alone in public settings. A mall is a great place to start.

If you don't help him learn to navigate this, how will he learn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dropped mine off at the mall and got a call about 20 mins. later to come pick him up. Security escorted him out because he was underage and sat with him until I got there to make sure he didn't re-enter through another door.

He wasn't with a group of friends or meeting friends. He had some Xmas gift cards that he wanted to use to buy clothes on his own.

He was so embarrassed about being escorted out and then babysat outside of the mall that he didn't go back there for a year after. He just shopped online, showed me stuff online to buy him in the store, and if I saw something I thought he'd like, I'd facetime him.

Just total crazyness! I understand not wanting groups of minors in the mall, but to not let them in at all to shop unsupervised? They can work there but not shop there? That's just insanity. No wonder brick-and-mortar stores are dying.

Hell, I probably single-handedly kept Auntie Annes, The Limited, and Icing in business when I was a teen. We spent every Friday night pre-football game there in the food court and then every Saturday night there. So many paychecks were blown there. So many lies of "no, I'm not going to buy anything, mom, gosh, chill out!" were told by me each weekend.

How old? This doesn't seem legal. If he was 10, ok. But if he was 14/15? I'd be finding my way to mall management.

Wow! That's crazy. How old was he?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be okay with my 13 year old visiting a particular store or the food court while I was doing something else at the mall. I don't know how I'd feel about dropping him off and driving away. Maybe I'd do that at age 15-16 for an hour or so. I think the biggest problem is that unchaperoned teenagers are not welcome at the malls anymore. Store clerks and security do not want to supervise them.

I think some of you guys are seriously overprotective! 16 for an hour? They can have a job at 16. What do you think is going to happen at the mall, for goodness’ sake! They know not to leave with a stranger, right? Supervised? What supervision is necessary?!

I totally agree! Such helicopter parenting!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be okay with my 13 year old visiting a particular store or the food court while I was doing something else at the mall. I don't know how I'd feel about dropping him off and driving away. Maybe I'd do that at age 15-16 for an hour or so. I think the biggest problem is that unchaperoned teenagers are not welcome at the malls anymore. Store clerks and security do not want to supervise them.

I think some of you guys are seriously overprotective! 16 for an hour? They can have a job at 16. What do you think is going to happen at the mall, for goodness’ sake! They know not to leave with a stranger, right? Supervised? What supervision is necessary?!

+100 These responses are ridiculous. And I am in no way a “free range” Mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be okay with my 13 year old visiting a particular store or the food court while I was doing something else at the mall. I don't know how I'd feel about dropping him off and driving away. Maybe I'd do that at age 15-16 for an hour or so. I think the biggest problem is that unchaperoned teenagers are not welcome at the malls anymore. Store clerks and security do not want to supervise them.

I think some of you guys are seriously overprotective! 16 for an hour? They can have a job at 16. What do you think is going to happen at the mall, for goodness’ sake! They know not to leave with a stranger, right? Supervised? What supervision is necessary?!

+100 These responses are ridiculous. And I am in no way a “free range” Mom.

so I had really strict parents and by 15 we had jobs and would be tasked with running errands for the family, all my friends too. this is bizarre!

[Anonymous]

Another helicopter mom here and I had a job at the mall before I even turned 15.

If someone can’t trust their teen to browse through the mall for an hour on their own then I think something big went wrong a long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dropped mine off at the mall and got a call about 20 mins. later to come pick him up. Security escorted him out because he was underage and sat with him until I got there to make sure he didn't re-enter through another door.

He wasn't with a group of friends or meeting friends. He had some Xmas gift cards that he wanted to use to buy clothes on his own.

He was so embarrassed about being escorted out and then babysat outside of the mall that he didn't go back there for a year after. He just shopped online, showed me stuff online to buy him in the store, and if I saw something I thought he'd like, I'd facetime him.

Just total crazyness! I understand not wanting groups of minors in the mall, but to not let them in at all to shop unsupervised? They can work there but not shop there? That's just insanity. No wonder brick-and-mortar stores are dying.

Hell, I probably single-handedly kept Auntie Annes, The Limited, and Icing in business when I was a teen. We spent every Friday night pre-football game there in the food court and then every Saturday night there. So many paychecks were blown there. So many lies of "no, I'm not going to buy anything, mom, gosh, chill out!" were told by me each weekend.

Wow! That's crazy. How old was he?

15!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dropped mine off at the mall and got a call about 20 mins. later to come pick him up. Security escorted him out because he was underage and sat with him until I got there to make sure he didn't re-enter through another door.

He wasn't with a group of friends or meeting friends. He had some Xmas gift cards that he wanted to use to buy clothes on his own.

He was so embarrassed about being escorted out and then babysat outside of the mall that he didn't go back there for a year after. He just shopped online, showed me stuff online to buy him in the store, and if I saw something I thought he'd like, I'd facetime him.

Just total crazyness! I understand not wanting groups of minors in the mall, but to not let them in at all to shop unsupervised? They can work there but not shop there? That's just insanity. No wonder brick-and-mortar stores are dying.

Hell, I probably single-handedly kept Auntie Annes, The Limited, and Icing in business when I was a teen. We spent every Friday night pre-football game there in the food court and then every Saturday night there. So many paychecks were blown there. So many lies of "no, I'm not going to buy anything, mom, gosh, chill out!" were told by me each weekend.

Wow! That's crazy. How old was he?

15!

What mall? That’s nuts.