"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 26 Jul 2016 14:07:08 +0100, Janet > wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> says...
>> > I don't care what others are saying about your fire pit, deck, and now
>> > the shack in back... I think it's great that you're doing this for
>> > your daughter. It's a safe place for her to hang out with her friends
>> > and you can keep an eye on them from inside the house. They won't
>> > feel like they're right under your nose and you won't be worrying
>> > about them.
>>
>> It would be a great set up for 10 yr olds.
>>
>> This lot have left High school and are young adults. By 18 they SHOULD
>> be hanging out without parental supervision, and not need to be corraled
>> in the back yard where Mummy can keep an eye on them. Talk about
>> helicopter parents!
>>
> I don't know what kids do for entertainment where you are, but there
> is very little that's free out here - and that leaves underage
> drinking. If a firepit can keep them entertained and happy, I'm fine
> with them working on their verbal skills. They can go off to college
> to do their underage drinking.
There really isn't much. When I was a teen there was an underage club in
Seattle but it was like a MLM type thing in the sense that you couldn't get
in unless you knew someone to recommend you. You had to have a membership
card and then still pay a cover fee each time. My friends and I only went
there once as we sensed that there was something shady about the place.
Movies are extremely expensive. I set a bunch of people off laughing when I
paid for two tickets to a 3D show. Said that it had better be a good show as
I could get a Mexican meal for that price! And that was just the tickets. I
still had to buy refreshments which were also very expensive.
There are fewer bowling alleys than there used to be. And often if you do
want to bowl, you can't because they have leagues going.
There are a few swimming pools but they have set times for various things.
Sometimes only for adults and some of these kids are not 18 yet. Sometimes
for families or parents and toddlers.
There are parks but more and more those are becoming drug infested places
where you don't want to be.
There are a few malls but there aren't any really good places to just hang
out there. You'll drive around forever looking for parking and then once
inside, you're bound to find something you want to buy. Plus shop owners
don't really want non-buying teens hanging out in there.
Going out to eat does cost money. She does have a lot of Starbucks gift
cards so that is one option but many of them have no indoor seating or so
little seating that it would be difficult to sit in there.
My high school and college hangout was Denny's but they seem to no longer
allow people to sit there for hours on end having little more than endless
cups of coffee. In those days we had three 24 hour restaurants very close
together and we'd go from place to place, occasionally going to a few others
so we didn't wear out our welcome in any one place.
The beach is hard to go to as well. They tend to be crowded on nice days and
there is no place to park. And then you are stuck out in the sun. That's not
an option for some who have to avoid the sun.