Teens/preteens, the mall, weeknights... My mind is made up, but what's YOUR policy?

[Disney1fan2002]

Our mall has a policy that teens must be with a chaperone/parent at night. I love it.

Jackie

How do they enforce this?

 

[KelNottAt]

Well, we don't have a mall (close enough for "hang out"), so the kids have never asked. It makes me wonder, though, if they ever would be interested in that sort of thing.

I voted "something else" because - I suppose - I'd make my decision on a case-by-case basis: how many other kids? what other kids? how long? etc.

Barb, if your dd wants to go to The Mall in Columbia, I definitely think you made the right decision. That place is way to chaotic for two 12 yos alone. Maybe in a year or 2.

 

[snowwite]

My DS is 13 and he goes with pals to Games Workshop in the mall where they build and paint military guys and make terrains and then host battles. He has a cell phone and we make unannounced visits to check on him.Sometime we get them movie ticlets and they go to a show while I shop or see another show or even the same one in a different row.There are 4 malls within 20 mins of my home. There is only one I let him go to alone. One of them is frequented by gangs,another is all up scale shops and the last one has nothing for the kids to do. The one they go to has a hobby store that has card games,games workshop,an arcade,a dollar store, a lowes cinema,several restaurants,craft htore and cheaper stores the kids can shop in as well as a strong police presence.It all depends where you live and how mature is your child.

 

[Planogirl]

How do they enforce this?

I think that they randomly card kids from what I've heard.

Our mall is on the fence about this. Primarily because the local kids spend a lot of money there plus the theater is right in the middle of the mall.

To each their own.

 

[Buckalew11]

DD is 12 and some of her friends already do this. Nope, hanging out at the mall isn't an option. We can shop at the mall whenever she wants but she won't be "hanging out" at the mall.

 

[Brittney85111]

Hi, I'm 20 so obviously old enough to go to all malls by myself now.

However, I would have been furious with my parents if they hadn't allowed me to go to the mall with friends while in high school. I never went to the mall to "hang out" though and I'm sure all these rules in place at some malls do stop the kids who aren't there to browse and shop but its really not fair to kids who are 15-17 who are there to actually shop. I had so much fun shopping at the mall with my sister, cousins, and friends in high school that I would be very sad if I couldn't have those memories.

Also at 16, I worked in the mall. It would have been pretty annoying to have to prove that I worked there and was allowed to be in the mall without a parent multiple times on the way to my job.

I do agree that is up to the parent to keep their kids home if they think that is safer or just what they think is right, but I don't think the mall should be able to enforce these rules. Just my opinion.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree Britney. Loitering should be against the rules no matter what your age is. If someone is shopping or eating or seeing a movie, I don't think it's fair to harass them just because they're 16 or whatever.

 

[va32h]

My oldest is only ten, so this is not an issue for us yet. But I can't see myself letting her be at the mall alone at the age of 12, or even 14.

I think I was 13 or so when my mom would let me walk around the tiny, one-level mall with friends, during the day, and 15 when I got to go to the "big" mall with friends, during the day.

But it just seems like things were different then...(although I know they are probably not). I was not a savvy kid, I could have easily been kidnapped or lured away, I never paid attention to my surroundings, and was too trusting.

When I see something on the news like the girl in Florida, who was kidnapped off the street in broad daylight with a security camera catching the whole thing...I just can't imagine ever letting my kids go anywhere without me!

It will definitely be a decision I dread having to make - when they are old enough to get a little freedom.

 

[PixieDust32]

At 12 years old and Girls? NO way, I don't think so.

She (my DD 12) only goes to the mall or else where with me. My DS 17 goes sometimes maybe once a month to the mall to see a movie with his friends, but he is 17 and I drop them off and pick them up.

 

[kristen821]

I don't see a problem with it as long as they are dropped off and picked up. I used to go to the mall all the time and my parents were really strict.
Our mall has a movie theater, arcade and a big eatery so we did have something to do. We were good kids and never bothered anyone

 

[DisneyJen0504]

I am not a parent yet but I was not allowed to just go hang at the mall until I was almost 16. Looking back, I agree there is no reason a 12 year old, especially a girl, should be roaming the mall without an adult.
Best of luck!

 

[HoneyPooh]

The closest mall to my house is a terrible hangout. You can barely walk through the mall and the language and subject matter are not fit for a public place. If we do shop at that mall we never leave without seeing a fight break out.

I usually travel an extra 20 minutes to a mall further away that discourages hanging out.

My sons were only allowed at the mall with myself or my husband in the mall as well. We would never have dropped them off. Of course back when my sons were younger there weren't all the cell phones so that could make a difference to me now. If they had a cell to call me if there was a problem I may have let them go by themselves for a couple of hours. It also would definitely depend on the mall itself.

 

[froglady]

Well, we don't have a mall (close enough for "hang out"), so the kids have never asked. It makes me wonder, though, if they ever would be interested in that sort of thing.

I voted "something else" because - I suppose - I'd make my decision on a case-by-case basis: how many other kids? what other kids? how long? etc.

Barb, if your dd wants to go to The Mall in Columbia, I definitely think you made the right decision. That place is way to chaotic for two 12 yos alone. Maybe in a year or 2.

I also had a DD who never asked to go to the mall. If she needed to purchase something she would ask me to go with her, until she was old enough to drive herself.

Some of the neighborhood boys do walk up to a neighborhood shopping center, which has stores and restaurants, on Saturdays. I've let DS go with them from time to time. Most of the businesses know me, so DS knows any misbehavior will be reported to me.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

My 15 DD goes to the mall mainly on weekends. She started going 3 years ago. We have a mini mall in which the kids go to for about year before they want to go to the major mall. So, it's an ease-in period for them and the parents!

 

[Froggyswife]

I voted never mainly because the nearest mall is like 60 miles away (live in a small town) When my dd is old enough to drive I will probably let her go with a group but never alone. She is a fairly level headed kid and with a few more years under her belt to "grow up" I think I will be able to let her go off with a group. I don't even go to the mall alone I always go either with my dd and husband or with a friend on a girls day outting.