How old is old enough?

[graygables]

My DDs range from 21 to 8 as a reference to my experience, and based on that:
14-15 for the parks, although they have to keep in touch via cell and meet up for dinner. Family dinner is a requirement.

Allowance. What's that? They get room and board and do chores to contribute to the functioning of the household in which they live. When they are old enough, they can begin to do extra jobs (i.e. help package items for my business, help MIL with her house, help FIL with his gardening/farming work) for a paycheck. That is the money they use for disposable income. When they are 15/16, they are expected to get a job to pay for their car, insurance, and a certain amount of clothing.

Bedtime: never really had much of a set one at our house (I didn't grow up with one, either). We homeschool and have naturally gravitated to 10-11pm, so DDs don't complain about going to bed.

Cell phone: 8 & 10 yo DDs have one to share. They don't call anyone but me or DH (or Grandma) and it is primarily for emergency use only. As long as they know that it isn't for gabbing with friends, I don't think 8 is too young at all. Since we do homeschool, DDs are often dropped off at various activities (skating, dance, church, OT, art) and I need them to be able to contact me in case of an emergency or a change in plans (and vice versa).

 

[earthyfamily]

Are you saying that if you went to the parks when your kids were 19, 18, and 15, you would insist that the family stay together the entire trip? No splits so that they could do Everest one more time while you take in the Lion King show one more time? Surely there is some age you think it's appropriate.

Yes that's exactly what I'm saying. It's just too dangerous to begin with and we don't believe in unchaperoned events. When our children are old enough to "date" it won't be like the traditional dates children now these days go on. It will be with either me or dh or both and it will be with someone that they really believe they could have a future with. Dh and I don't believe in dating just to be dating. But again we're not like most families. A family vacation means just that...family time all the time. Which is good for all of us. We never ever leave one another. We homeschool, we co-sleep, we eat every meal together. DH and I haven't been on a formal date since before our oldest was born and that's good for us. We wouldn't have it any other way.