We've left all 3 of our kids overnight at various times. Until they were 18 we made sure that there was an adult nearby that would be willing to be their responsible adult should something happen. Sometimes this was friends sometimes it was someone we hired when no one else was available. One kid has a medical condition so ER trips are not uncommon occasionally. All lived to tell the tale with no incidents and 2 of the 3 are functioning adults. Third will be as well but is still in HS.

Anonymous wrote:I'm going on a 4-day work trip in two weeks and I'm a single parent. My kid recently got their license and is pretty responsible- do you think it's fine if they stay by themselves while I'm away? This would be the first time they are alone for more than one night, but they are totally fine with it. I'm a little nervous, but they can drive and I don't have to worry about them trashing the house or anything. What do you think?

Absolutely! The helicopter moms here will say otherwise but here is why I say yes:

He has his license

He has already spent a night alone (per your post)

If it’s a work trip I’m thinking it’s during the school week

It’s a great age to see how much he’s prepared and fix what isn’t before he goes off to college.

My rules would be:

no drinking/drugs in the house

No more than 2 friends over

Set a curfew and a check in on Find My IPhone.

Get some favorite easy foods to cook and give him expectations on how much take-out vs food from home

Remind him of some basic things like trash day, mail/packages, locking doors, alarm system, emergency numbers.

And then focus on your work trip. He may fudge a few things up (he is a teen after all) but overall I bet he will do great!!

And kudos to being a single mom

They're going to love it!

It’s like some parents do not understand the teen years are the transition years from childhood to adulthood. Your job as a parent is to parent them thru thus transfer.

So by 16 a teen should be able to drive, babysit, cook, clean, do their own laundry, process basic logical problems, have most of their street smarts, handle most friend and relationship problems etc…. You help guide them. Not smother them.

So yes, a 16 year old can stay a few nights alone if you parented correctly.

We left our 17 yo DD alone for two nights and it was fine.

We notified a trusted neighbor, checked in with her from time to time and all she complained about was getting a little bored by all the quiet.