When our three daughters were all young, we lived just outside of town and we were the only house in the area for 12 years before we had any neighbors. As they grew, we had their friends over to play or spend the night. When they became teenagers and began driving on their own, they would go places to hang out with friends at their houses or somewhere else. As with most parents, I worried about where they were, if they were safe, and who they were with.
One day I told them they could hang out with friends at our house anytime they wanted. They did not have to ask ahead of time. We wanted to give them a place to come with their friends. We made our house more “friend friendly.” I kept snacks on hand, movies, and put games and a pool table in our basement. Although I did not interfere with them, I kept aware of what they were doing or who came.
This turned out to be a blessing not only for us as parents, but for some of their friends as well. Because our house was open to them, some came often to stay the night, and others seem to need this time away from their own families or houses. It also gave me a time to get to know these friends and perhaps I was able to help them in some way as with my own daughters. For me, I knew where my girls were and who they were with a lot of the time. I think sometimes it was one of the best things we did for our girls and for others who felt welcomed at our house.
Submitted by Sog
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