At what age did you leave your teen overnight for the first time?

[Anonymous]

This must have been asked before, but my archieve searching skills must suck because I can't find much. Anyway...

DS is 14, will turn 15 in June. Has the right resume - good kid, good student, we know most of his good friends and their parents, not much girl involvement yet, we're close with the (nosey) neighbors. We trust him (as much as you can trust a teenager...).

We live in the 'burbs and have an event in DC in a few weeks so were thinking this might be a good opportunity to 'test' his staying alone overnight (and let us have a fun night out). We'll be less than an hour away, we'll leave the house early evening, be home mid-morning so not a lot of time to make a mess/clean it up. 14 feels a 'bit' young, but he's always been mature for his age and is perfectly fine with it. I think he barely notices when we're there these days anyway.

Any thoughts from the group? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Not until college. mostly my son told me his friends would find out and a party would happen and he didn't think he would stop it.

But if you kid that doesn't have that issue I would say Junior year.

[Anonymous]

Not exactly the same thing, but we did leave our 13 and 11 YO home for a long evening event recently, and got back around 1AM, when they were both fast asleep. Not sure how this would be any different, since presumably the kid would be asleep for the balance of the time, and I am sure at 14 he is perfectly capable of getting up in the morning and grabbing some cereal and chilling until you get home. If he is even awake - my teens don't usually appear on the weekends until 10:30 or so. I vote NBD, as long as he is OK with it.

[Anonymous]

Not until they were seniors in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would not leave a teenager alone overnight. You sound selfish.

[Anonymous]

I’m thinking that 16 will be right for our kid. No friends over, no going out. We have security cameras on the exterior of the house, so no sneaking possible

[Anonymous]

A few months before his 18th birthday. Honestly, I wouldn't even consider it at age 14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would not leave a teenager alone overnight. You sound selfish.

I left for college at age 16. How do you think teenagers away at college get through it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m thinking that 16 will be right for our kid. No friends over, no going out. We have security cameras on the exterior of the house, so no sneaking possible

I should add that obviously the kid should be comfortable with it. Our 13yo has already requested that we leave him at home rather than taking him out of town with us to his sister’s swim meets. That’s not happening, but it’s good to know that he’s up to the challenge already.

[Anonymous]

Not until college. I would leave them alone and ask my sister to sleep over or ask one of the kid's friends to bunk them.

One of my issues is how soundly teens sleep. Smoke detectors could be going off and they would sleep through it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I would not leave a teenager alone overnight. You sound selfish.

I left for college at age 16. How do you think teenagers away at college get through it?

Mom plans to go with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would not leave a teenager alone overnight. You sound selfish.

So do you consider yourself a helicopter or a snowplow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not until college. I would leave them alone and ask my sister to sleep over or ask one of the kid's friends to bunk them.

One of my issues is how soundly teens sleep. Smoke detectors could be going off and they would sleep through it all.

+1

Fireman’s daughter here. This would be my concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m thinking that 16 will be right for our kid. No friends over, no going out. We have security cameras on the exterior of the house, so no sneaking possible

I think 14 is almost better: none of their friends can drive yet.

[Anonymous]

18.