What to do about possibly not seeing my dad this New Years?
I'm 17, and my parents are divorced. My dad lives in New York, and I live in Indiana with my mom. My mom and my dad have an agreement that I see him ever summer, and on every other Christmas/New Years(alternating them. Christmas one year, New Years the next) My mom refuses to let me fly alone on a connecting flight, regardless that I have been flying since i was about 4 years old and that I flew alone on a direct flight last year. Last summer, she set a flight from Indianapolis to Philadelphia(6 hours from where my dad lives) instead of driving me to Chicago(4 hrs from where I live) and letting me take the direct flight from Chicago to Albany. What should I do? I've tried to prove my point that I am quite old enough and experienced enough to fly by myself on a connecting flight. I am old enough, I am over prepared, and I'm smart enough to figure out that Gate A11 or B16(just examples) is where I need to be. What should I do? Is there anything I can do in court for something like this? Shouldn't she not be able to keep me from seeing my father, especially when I am 17? I am talking with my mom later. Is there anything I can do to help her see that I am mature enough to handle these kinds of things? Please don't give crappy answers. Thank you.
Family - 4 Answers
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1 :
If your parents are divorced, they have made a settlement on how you shall be 'divided" amongst them. If you want to see your dad on the holiday that you are supposed to, and she doesn't let you, AND it is violating the terms of their settlement, then you can take it to court and the court can find a solution. If her not letting you go is within the terms of their agreement, then there isn't much the court can do.
2 :
Is there a relative she trusts? Your grandma, an aunt? I would try talking to a family member and see if they will talk to her. That is a tough situation. Have you asked her what her concern is? Ask her and just listen. Let her tell you what she is thinking. Keep asking til you feel she has listed them all. Once you know all of the concerns, then take a couple days to think about the concerns. Find situations where you have behaved in a manner that would prove that the concern is invalid. Then, approach her with the list of concerns. Write it all down ahead of time so you can do it in an organized manner. Address each concern with your proof. Once you have pointed those out, ask her to just think about the conversation for a couple days. Then, approach her again and ask if she has come up with some sort of compromise.
3 :
If the agreement is a court order, then she has to let you go. If not, then she doesn't. I have a daughter around your age. I would suggest you look at an airline online. Find a flight that has a transfer, and figure it out. Present it to her to show you know what to do. For instance find flight 225 that lands in a city a 5pm and the connecting flight is flight 555 leaving from gate 34 at 6pm. Explain to her that an hour gives you plenty of time to get to the gate. You will never be leaving the airport, which is staffed with allot of security and other employees. Prove that you can do it, and she will probably let you. Good luck!
4 :
I see no reason why you can't fly alone. My daughter flew 6,000 miles w. a connecting flight in Germany (she does not speak German), at 13 yr. old, and she was fine. My grandson flew 5 hr. at 10 to a foreign country. I think it is not the flying, but your mother's personal issues that are the problem. ..........................................................
