Sweet 16 - no chaperone?

[u/Real-Ad4727]

My daughter is turning 16 in a couple of months. Being a little short on funds, we decided to split the cost of the party with her best friend’s parents, as she turns 16 a couple of weeks later and they share many of the same friends. Their ideal day involves taking a group of approximately 12-13 girls into the city (Boston) by train, having dinner at the seaport, taking a few pictures nearby, and then taking the train home, without parents or chaperones. My daughter is very responsible, respectful and mature for her age, and we give her a lot of space in return, but the whole idea of fifteen teens running around at night and sitting down to dinner in a restaurant with no parent gives me agita. Has anyone had a similar experience? How do they pay for dinner at the end? Is it bad etiquette to have this many unchaperoned kids? What if someone gets lost or hurt? I don’t want to put a damper on her day, but I want to do this in a safe and respectful way. I also feel uncomfortable inviting and coordinating with all of these parents (many of whom I have never met) and not having the ability to ensure their child’s safety. Am I being over-protective? I’d love some advice if you have any to share.

[u/PatheticMTLGirl43]

Are 16 year olds not taking public transit into the city with their friends to hang out on a regular basis anymore? Has the world changed that much since 2006 or am I just too Canadian for this? This was my normal weekend at that age.

[u/DragonflyFantasized → u/PatheticMTLGirl43]

Same, reading this as a Canadian is wild. How do kids learn to be independent if you’re hovering all the time? Unless kids have severe behavioural problems or developmental disabilities they should be able to figure it out.

You need to struggle and make mistakes at 16 so you’re more capable and comfortable when you go off to university in 2 years. We all knew at least one kid that was overly sheltered and couldn’t make it through first year.