What type of childcare for leaving teens home alone for a long weekend?

[Anonymous]

This is just such a no. Not even a question. You are not a good parent OP and anyone who knew you do this would think so.

[Anonymous]

When my parents left us alone we threw a party!

[Anonymous]

How far away would you go? 4 days is a long time to be away with kids this age home alone, especially if you are going more than an hour's drive away. I would not be able to enjoy any type of getaway like this with all the stress and anxiety I would be feeling. IMO, you don't have kids quite old enough to go away for this length of time, especially if there is plane ride involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

[Anonymous]

And I said for 1 night. Not 4. So read before you react.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

What if one of them needs to go to urgent care? OP's kids can't even drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

What if one of them needs to go to urgent care? OP's kids can't even drive.

Op here. My kids have good friends in the neighborhood including 5 physicians on our block. We would not depend on them but we have good relationships with many people in the community.

I have decided not to go on the trip and we will not be leaving the kids home alone. It is less about childcare and more about just rescheduling a trip we can go altogether.

My older son is as responsible as one can get as a kid his age. He is more responsible than most college students. I absolutely would trust and be ok with him staying home alone overnight, probably not 4 nights though.

My 13yo is not the same as his older brother and I would not trust him alone and would never leave him alone overnight. It seems to big of a burden to put on his older brother.

MIL said she would come stay with them but we just decided not to do the trip.

[Anonymous]

I would not leave them alone at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

VA guidelines says a 16yo can be alone overnight and also babysit overnight. 15.5 is not that far from 16yo. These are also guidelines, not the law.

I remember when I was a teen, the kids who had parents who were traveling were the ones who had parties at their house. There were actually a few international students who lived mostly alone during high school. They were minors and under 18. These are not 7 year olds, these are 15-16 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not leave them alone at all.

You won’t let your teens stay home alone ever? You never go out without your teen to dinner or work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave them by themselves. Who doesn’t have a ring/camera now a days? You would know who is or isn’t coming out of the house. I would let them DoorDash. No leaving the house though.

Op here. We arm the alarm every night when we go to bed and we have sensors everywhere including every bedroom upstairs. We also have countless cameras in and out of the house. Also live in a semi gated community with 24-7 security.

Dh thinks we need someone to drive and feed them but not necessarily overnight.

Where are there semi gated communities with 24/7 security in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

What if one of them needs to go to urgent care? OP's kids can't even drive.

Op here. My kids have good friends in the neighborhood including 5 physicians on our block. We would not depend on them but we have good relationships with many people in the community.

I have decided not to go on the trip and we will not be leaving the kids home alone. It is less about childcare and more about just rescheduling a trip we can go altogether.

My older son is as responsible as one can get as a kid his age. He is more responsible than most college students. I absolutely would trust and be ok with him staying home alone overnight, probably not 4 nights though.

My 13yo is not the same as his older brother and I would not trust him alone and would never leave him alone overnight. It seems to big of a burden to put on his older brother.

MIL said she would come stay with them but we just decided not to do the trip.

What is your neighbor supposed to do? Doesn’t matter if they are a physician. They aren’t responsible for your kid and certainly aren’t going to give them medical care bc you are irresponsible and left them alone.
I’d be super pissed if my neighbors considered me their medical plan while they left their minor kids at home for 4 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

What if one of them needs to go to urgent care? OP's kids can't even drive.

Op here. My kids have good friends in the neighborhood including 5 physicians on our block. We would not depend on them but we have good relationships with many people in the community.

I have decided not to go on the trip and we will not be leaving the kids home alone. It is less about childcare and more about just rescheduling a trip we can go altogether.

My older son is as responsible as one can get as a kid his age. He is more responsible than most college students. I absolutely would trust and be ok with him staying home alone overnight, probably not 4 nights though.

My 13yo is not the same as his older brother and I would not trust him alone and would never leave him alone overnight. It seems to big of a burden to put on his older brother.

MIL said she would come stay with them but we just decided not to do the trip.

What is your neighbor supposed to do? Doesn’t matter if they are a physician. They aren’t responsible for your kid and certainly aren’t going to give them medical care bc you are irresponsible and left them alone.
I’d be super pissed if my neighbors considered me their medical plan while they left their minor kids at home for 4 days.

My kids are friends with 3 friends in the neighborhood and they all happen to have physician parents. 2 of dh’s friends in the neighborhood are also physicians. The fact that they are physicians doesn’t really matter but they are our friends and would help our kids. I would also help their kids if there was an emergency. For example, if their kid got hurt and needed help, they could call me and I would help. The parents could be at work, away at a conference, doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter since we are not going away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t leave them overnight at all. Someone responsible needs to stay at the house. You need to wait a few more years. You and DH can handle it.

Are you kidding me. Kid is almost 16 years old. There is something very, very wrong if a 16 year old cannot handle himself and watch his brother overnight. He will be in college soon!

Then, how about waiting until they are actually 18 and in College?

It is irresponsible and poor parenting to leave your 16yr. old alone and on top, caring for a younger sibling for 4 days. See what CPS thinks?,

Sorry you’ve raised irresponsible and untrustworthy children who can’t handle being alone for a night. And I’m a prosecutor and so stop the chirping about CPS. You sound clueless.

What if one of them needs to go to urgent care? OP's kids can't even drive.

Op here. My kids have good friends in the neighborhood including 5 physicians on our block. We would not depend on them but we have good relationships with many people in the community.

I have decided not to go on the trip and we will not be leaving the kids home alone. It is less about childcare and more about just rescheduling a trip we can go altogether.

My older son is as responsible as one can get as a kid his age. He is more responsible than most college students. I absolutely would trust and be ok with him staying home alone overnight, probably not 4 nights though.

My 13yo is not the same as his older brother and I would not trust him alone and would never leave him alone overnight. It seems to big of a burden to put on his older brother.

MIL said she would come stay with them but we just decided not to do the trip.

What is your neighbor supposed to do? Doesn’t matter if they are a physician. They aren’t responsible for your kid and certainly aren’t going to give them medical care bc you are irresponsible and left them alone.
I’d be super pissed if my neighbors considered me their medical plan while they left their minor kids at home for 4 days.

And the purpose of my post was to figure out what childcare was appropriate for teenagers. I was never going to leave them home alone for 4 days.

[Anonymous]

When my kid was 14 or 15, I was still checking her phone/texts occassionally. One time I saw a series of texts sent when I was gone for just like 30 minutes in the morning taking her sister to school in which she was telling a friend she heard gunshots outside and was the only one home and what should she do. I'm not sure what she heard, but it was definitely not gunshots (probably a loud construction sound). She never told me anything about this.

I'm recalling this story to say that young-mid teens just get freaked out about things sometimes. A night alone might go perfectly well. But it also could be surprisingly stressful on the kid.