Like it or not, the day will come when your daughter asks to go to the mall without you. When this happens, your world may come to a grinding halt as you visualize all of the horrible scenarios that can happen if you say “yes”- talking to a stranger, kidnapping, shoplifting. Put those thoughts aside, though, unless you plan to buy her clothes for the next 50 years. Don’t worry, you and your daughter can get through this relatively unscathed.
Your daughter’s first solo outing to the mall can be a fun adventure that pumps up her confidence in her own life skills and affirms that the last 12 years of parenting have been successful.
Follow these basic guidelines and this mall outing will be a piece of cake.
- HANG TIGHT When arriving, find a place where you, the parent, can hang out. Maybe grab a coffee, read a book, catch up on work. Plan to stay there for the entire mall visit.
- MEETING FRIENDS If she is meeting friends at the mall, have them meet at your established hang out spot.
- CHECK-IN TIME Set a check in time. Start with an hour. Once she checks in, you can establish a second check in time.
- CELLPHONES Make sure that she or a friend has a cell phone.
- SECURITY Scope out the location of the security or information desk.
- NO GO ZONES Discuss where she is and isn’t allowed to go (outside of the mall, back hallways, etc.)
- GUT INSTINCTS Let her know that her instincts are powerful. If she feels that something isn’t right, leave the situation and find you. (ex. stranger taking pictures of her and friends, following her, offering to buy her a meal, etc.)
- SHOPLIFTING Before you even go to the mall, have a conversation about shoplifting and what to do if her friends decide to try it.
My three daughters have all successfully gone through this with no issues. No emergencies and no strange situations. Well, there may have been one issue- the impact on our bank account!
Get the latest updates on our Facebook Community, Click HERE to Join.
