My children are planning on running away this Tuesday

[WTMindy]

They told me tonight that they had a plan but they couldn't tell me what it was until after Tuesday. I prodded a little and they finally confessed that they were going to run away to the mall on Tuesday. They didn't tell me *which* mall however so I wouldn't be able to find them right away. They said that they were going to get their money out of the bank. When I asked them how they were going to do that, they replied, "We need you to help us with that." I said, "OK. When you ask me to do it I'll try not to ask too many questions so I don't discover your plan." They were thankful. I told them I thought it would be good for them to help them with their independence skills and I promised not to tell Daddy until after Tuesday.

Um.....do you think my kids have been reading a little to much Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler? They decided that our local museum just didn't have what they needed to survive, but the mall certainly does.

[Jean in Newcastle]

LOL! I sure hope you don't discover their plans prematurely!

[Amy in Orlando]

ROFL - you sure have some stealthy kids! Good luck at the bank.

[Liz CA]

LOL!
When we were about ten, my girlfriend and I decided once we would spend a whole night in a storage barn so we could jump off the hay bales, pretend-drive the tractors and eat chocolate all night long!
Something interfered - I cannot remember what - it never came to pass.

;)

[Tara from Florida]

My DD (8) loves Calvin and Hobbes. In retrospect I wonder if it was a good idea to let her read them to encourage her reading skills. But then again she is "such a sarcastic kid". Got to love what their little minds come up with don't ya?

[Patty Joanna]

Very funny! My sister did something similar when she was about your dd's age, and my mom was so cool about it. She asked if she could pack dsis a lunch, where she thought she might be going, etc...just coool as a cucumber. She knew it was sheer boredom on my sister's part. I have always admired my mom's coolness in taking these things as they came.

Very funny.

[jubilee]

A Baby Sister for Frances:O) Both my ds's enjoy listening to the audion version of this one! Too funny! I can't wait for the update on Tuesday!

[NancyinCA]

That is so sweet-it made me laugh out loud. Your kids sound so fun and creative. Have a fun Tuesday...:)

[Susan in KY]

Check out this story from NPR about a fellow who decided to live at IKEA while his apartment was being fumigated.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18045572

[Kendra]

You have to let us know what happens on Tuesday. And why Tuesday, by the way?

When I was 4 I took off down our long country road toward a very big and busy street on my way to school. Thankfully, a kind neighbor drove by and stopped to ask me what in the world I was doing??? I replied that I was walking to school. She convinced me to let her take me home (they were close friends) and my mom was horrified, to say the least. Good thing your children at least let you in on their plan!

[Rhesa]

This is hysterical! Because we live near the Met, someone gave us that book (The Mixed-Up Files), and after skimming it, decided to put it on the bookshelf for now.

Why? My 5 yo daughter was going through a faze that she was going to run away- to the American Girl Store. Apparently, life is more fun there. Like Disney World with lots and lots of dolls.

I thought I'd better not give her any more fuel to that fire. She knows how to get to the Met. I'll wait until she's a little older. Hopefully, this, too shall pass?:p

[Volty]

What is it around here that I always find myself to be the contrairian? Please excuse my rant before it begins because even though sometimes I think you're all whack, I have deep respect for you all.

We have a four page thread about vaccinations and I'm the only one that fully vaccinates. We have a thread about discipline and I think most here are too strict. We have a thread about silly baby shower games and you all get huffy and serious, because -oh- unwinding and doing funny stuff with friends is so beneath you.

Now we're on page two of a thread about a 9 and 10 y/o that want to take a day trip to the mall and everybody is lke "oh that's cute." Yeah it's amuzing... but still dagerous. I'm thinking they're still a few years too young for that - I don't mind teenagers going to the mall unsupervised-, how about explaining why that's not a very good idea and try to come up with a different thing or at least a more safe version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. :confused:

((I can't believe with all the control freaks around here that I'm the only one putting my foot down. How did that happen?))

[WTMindy]

If it helps, I also fully vaccinate my kids and I participate in silly baby shower games. I thought I was being tongue-in-cheek enough to let you know that my children would never in million years really run away, seriously. I don't know if you have read the book From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler before, but it is a book about some children who run away and have adventures in the Art Museum in NYC. My kids were just being silly and planning an imaginary adventure. I apologize for making light of running away. It was certainly not my intent!! I would never let my kids go to the mall by themselves at that age!! I was just sharing a silly story.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

When I was that age, I used to dream of getting locked into a department store for the night. And I hadn't even read Mixed Up Files.

[Daisy]

I'll never forget my little brother stomping through the house at 5yo telling all of us he was running away. He had his backpack full of toys (no clothes) and he was heading for the door. My Mom calmly looked over at him and asked if he would like her to make him a PB&J sandwich to take with him. That she could only make him one and he'd have to find his own food after that but she was more than willing to send off into the world with one PB&J. He decided at that point that maybe staying at home wasn't such a bad thing. He sat down, ate his PB&J and forgot about the whole thing.

[melissel]

They told me tonight that they had a plan but they couldn't tell me what it was until after Tuesday. I prodded a little and they finally confessed that they were going to run away to the mall on Tuesday. They didn't tell me *which* mall however so I wouldn't be able to find them right away. They said that they were going to get their money out of the bank. When I asked them how they were going to do that, they replied, "We need you to help us with that." I said, "OK. When you ask me to do it I'll try not to ask too many questions so I don't discover your plan." They were thankful. I told them I thought it would be good for them to help them with their independence skills and I promised not to tell Daddy until after Tuesday.

Um.....do you think my kids have been reading a little to much Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler? They decided that our local museum just didn't have what they needed to survive, but the mall certainly does.

Ha! I was thinking as I read the first part of your post that they should read The Mixed Up Files, then I saw the last part! When I was little, I packed up my belongings in a little blanket, which of course I tied to the end of a stick, and told my mom I was hitting the road. She told they'd miss me, of course, but to have a good trip and to call if I needed anything. I made it to the end of my driveway before I decided hanging out in the backyard might be a better plan :rolleyes:

If your kids don't mind scary stuff, have them read this (http://www.amazon.com/SECRETS-SHOPPING-Laurel-Leaf-Contemporary-Fiction/dp/0440980992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201453386&sr=8-1) before they head for the mall! I LOVED this book as kid, LOL! With a little luck, they may never want to go to the mall again :D

[melissel]

My Mom calmly looked over at him and asked if he would like her to make him a PB&J sandwich to take with him. That she could only make him one and he'd have to find his own food after that but she was more than willing to send off into the world with one PB&J.

ROFL!!!

[Ferdie]

I love Mixed Up Files. That was one of my favorite books when I was a child.

My kids tried to walk to NY once when they were really young, (like 3, 4 and 6). Thankfully, they were very loud during the planning phase, and my ears perked up when they started talking about needing a map. They were trying to go to the North Pole and planned on having lunch in NY. We were living in CA at the time. LOL! They were so cute. They packed a blankie, an apple and a water bottle in a backpack and they brought our Big Wheel tricycle for the 3 year old in case he got tired on the way.

Have fun Tuesday and take lots of pics. Can't wait to hear your update.

[Amy in NH]

I also fully vaccinate my kids and I participate in silly baby shower games.

Me too. I choose not to participate in those threads because I don't feel the need to defend my choices nor attack other people's choices in those matters.

And I think I am a pretty strict parent, so I agree with most of the posters here about discipline.

I think your kids' plan was cute, Mindy. That's one story to tell your grandkids someday. ;)