During the summer holiday many parents find themselves at a crossroads as their youngsters begin to reject family holidays and pester to be allowed to go away with friends, or boyfriends and girlfriends.

For many parents this can be an agonising time faced with having to make a decision on whether or not their child is too young to take this huge step for the first time.

It can bring about mixed emotions in parents who on the one hand are sad that a child is
beginning to break away from the family and on the other hand worried by whether or not they will be safe without an adult chaperone.

Of course all children are different and therefore mature at different rates, so what might be appropriate
for one family may not be for another.

This too can lead to conflict as one friend may be allowed to take the holiday alone whilst another’s parents may strictly forbid it.

The bottom line for most parents is keeping their children safe, with the biggest worries being holiday romances and unprotected sex.

Many resorts will simply refuse to take bookings from an unaccompanied teen of 16 or under so this will more often put an immediate end to any discussion of holidaying away from the family.

There are, however alternatives such as organised holidays which are more often than not activity or camping holidays with responsible adults looking out for them.

Should you decide that your teen is ready for their first holiday alone then it is vital that you talk openly with them from the start about what you see as the potential dangers in a practical way that doesn’t make them feel they are not trusted.

Don’t over focus on your anxieties and concerns, at the end of the day a holiday should be fun. Make contact with their friend’s parents so that you can share contact details and information.

Another way of keeping at arms length but having a line of communication is to make sure your teens mobile is topped up and compatible abroad, a simple text every day is an excellent way of putting your mind at rest and knowing your teen is at the end of the phone will prevent you from feeling cut off.

Make them aware of drinks being spiked and the importance of not putting themselves in vulnerable situations by reminding them to never venture off alone especially at night.

Sooner or later all teenagers will want the independence that holidaying with friends brings and as well as being a new and exciting experience for them it is also an opportunity for them to show you that they are mature and can be trusted to travel alone and make responsible decisions for themselves.

Paul McDonald