i kinda feel like sneaking out is a rite of passage. I’ve only caught my son once, i’m sure it’s more, but i don’t go out of my way to turn the house into Alcatraz.

Like someone else said, the new friends are the bigger problem than sneaking out. But of course there’s no easy “fix” for that.

An alarm system that chimes or notifies you when a door or window is open would be a solution if you have the money and would choose that.

Anonymous wrote:I have no experience with this (at least as far as I know!), but would be horrified to find out about it.

As others suggested, I would invest in home security and crack down on freedoms like use of car, etc.

I would also consider where my kid's room is located. This is a possible benefit of having a very small home, LOL. At any rate, this is one reason why when we were looking for a home, my strong preference was for kids bedrooms to be located on the same floor as parents. Forced proximity can be a good thing!

Me again: All that said, I would do what I could but the reality is that you probably can't stop a really determined teen from sneaking out. It's terrifying to contemplate. I'm sorry you are dealing with this.

Does your teen have a job? Perhaps more responsibilities would reduce time with questionable friend group?

I have no experience with this (at least as far as I know!), but would be horrified to find out about it.

As others suggested, I would invest in home security and crack down on freedoms like use of car, etc.

I would also consider where my kid's room is located. This is a possible benefit of having a very small home, LOL. At any rate, this is one reason why when we were looking for a home, my strong preference was for kids bedrooms to be located on the same floor as parents. Forced proximity can be a good thing!

How old is he and where did he go?

My neighbor regretted not moving her daughters room. But really you need to change the friend group.

There are cameras that hidden in devices that look like phone chargers--you could put a couple of those in key places. When I caught my DS sneaking out, I locked the window he snuck out of and he was locked out for the night. Found him asleep in a chair on the porch, in the cold, in the morning.

Security system for your home

How old is he? Where did he go?

ADT alarms on all the sites and windows

I feel like the above PP has been through this and has good advice.

Window and sliding glass door sensors along with cameras on all 4 sides of the house - only attached to your phone (not the house computer that they can loop the feed.)

I would also put find my friends on find my iPhone. There is a parent lock that won’t let you freeze like life 360. But make sure you have their iPhone screen time on parent code restrictions and they can’t offload or temp delete the app.

Under screen time, content and privacy restrictions. It forces a 4 digit code to add and/or delete apps.

My kids downtime is set 11pm to 7am anyway so they can’t mess with anything.

There is always risk for burner phones though. So that is why getting the house security better too. And you can also physically check in the middle of the night.

Anonymous wrote:My DS snuck out over break and was caught. Not sure how many times before. We have life 360 and ring but from another thread it seems both of these can be frozen. He said he got out a back window away from the camera. At least he was honest.

Just looking for help on how to prevent. I hate his new friends and yes he lost his phone for 2 weeks but looking for more input on preventive from parents that are been there done that.

Window alarms, locks. Pretty sure my Grandparents, back in the low-tech day, moved my troubled Aunt’s bedroom to the closest to their room and may have put bars on her window.

I'd make him write a three page essay single spaced by hand about why sneaking out is not okay. Then he has to present it to the family.

Also, put chimes on that back window, on the outside so he'll knock into them, or lock the window.

My DS snuck out over break and was caught. Not sure how many times before. We have life 360 and ring but from another thread it seems both of these can be frozen. He said he got out a back window away from the camera. At least he was honest.

Just looking for help on how to prevent. I hate his new friends and yes he lost his phone for 2 weeks but looking for more input on preventive from parents that are been there done that.