My 12-year-old daughter has been invited to go away with a friend’s family on their holiday to Orlando for two weeks this summer. She has never been away from us for that length of time before and it feels like it is too far away. I know she’ll be gutted if we say no, though. What do you think we should do?
It’s good to listen to our gut instincts, balancing them against reason. Key factors to consider are how well able the other parents are to meet your daughter’s emotional needs alongside her physical needs. You need to be able to have complete faith in them and their parenting, to be reassured that your daughter will be safe and well.
That seems, to me, to be more important than whether your daughter might be “gutted” that she can’t go. Since your daughter already knows the offer is there, maybe you need to have a big sit down with the other parents and the two girls to talk about your concerns, such that you can have more information available to make your decision.
It could be a fantastic opportunity for your daughter to have a really fun time that could add to her self-confidence in her ability to cope more independently. But it can only happen if you feel satisfied that she will be well-enough minded while she is away.