just curious of your opinion.
 

real quick backstory: maddie (DD) and katie are besties (katie is 11, maddie is 10.5). have been for 3 years now. like thick as thieves, perfect for eachother will be bff till the day they die type bff. got it. katies mom is amazing and is engaged to the most amazing hands on future stepdad a girl could ask for. katies mom is an RN, her future stepdad a hottie patotie who owns a gym and is also a realtor. anywho...upstanding citizens, my friends, love em to pieces.

another quick tidbit: this past spring, katie came to california with us and we went to disneyland, etc. that's how close we all are.

now my question: do you think it is odd that katie came to cali with our family and now this spring break maddie will be going back to cali with their family to go to seaworld, etc? i am a very very protective mommy, but just feel comfortable with the situation and above all i love thier little friendship and i honestly love katie like she were my own little niece. i love that they get to have these experiences with her bestest friend.

given the situation what would you do? what's your opinion on the matter? am i strange?

I think it depends on your comfort level. I am just not a trusting person when it comes to my daughter but I have my reasons. It is something I have been trying to work through and its hard. If you trust these people and you feel your daughter is safe with them and it is something she really wants to do then I would say go for it and dont worry about whether someone else would do it or not do it or if its weird. If you are apprehensive then make sure to set some ground rules for her before she goes about whatever is causing your apprehension. Like my daughter went to Summer Leadership Camp at an air force base for ROTC summer before last and the stipulation was she could go as long as she called me every night before she went to bed. She did. She had a great time and really learned alot while she was there. She met people from all over the state. It was a good experience for her and we got to go to the graduation ceremony which was pretty cool. If I had allowed my apprehension and nervousness to win she would have lost out. I was still really nervous the whole week but the phone calls helped alot to hear nightly reports on what she was doing and everything.

No, I don't think it's odd at all. My bff and I used to vacation with each other's families all the time. We were also inseparable, bonded for life, etc. I *think* we were in 6th - 7th grade or so when our parents started letting us go, which is about the age of your dd. I think if you really know and trust the family, it's totally fine and normal. Whatever you're comfortable with!

ETA: My parents were also VERY protective, so this isn't something they let me do with just anyone, but they knew her family really well and trusted them.

Lizzy, if you're comfy with it, that's all that matters imo. I sure see nothing wrong with it.

Lizzy, if you feel good with it, I think its good!! Its soo great for your little girl to have a friend like this and that you and her parents love each other too....

No -
my daughter Emily has a bestie - Lexi - There were the same child either cloned or separated at birth - we are military - so Lexi moved to Idaho and we moved to Va - they talk at LEAST once a day - Its been a year and 1/2 - and this summer Emily flew to Idaho to spend 10 days with them - and she turned around and went to Texas with us -
I have a bestie from when I was that age and I went on all their family vacations -

Bottom line ~ It makes my daughter happy and I love Lexi ~

I personally think it's great!!!!! How wonderful to have such a friendship. If it was just any old family, no, I wouldn't do it, but this is a family that you know, trust, and care for. I would do just as you are doing!

I think it's awesome for all of you. Nothing weird about it at all. I had a bestie like that and we went everywhere with each other. As long as you're good with it, that's what counts. :)

Absolutely not odd! I would do love if my boys could have that kind of friendship! If you trust those people completely then I see nothing wrong with it. I think it's fabulous that you all have that kind of relationship.

I'm not a mom, but I can tell you that if you are comfortable with it, then trust your instincts. When I was 11, my parents sent me off by plane to visit my family in Indiana (I was in Connecticut at the time) by myself. My mother knew I would be fine making the trip and I was. At least you know she will be with people that you trust the whole time. And now we have cell phones so you can keep in constant communication with her.

I think it's wonderful :) What made you ask though? Someone else disagreeing with it, or apprehensions of your own?

I think it's wonderful that your daughter has such a special relationship with a friend, and that your families are so good to each other :)

Although we never vacationed with each other's families, I have a friend whom I've known since she was 2 years old and I was 4 years old, and we had that kind of relationship when we were younger. Her mother took me to Cedar Point a few times, and I think my dad & her mom took my sister & me & her to Chicago to the Field Museum once. After the divorce and move back to my hometown, her mother gave me a job when I desperately needed one, and she will be a bridesmaid in my wedding.

Although we are not especially close now as adults, I still consider her like a little sister, and she & her mother will likely sit at the same table at my wedding reception as my parents.

As long as Katie's not really annoying, high maintenance, etc., I don't see an issue. I hope that my future-pretend kids have those kind of friends someday!

I think thats great that they get to have experiences like these together.

It sounds like you trust this family 100%, so like the other chicas have said, if you feel comfy, then go for it ;) I think it is awesome that they are so close and you like the family so much :)

I think it's great!! You're obv. okay with it, so go for it. :)

I think it's wonderful too. My daughter's bestie moved to ITALY and it's likely they will never see each other again and Katie has been heartbroken since they left in APRIL...so if she had a chance to see Kayla, I'd jump on it. As long as you are comfortable with her parents and have contact #'s and an itenerary I think it would be fine. I haven't read the whole thread so I don't know if it has been mentioned but you may want to just make sure you send a copy of her insurance and a letter from you authorizing them to okay treatment in case of an emergency, etc.

No, I don't think it's odd at all. I think it's awesome to be honest with you.

I don't think it's odd at all. When you're close, and you trust each other, I don't see anything wrong with it. We took one of Riley's friends with us to Disneyland Paris last year and they were only 7.

I didn't read all the other replies, so I might be repeating some...

First off, I don't think its weird at all! I mean, you love Katie and Katie's family and you trust them to take care of Maddie like they would their own daughter. So why not let the two of them make amazing memories together?

Secondly, don't second-guess yourself. You have amazing instincts as a mother and if you feel comfortable letting Maddie go on vacation with Katie, then trust yourself.

You're an amazing mom.

It sounds like you know them well and trust them, so I don't think there's anything strange about it. I think it's awesome that you have friends like that in your lives, who you trust as much as family.

I never vacationed with friends or invited someone along when I was a child, but there were 3 of us already and my parents were not looking to add 3 more to every vacation! However, I did go on youth group trips out of state by their age and even out of the country (to Canada) by a couple years older. I'm sure she'll be much better chaperoned with her friend's family than on a trip with 20+ other kids!

if you are comfortable with it, I say go for it! My brother and I used to vaca with our besties families all the time, and I know I would have no problem sending any of my kids with their friends families and vice versa. I try to make a point of becoming friends with the kids friends parents, for these very reasons. lol

ok good! you know i am not new to this mothering thing, but i think this new tween stage has me a big doing the :huh: face. you know?! i totally feel comfortable letting her go, no questions asked. they are both amazing little well-behaved girlies and i totally trust them to be perfect on the trip...they were when we went to cali this year! i just wanted to make sure that i'm not completely crazy with my feeling comfortable with it and didn't know if i was just completely missing/spacing something. thanks for all your responses...and no, col, no one was doubting me...i was just curious. really. just pure curiosity on what you all thought. :) oh and everything is booked, maddie will be gone for 6 days this spring, camera in hand, having the time of her life in san diego with their family! (amy...yes...i know about the insurance card and consent for treatment letter. check.)

love you all to bits and pieces!!

That's understandable. Tweens and Teens are a whole other animal (I know I was! LOL!).

Sounds like a great trip!

they sure are. shhh....secret...maddie is getting boobie buds. don't care for it. lol! please don't tell her i referred to her boobie buds online. :p

oh and col...i love your hot new avie!!

Spanks :)

Boobie buds might be the funniest thing I've ever heard of! LOL!
I was such a tomboy, that I barely noticed my boobie buds. Until I was playing soccer and chested the ball, and was like OMG OW! :p I think if I could get away with it, I would still wear a sports bra 95% of the time, lol.

Boobie Buds! I am rolling here! :D

If you trust them with your child then let her go. My BFF went EVERYWHERE with us when we were kids.

Dude. My boobies are still buds! LMBO!!!

ahahahahahahahahahaha!!! :D

I was hoping after nursing 2 kiddos I'd have actual boobies. No such luck. lol

Same here. My boobie buds never bloomed. :thumbdown::glare:

bwahahahahahahahaha!!! did you water them?!?!

Haven't read any of the responses but this is me....I am weird...I am the most protective momma in the world...I am a CONTROL FREAK!!

I would not think twice about a friend of DD's (or DS's) coming with us and would protect them like my own but I would not under any circumstances let any of my kids go anywhere with anyone......I'm talking not even with my own parents...not even with my own sister....not even with my own brother....I ALMOST don't let DH take them by himself!!! :blink:

It's not because I don't trust them....it's just that I am a CONTROL FREAK and if anything....ANYTHING happened and I wasn't there to try and prevent it or stop it (even if in my own warped mind I knew that there was a zero % chance that I could prevent it) there is now way in this world i could ever live with myself!!

Oh my stomach just hurt think of it :(

But don't listen to me...I'm a paranoid FREAK!!! :thumbdown:

Given the backstory and the closeness you feel..not odd at all. Not one iota.

i was just gonna say. your opinion doesn't count cause your sick in the head. lol! i trust my sisters and parents and hubby just as much as i do myself and i'm a control freak as well. just not a paranoid. :D:D:D