10 years old and wanted to run away

Re: 10 years old and wanted to run away

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you have been feeling pretty poorly at home because your parents have not been around, and you have not been feeling loved. It is understandable that you would be thinking about leaving based on what you’ve shared about what’s been going on. We’re glad that you were able to find our bulletin board and were brave enough to post.

So it sounds like you want to run away from home and get the love that your parents have not been giving you, from somewhere else. It sounds like you have been feeling really hurt lately. Have you been able to share this with your parents at all? Sometimes, it can be helpful to talk through these types of feelings with somebody, like a friend or a trusted adult. You said that you always have a lap top or tablet because you have no one. This has got to be a really hard thing to feel, and if you truly feel that there is no one else you can talk to about all of this, this resource might be helpful to you: https://teenlineonline.org/. It’s a site that you can go to in order to get connected to other youth that might be going through similar situations, that may be able to offer support to you through all of this.

You shared that you want to runaway badly. Do you have any ideas of where you might go to, or how long you would stay? We’re not here to tell you what you should or should not do. We’re here to help keep you safe. There are some helpful things to think through while making your decision:

What about school? Would I continue to get an education?
What would I do for money? Shelter? Food? Transportation?
Who can I depend on if I leave home?
Do I have a safe, solid plan?
What is my plan b in case my first plan doesn’t work?
What have I done to make things better at home?
What can I do to make things better at home?
Who have I reached out to make things better at home?

Please do not hesitate to call us or chat with us to talk more about your situation. That’s what we’re here to do, and we are here 24/7. Best of luck to you.

Stay safe,
NRS

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