can i keep my daughter in

[mattymatt123]

can anyone tell me if i can legally stop my 15 years 10 month old daughter from leaving my house , as she has just stormed out threatening to call the police if i dont let her out.

[bednobs]

If you plan to physically restrain her then thats against the law - assault. if you dont plan to restrain her then i cant see how you wil keep her in?

[hammerman]

Call her bluff....tell her to call the police. If she does, i really can't see what they'd do.

I'd even go so far as dialling the number for her...but don't give in.

[New Judge]

Try this:

Let her leave as she wishes, but before she goes buy a new door lock and show it to her. If she still leaves, whilst she's out change the lock.

You'll soon see whether she really wants to leave or not.

[Ice.Maiden]

That seems an expensive and fiddly way of making your point. NJ, but the theory behind the idea's not a bad one.
If it was a child of mine threatening to leave, then first of all, I wouldn't be drawn into a shouting match. I'd try and remain calm, and tell her to go out, if that's what she really wants to do. It must be worrying, mattymatt, but if there's no scene, she's more liable to return home once she's been out and done whatever. On return, I'd ask her if it's cold outside, in a normal manner, and then continue to go about your business in silence, or as though nothing's happened. Arguments rarely get you anywhere, but expressing your love and concern when she's calmed down, might. I'm basing this on personal experience. I led my parents a merry dance when I was that age, but they never complained. I could just sense their disappointment by the way they acted towards me, and once I thought I could please myself, the excitement of doing my own thing lost its attraction.

[Annlinda]

My sister had this problem with her daughter, her solution was that she actually followed her daughter out and stayed with her when she met up with her friends my niece was so embarassed she decided to tow the line in future

[Mamjet]

You must hit her (no bruises)then lock her in her room. No more than for 3 days first of all.

[topogigo]

This is a hard one, but with a little more foresight there would be no need for hindsight, easy to say i know. I had this with my son, grown up now, i wish i had met him in the middle more often, it is difficult when they appear to be the spawn of Beelzebub at the time. I would say "OK time for a truce, let's make it work for both of us" Then find out how they are prepared to compromise, let them have some control, they like that notion. Whatever you do don't stop communicating you will regret it if you stoop to their level.

[mrs_overall]

I had this problem with my daughter.
I made no attempt to physically stop her leaving.
At the time, I was wearing old painting clothes, including a shower cap to keep the paint off my hair, and I had on a pair of Mr O's old slippers.
I simply followed my daughter, keeping a few paces behind her.
She turned around and came back to the house before we got to the end of the street as she was embarrassed to death by me.
I told her if she ever did it again I would follow her again...but next time I will be singing at the top of my voice as well.