4 16 Yr Guys--camping Alone For 3 Days..yes Or No?

[Katie]

My son and his 4 friends want to go camping this weekend. All the other parents have ok'd this. I laughed..and said NO way!

There will be NO adult supervison. The campsite is about 40 miles from home. They would eave Thursday night..and return Sunday sometime.

These kids are not bad kids..none of them have every been in any kind of trouble. But..I think..why tempt fate?

What do you all think...Am i being unfair?

[browneyes]

How mature acting are these 16 year olds?

[A kid at heart]

is this a state park or a campground?

[Katie]

I would say..a little immature. None of the guys are your typical 16 yr old, girl chasing,beer drinking..wild guys. In all honestly..I don't even know what they would do for 4 days?

I would worry about unsafe behavior..ie.jumping in the lake..off cliffs..ect, more than girls and alcohol. (definetely, not my kind of guys when I was 16).

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Oh, sounds like fun! LOL, well, if you like camping. Humm, since they are my age, I really have no idea what to tell you! You could let them go, let them have fun, and maybe let them get into some trouble. But, if they are responsible, then no trouble may take place. I'd go either way with this one, it really depends on what your personal views are on the situation. Good luck!

[A kid at heart]

if its a campground or state park, aren't they pretty much "patrolled". in state parks they have the rangers and in campgrounds they have rules and regulations and there are also tons of other campers around too.
I say let them go!

[Pumbaa_]

4 16 year olds alone for a weekend camping that far from home with no adults is just asking for problems, IMO. If they wantt o go camping so bad, pitch a tent in the backyard!

As someone whose familt camped alot growing up (which is why Pumbaa_ now only likes hotels ;)), we often came across groups of guys away for the weekend camping. They drank heavily, cruised for chickies, and were often load and boorish.

Most campgrounds will not let kids in without adult supervision. (I know I wouldn't want the liability of renting to 16 year olds!!!)

Can someone camp with them if they are so inclined? (I did this once with my cousin when she and her friends were seniors. They wanted to go away and I was a passable chaperone, what were they thinking!:p :p :p )

[JasonLyons]

send C.Ann out with them

[Katie]

My husband and I think the same way you do..I am not sure that the STATE Campground..will even let 16 yrs have a camp site without someone over 18 present.

One of the boys does have an older brother that is 18..but he is trouble! Dropped out of school..and drinks..so..I DON"T want him to supervise!

I may let my DS go down and visit Friday ngiht..but return by curfew(1200).

[bsnyder]

I think it depends on the 16 year old.

I might have let my older DS do this, if he had wanted to.

Younger DS, who is now 16, NO WAY!!!!

I really like the idea of having a chaparone, a cousin, or someone who is not a parent, but is still old enough to have some mature judgement, but that the boys think is "cool".

Good luck!

[bfeller]

Just my opinion, but I would not let a 16 year old go camping without an adult present.

[Pumbaa_]

Katie, make sure you post the outcome. I would love to know the outcome. (and how many discussions take place over the next week! LOL!)

Good luck!

[Ranatra]

I, myself, wouldn't be comfortable with this arrangement, not at 16.

[CBRorBust]

I wouldn't let them. That's just me. I have no explanation except that I was 16 not too long ago.

[SPAGo 98]

i'd repeat what tina said except that'd be silly. :D

[Mary Jo]

<font color=navy>Mine are 14 & 13 now, and I know that if this were to come up when they turned 16, I'd tell them no.

I wouldn't go away for the weekend and leave them alone at home unsupervised, nor let them go out of town & stay in a hotel/motel for a weekend w/o adult supervision, and in my opinion, letting them go camping is much worse.

I'd probably end up going, too, and staying in a separate tent.

[MerryPoppins]

Nope. Not at 16. Too many things could come up.

Let us know what happens and good luck to you! If you say no, I'm sure life will be interesting at your house. :rolleyes:

[Laurabearz]

Another vote for NO.... One night maybe.... maybe.... Too much could happen....

What springs to mind is those two teenage girls that got car jacked at 2 in the morning..... Why were they out so late???

[Michelle]

Heck NO, I wouldn't even consider it. :)

Sixteen is way too young for four unsupervised kids to take a four-day trip alone. There is just so much that could possibly go wrong. I'd set 18 as a minimum age for a trip like that.

I think your compromise of letting him go hang out for an evening and come home is a good one. :)

[catsrule]

Well, I sure wouldn't let a 16 year old female because of all the weirdos out there, so with equal rights and everything I would say no to a 16 year old male too.

[disykat]

No. It wouldn't matter to me how mature the kids were. Unless they are legally emancipated, in my book kids under 18 should always have an adult around to check in with.

[KarenB]

NOPE>>>>>too young, too long, too far away, too many temptations, too much peer pressure can build up in 4 days...just too much!!!

Karen

[Boo'sMom]

nope.....I'd consider letting them have their own campsite if there was parental supervision a couple of sites away...you know in case of some emergency they couldn't handle.....

[Mickeyfaniam]

another NO here...my son is 17 and a very good kid and I still wouldn't let him go camping for 4 days without an adult.

[Gillian]

I wouldn't want to be camping next to them! Good kids or not, it just seems too young.

[Kermit]

16 year olds do stupid stuff when they're together with no adults to look over them. I think you definitely made the right decision.

[The Mystery Machine]

If it was my kid, I would tell him scrape up a male adult to chaperone and then *help* drive them down there and set up. So it is compromising, right?

LOL, I can't wait for my turn at the parenting fun, :p .

[jsmith]

Ok, I think I will be the sort of minority here-It would depend on the circumstances and the kid. I grew up in Wyoming and Colorado in the mountains and around horses. By sixteen, I had been on numerous back country backpacking or horse packing trips as had my brother, and as have my sons. My brother and his best friends took a trip exactly as you describe between their junior and senior years of high school in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks and had a great time. They fished, hiked and slept in the truck instead of a tent because it was less work. Yes, they chased girls but not seriously and they probably drank beer, although they never admitted it and they knew better than to drive if they did.
For the right kid in the right circumstances no problem-for one of my boys I would say yes-he is well versed in emergency procedures and familiar with the wilderness, and even what to do in the event he ecounters dangerous wildlife (of the 4 legged varity at least). The other one is a city boy through and through and there is no way I would let him do this even if he wanted too.
You know your son and whether he can be trusted doing this or not better than any of us.

[Kitty 34]

My DS will be 16 this winter and no, I don't think I would let him go camping next summer with his friends unless there was a parent there. My DS is a great kid and has (so far) made great choices.....as you said, why tempt them!!:D

[CamColt]

Im usually one who votes for "let the kids go" whether its a spring break thread or stuff like that. But this one with 16yr olds in the woods really has me torn. If its a well patrolled place like others have mentioned, then maybe. But if they are just going out in the woods somewhere secluded, Id probably say no. Even if they were 17, I might be more inclined to say yes, but 16 just seems so young to me.

[Talking Hands]

No way. Not without supervision. I am just allowing my 20 yo stay at home alone in 2 weeks while DH and I go to Orlando and 24 yo goes too but separately. In this day and age it just is not safe.

[Serena]

Ditto what Jsmith said.

Otherwise, not without a respectable, responsible adult.

[Kallison]

I was a sneaky, bad, conniving, drinking beer in the cornfield 16 year old so I vote NO!

My kids aren't going to be able to do anything - lol!