I think that is a good thing your granddaughter is doing. Too many kids at that age have no idea what the less fortunate kids in her age group have to deal with. It's a good learning experience. I can't grasp onto the idea that a child that age has a cellphone. My granddaughter has one and she is 12. I don't think I could raise a child in this day and age. You must be proud of her

Debbie, what a great experience for her! My 15 year old grandson and 14 year old granddaughter went on a 4 day pioneer trek in March in the Arizona desert south of Phoenix. It was still hot and they took two outfits, a sleeping bag. The girls had to wear bloomers, long skirts, longsleeved blouses, sunbonnets. The boys longsleeved shirts, hats, 1850 style pants, braces (a type of suspender). They took no cell phones, no deodrant. Absolutely nothing that had not been invented during that time period. They learned alot, including about being a youth in a large family and how to butcher a chicken which they had for dinner that night. They were divided up into several "families" and learned just what life was like in the 1850's. What a learning experience they had!

I agree--what a learning experience. I dont' know that I could do the sleeping bag bit these days! But how did they know the kids would be safe on the streets all night? There must have been some safety procedure built into the experience?..... NM in MN

I think it is great that she continued after they limited her to the two suitcases. This will be such a good experiance for her. I personaly do not know any teenagers that would do something like this.
Dorothy

I have a 10 year old with a cell. It so happens to be all of us has had to rely on cells because he would not come in when he was supposed to. Tried grounding him the whole nine yards. Got a cell he calls to check in and has to be home at a certain time. Strange they cannot tell time on a watch (which he can) but they can a cell. I was born in Portland and was there recently as my daughter is going to college just out of Portland. I would not want to be anywhere at night on the streets of Portland.

How awesome for Jazmine to experience that! God bless her & "all that Jazz!" lol Kathi :)

Debbie I think it was a wonderful thing for her to experience. You learn a lot of tough lessons about the world through such an ordeal. I've had the fortune of being without a home. And yes, I did say fortune. At the time it was the worst possible thing, but looking back, I learned some of the most valuable lessons and came away with a deep spiritual gratitude for what I had. You should be very proud of your granddaughter. :)

what a great experience. My daughter and her family just went to Houston. They were there for 6 days, my daugther told her son and daughter, we have to go wash clothes at a laundromat. NOt only did they not know these existed but were amazed at how it was. You forget some of these children do not ever see things other than their big house, swimming pool, etc. My grandson asked his mom why would anyone want to use the laundromat and that is when my daugther realized this was a learning experience. She explained the facts of real life to them. I told my friends about this and we all had a good laugh, but it is really not funny when you think about it. My grandson got his phone at 12 and now his sister is getting one too, she starts middle school this year. I am always surprised when my cell phone does ring, very little.

Debbie, The last time I saw Jazmine, she and Jenna were buried in a laptop! I can't imagine how she flet without her electronics. What a fantastic experience for teens to experience even one night on the streets. Seattle has the same kind of program-what a shock to those kids who live in such a beautiful area to see how some people live. We do want the best for our grandkids, but they need to see the real world sometimes to appreciate what they do have.

I think it's awesome that she had the opportunity to see people who are less fortunate than her. I wish more kids could do that. I wish my own boys could do that. Too many kids have such a sense of entitlement these days unfortunately. I hope she learns from this experience. It could be life changing for her, even at 13.

I really enjoyed reading this blog. What a great idea to teach others "what it's like to be on the other side" of who you are serving. What a brave soul to live on the streets for a night and it has to be the best lesson learned in her life, except the power of giving...giving up her cell phone. I bet that was the biggest torture. LOL

I live in Ohio, where cell phones don't work unless you are in town. Yep, some of us are still out there. We have good neighbors, if you break down you don't have to call for help, usually the next passerby stops to help. I do have a cell phone that I use when traveling to Cincinnati. I hate the traffic and worry I'll break down and not have help anywhere around.

My kids go to school in town but none of them have ever used or taken a cell phone with them to school or have owned one living at home. I don't buy them as gifts and don't supply them with minutes or plans. If they want one they have to afford it.

Debbie, it may surprise you to know that some of my neighbors, heat with woodstoves or fireplaces, use outhouses, and use water wells. It's not as primitive as one would think and much more affordable I'm sure.