Imagine taking your child to boarding school for the very first time.
Your child has been assigned to a room of six, with a personal wardrobe and bedside locker. You help him settle in, say your goodbyes, and head home, hoping he’ll be fine in this new environment.
Hours later, he calls you, sounding worried. You forgot to give him the padlocks meant to secure his belongings. He has used the one from his box to lock his bedside locker, but his wardrobe is still unlocked.
Then he tells you, “Mummy/Daddy, one of my roommates was kind enough to give me an extra padlock for my wardrobe, but he gave me only one key.”
You pause. You’re grateful that someone was kind enough to help your child, but you also know this is a stranger your child has only just met. Your child is far from home, learning to live among people he barely knows, and you cannot be there to protect him or watch over his belongings.
What would you tell your child? Would you allow him to use the padlock, advise him to return it, or tell him something else entirely?