My daughter will be 13 in September. She is growing up quickly. She tells me often too, mom you have to let me grow up. I'm still trying to keep her my little girl.

She has been hanging out with friends a lot this summer. I'm ok with it. My dad will take her and drop her off at lunchtime and then I pick her up when I get out of work.

They go to the park and hang out usually. Today they went to the library for a bit.

Do you let your kids hang out with their friends?

I don't have kids, but have a lot of experience with them.

I think it's fine to let them hang out. Have you met the kids she's hanging out with? I think it's best to give them space but also make sure they know right from wrong. Maybe have her call you at a certain time just for a really QUICK check in. This way, she won't feel like you're smothering her.

She sounds like a funny kid

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-Brittany Brydahl

Your child is like an adult. Isn't it cute if we were reminded by them that they are not babies anymore? Anyway, I would allow my children to hang out with their friends but I have curfews. I impose some limitation until they turn 17 years old. After that, they could enjoy some freedom.

I definitely let my kids hang out with their friends. I always know where they are though. I think it is right to let our kids have some independence. In our town the kids will usually go and walk the plaza. They usually end up at McDonalds where I have to go and pick them up.

It makes a difference if you trust the kids your daughter is hanging out with too.

I say trust them until they give you a reason not to trust them. Then once that trust is broken, they have to regain it.

I agree, trust them until the break it and hope they don't. My daughter never lost my trust this summer. I do know her friends that she is hanging out with, and I trust them all.
I think it's great to give our kids more freedom.

I let my son hang out with his friends but i was not able to monitor or set limits that it affected his schooling. I had to get a little more strict this time.

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"When you have nothing to do, anything is worth doing, including surfing the internet!"

I let my kids hang out with friends too. But some of them got into trouble. As in arrested for various things. I know my kids friends too and I try to talk to them about the stupid things some of their friends do or did. All I can do is hope they don`t do the same things. Mine are adults now 21 and 18. There isn`t much I can do about what they do now. I just tell them to remember the magic words " court appointed attorney"

I don't have any kids, so I'm not really coming from a parent's point of view. But just from my own past, I am so glad that my mom let me hang out with my friends. Back then, my friends were my life. Of course, you should monitor the situation, maybe set a curfew. Obviously, if they are hanging out with friends who do drugs, you shouldn't let be around them.