Teenagers and alcohol

My 14 year old daughter went out with some friends today to a park. Whilst out they met another group of friends. One of the lads out with this other group of friends was extremely drunk, vomiting and 'choking' my daughter said. The friends that he had been with whilst getting into this state were running away from him as he was being sick. My daughter and her friend phoned an ambulance, looked after him till paramedics arrived, explained everything they knew, and after he had been taken to hospital, they went to his house to explain to his older sister (his parents were not home) what had happened.

I'm worried that teenagers who are obviously not old enough, and what is worse not mature enough, are getting into this state in parks in broad daylight and no-one else appeared to have done anything about it. I am however proud of my daughter for doing the right thing, even though I did ask her whether she or her friend had been drinking at all. I worry more about my 14 year old than my older daughter, she is the quieter one of my three, and I worry about 'middle child syndrome'. She doesn't talk to me as much as her big sister and keeps things to herself. Though I'm sad about the lad who made himself ill through alcohol, I was glad that my daughter came home and told me all about it, and that she showed maturity in her actions. Perhaps I need to trust her a bit more...

My 15 year old did a ten mile sponsored walk as part of her Duke of Edinburgh bronze award today, completing it in over an hour less than the expected time. Go Sophie! And the blisters didn't stop her going out tonight either. You know you're getting old when your children have much more interesting social lives than you!

My 7 year old, as always, has been my sunshine today, as I have not been out of the house all day (housework day...) I wish I could hold on to the innocence and beauty of having a young child forever but it is not to be, she just keeps growing, and getting cheekier and more independent!

I am really missing my husband tonight and really ought to be getting to sleep but can't. My youngest has a friend staying, so they will be up early in the morning, which means I will be too. Oh well, only two more sleeps till he's home, and as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. No doubt he'll be driving me mad again by Wednesday!

Read an inspiring post today by Eternally Distracted, and I hope I haven't moaned too much in my blog as I know I am a very lucky person to have a healthy, happy, loving family and to have everything I need. Wants can wait...