Woman's Hour - the woman who emailed to say she'd left her DS to fend for himself

[mysteryknickers]

This is slightly a TAAT but not really because I was thinking about it before I read the thread.

Must have been a couple of weeks ago. I think the discussion was about children going to university and being homesick and not coping. the presenter read out an email she'd had from a woman who had decided to go off somewhere to meditate and ended up staying abroad for 3 months. I think she said something like 'there was a lot of healing needed'.

Her DS, who was doing A Levels I think, had to fend for himself and apparently after freaking out for a few days got on with it and managed. Then when he went to university he coped well and didn't find it a big transition.

All well and good but is this even legal? Would a school not be concerned that one of their students was suddenly living alone? (didn't get the impression there was a dad around). Is that a fair situation for a young person about to sit their exams?

Just interested in other people's thoughts should I stop clutching my pearls

[KittiesInsane]

Well, it doesn't sound advisable, but illegal? For a 17-18 year old? Surely not.

[overthemill]

You can leave home at 16 so no reason legally why not. I don't think my kids would have liked it much but they would have coped. Bit selfish of the mum I think but you/I don't know the full reasons.

[mysteryknickers]

That's what I wondered. I suppose you could argue that you could join the army at the same age so why not live alone.

[mysteryknickers]

I'm sure her reasons were very compelling to her. Wonder what her DS made of it all. I hope it worked out for her.

[foragogo]

I went to university in a different country the month I turned 17 on my own and coped reasonably well, it wasn't great but no one talked about it being illegal and it did make me independent.

[UmbongoUnchained]

I was living by myself at 15! Think he was probably fine!

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

I moved out my Mothers house on my 16th birthday, I took on 3 jobs to pay the bills and loved the independence. It's perfectly legal.

[yeOldeTrout]

DD will turn 18 a few weeks into yr13, so she'd be 18 in OP's story. That's legal to leave alone everywhere, I think?

[R4]

Teenagers quite often have to deal with a bad home life and, quite often, their mates (and their parents) rally round. That's not saying that I excuse the mother at all - shockingly selfish behaviour.

[mysteryknickers]

R4 I think that is the bit that I struggled with - the woman wasn't in hospital/prison/a refuge but off doing meditation for a while. trying not to be judgey but not managing