My daughter (who is 17 in June) is planning on going to Lanzarote on work experience this June with two other students from her college year. There will be no tutors or adults going with them which concerns me. She has never travelled alone and is not that street wise. I have heard some worrying stories regarding Lanzarote particuarly drugs related. She is a sensible girl but then no doubt even the most sensible can still lay prey to unsuspecting dodgy types.

She tells me her work experience involves going to a cafe and designing leaftlets etc as this will be part of her Media studies. That in itself could put her in possibly awkward situations particularly as I have read other posts on this forum saying how unfriendly and unhelpful some of the locals are.

Can anyone give me any info and either put my mind at rest or advise me that she would be a lot safer travelling to Lanzrote with a responsible adult or maybe she should not go at all!!

Please help!!

Thanks in anticpation.

Sarah

Sarah,

Those are the natural concerns any decent parent would have regardless of where your daughter would be going on her own.
Firstly I’d say she could design leaflets for a Café in your local Town, going to Lanzarote sounds like a front for a holiday, but that’s fair enough.
It’s a quandary all parents have faced, at what age do you allow what level of freedom ?
Lanzarote is probably safer than your local town and there’s no reason to think she’ll be any more exposed to drugs in Lanzarote than at home.The problem is that a group of young girls, seeming not too streetwise can be easy pickings if she does come across the wrong sort, just like at home.
I suspect she might be more streetwise than maybe you give her credit for, if she’s sensible and trustworthy then with some stern warnings in her ear I’d be tempted to let her go, but only her parents know best. One thing I’d make them all swear to is to never leave one of them alone after dark, they go out together and come back together, that’s impeditive.
One other practical thing though – if I were doing a work experience I’d have corresponded (or met) the people I was doing it for and we’d have a plan of action, timetable, set of expectations and some sort of attainment levels all scoped out. What materials will she need for her work/artwork ? Will she need computer access ? Has she worked out where/how ? Is she just hoping to turn up at a bar/café, I wouldn’t recommend that just for practical reasons.
Ole

Sarah,
BTW, if she’s going to do it then I’d say at least Lanzarote is a good choice and maybe she’s streetwise enough to realise that ?
Ole

That's a real tricky one. My daughter has just turned 18, and I was wondering how I would have reacted in the same situation when she was that age.

Lanzarote is definately safer (violence) and cleaner (drugswise) then where I live. Luckily my daughter didn't show much interest in going out too much until she was 17+, and then she was/is usually in male company. Also, at that age, I would not have been prepared to leave her home alone in the UK, so as for abroad?

I think Ole has given a very balanced answer - but it's a tough call. I think I would want more info on where she was staying, who with, contact with where she is supposed to be working and to know how this was arranged. Many people are struggling to get work in Lanzarote, so it seems odd that someone can just come over to do this work just like that.

I suspect that unless all parties involved were well known to me, and I knew how and why this arrangement was made, I would probably say no. Especially if I was paying for it.

P.S. My wife is more easy going about these things than me, so maybe a mother's response..............?

I agree with Ole. The usual questions and checks are required as if it were at home maybe more.

I would want numbers and speak to the employer and the people with whom she is staying etc. If you are sure you have all the rights answers from the right people and you are just not funding a long holiday then you use your gut and decide what you feel is best.

Its hard to let them go, but you may have done a better job than you think teaching them to fly and they soar like an eagle. No more temptation here than at home but if you feel your child is ready for this without parental supervision and bounderies - then only you can know the answer.

I honestly don't know what I would do in your situation.

Good luck let us know how it pans out.

wake up and smell the coffee,she's going on holiday.where did you hear the drug stories connected to lanzarote

Thanks to all who have so far given your thoughts on this subject. Just in answer to some of them. Firstly regarding the probability that its just as safe if not safer than home. Thats my point. We live in Cornwall which is generally regarded as one of the safest parts of the country to live and she goes to college in Newquay and is used to wandering around the town. Also this work experience thing has been organised via college not with an employer as she is still at 6th form doing A levels. I am going to find out more about it; who suggested it, who is organising it, where they are going, where they are staying etc. At the moment I am just asking a general question on the subject. To the comment about it being a holiday. Of course I realise that it will be partly a holiday and why not!! She is going to pay towards it anyway. She is into surfing and is hoping to take her surf board with her. I dont expect her to work all the time. But I am worried that there will be 3 or 4 students all around the same age although 2 of them are boys who I know and are fairly sensible.

In answer to the comment re the drugs problems. I am only going by what my husband says. He is very worried and doesnt really want her to go. He hasnt gone to Lanzarote (which I pointed out to him!) but he does know quite a few people from around where we live who have been who have mentioned this. I guess I would have to tell her to steer clear of those sort of places but as she is into surfing that will probably be the sort of hang out places she will be.

I look forward to any further comments and from anyone who knows what goes on in the clubs and bars and what she should avoid.

Hi Sarah, how long is your daughter actually going to lanzarote for? As far as I can remember it used to be up to the student to decide where they wanted to do work experience not the college. sorry if im wrong about this.

I have been to the bars and clubs whilst on holiday in PDC and always felt safe. I am actually going back for a while on my own. I dont know why you have been told the locals are not friendly or unhelpful because I have to totally disagree with this from my personal experiences. The thing with the bars and clubs is that the prs will hassle you to go in and there are some that abuse the job to try and get women but I have seen this in the UK too. If she is wise enough not too take the bate then i think she will be fine. As far as drugs are concerned I was never offered any and never saw anyone dealing. I understand your concerns but if your daughter is going with sensible and trustworthy people who will look out for each other then lanzarote would be an ideal place for her first holiday. Hope this helps.

Ok sorry to be the one to come out and make Lanzarote sound bad, cause I really love the place. But I am 20 and know what it's like. No way would I allow my daughter who would be just 17 travel and live over there on her own. I get what everyone is saying about it not being much worse than there hometowns, but as someone who lived there for awhile it's a lot worse than living at home. A 17 year old girl will have nobody to answer to, she can do what she wants. And as soon as drink is in the equation then all rules and sensibility leave a girl so young. You can tell a group of girls to always stay together but it never ever happens. Then there is the fact that drugs are very very available. All you have to do is walk down the street at night time and it will be offered to you. I was sitting on a wall in pb just gettin some air and within 5 mins I had a guy tryin to sell it to me. If you do let her go I would make sure that you could find someone to keep an eye on her. Even the most sensible girl at home can go crazy because there away from their parents. And she is still so young. She's not even legally allowed to drink so it's just too soon. Let her free a bit at home and learn how to be "streetwise". Then next year she should be ok. But just my opinion, at the end of the day your her mother and know whats right for your child.

i live in costa teguise and all of my nieces,nephews and friends children have been coming to lanzarote for their first taste of unsupervised holidays abroad for the past 5 years and to date have never had any major problems,other than the usual overindulgence and large amounts of vomitting!!! cleaned up themselves as i refused!! if the girls have fairly sensible attitudes and are read the riot act before they come with lots of ground rules put in place,ie, never leaving anyone alone,emergency phone numbers,not taking all money/passport out with them etc i'm sure they will be fine,also if they do experience any dodgy behaviour please tell them to go into the nearest bar and ask the staff to help them,contrary to other reports we are friendly and helpful out here,not everyone is out to line their pockets and ply young girls with drugs!!
i have sent you a pm, too!!

Well done Philip1. Your reply to a worried parent will have been of great help Im sure

I think you need to ask more questions about this "work placement" as it seems a little too good to be true to go to lanzarote and design a few leaflets here and there, coming accross a job there is highly competitive and i for one have never heard of such schemes. You might want to establish what it is shes doing because it could be that shes just doing the trditional gap year and just hoping to find bar work to fund an 'extended holiday'. Good coverup if thats the case though haha

Well I think we have 3 issues here all bundled up....

1) Sarah's daughters work experience - well this sounds like a fantastic dodge - good work girls!
"Lets tell mum we're doing work experience in ermmm well no way we would get away with Ibiza, Shagaluf or Ayia Napa, France is well too French, what about Lanzarote?! Lets try that!"
Good work girls - pack those bikinis!

I seem to remember my work experience we had to go into a proper company, do actual work and then the company sent a report to my school about what I did ie did i turn up on time, vaguely smart, not let the school down etc.

The questions you need to ask the school Sarah is who on earth at the school agreed that they could do work experience in Lanza!! And more to the point you actually believed them! They are going for a holiday!!

2) Drugs!! Oh please. Lanza is not the centre of the hispanic drugs trade! Yes you can find dope if you want - no it is not openly available as others have said.

And realistically a teenager is going to try a spliff at some point in their life. My parents were surprisingly open minded about this!! Have the chat! A spliff won't kill you but taking pills or injections will! Those were and still are my rules - not that I have touched anything since uni.

3) Well there will be a group of them. Is there a group of girls aged 17ish who haven't been away as a group alone before?

So Lanza is an ideal place for kids to break free from the parental shackles - but work out the ground rules before she goes - and have a word that you have rumbled her little plan - not the most sophisticated dodge I have ever heard of i must say!!!

somebody had to be frank!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted their views on this subject.

I would just like to point out to the person called "Foodie" who posted a comment today that I am not an idiot and I did make it quite clear in my own posts on here that I obviously realise that this will be partly a holiday and not just work experience! And why not?! That in itself is a life experience and character building. I am not worried about that at all. My daughter is in fact contributing towards the cost herself which I think is fair enough. The deputy head of her college in organising the trip. He does this every year and subsidises these trips out of his own pocket (he is very well off and this is what he enjoys doing) to make these trips available to all students. Last year he sent some students out to Barbados one of whom is a friend of my daughter and son and is like a step son to us and he had a great and safe time out there. There is nothing devious about the trip at all. It is a "life" work experience for the students as well as using the time for photography and media which they are doing at college. I am well aware that this will be a holiday too - I am perfectly happy with that. I hope she gets some decent surfing in!

The issue with drugs is far and above cannabis. There's plenty of that here where we live in North Cornwall and a lot more. She sees it all around her. She is well aware that many people we know ourselves use it and more. She is not interestsed. She doesnt smoke and not that bothered even to have more than the odd alcoholic drink in our company or her peers. It is obviously just more worrying when my daughter will be in a different country with just a few other students, some of whom I do not know. But my daughter is not stupid or easily misled or misguided so I hope that will stand her in good sted. There is also the worry about what characters she may come into contact with particuarly with ulteria motives but again she isnt stupid.

I was really just looking for feedback from others who have had similar experiences either as a parent or students who have done similar things particularly as I have never been to the Canaries myself so am completely in the dark and it doesnt help when I hear negative feedback from people.

Anyway many thanks again. I do feel a little more reassured about the whole thing.