waiting in for teenagers..can I go to bed?

[brimfull]

she's 16
I am knackeredas did a night shift last night,but feel I should stay up unitl she comes in.
What do others do?
She's at a gig at local football club and walking home with friends.

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

Waiting for ds1, also 16, who has gone to a Battle of the Bands.

Sorry - but can't go to bed until he's back!

[brimfull]

I know I'm the same.

Doesn't feel right going to bed and probably wouldn't sleep anywya.

[pukkapatch]

a few years ago, i went out with some mum friends. i was driving, so came home really late, after dropping everyone home. came back to incredibly grumpy mother, and grumpy dsister. dh was blissfully sleeping. mom was really stressed out and worried about me, so she had woken up dsister, who was really stressed at her, and me fo rmaking her so stressd!
no help whatsowever i am afraid. but i have to laugh about that incident. i was 32

[choccypig]

A suggestion for next time. Set an alarm for (say) 10 minutes after she should be in. When she comes in she is responsible for switching it off. Is it wakes you up, you then stay up to greet her with "What time do you call this"
IF it doesn't wake you, you know she's in and safe. Assuming you can trust her to secure the front door.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

I go to bed but generally lie awake so TBH I'd be better staying up.

I tell you - you get no sleep when they're little and no sleep when they're big!

[mumeeee]

DH collects DD3 16 if she is out late.
We stay up for DD2 18

[brimfull]

well good thing I stayed up and dressed-she rang for a lift .

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

Ah - that's where I have a real problem. I refused to suspend my normal evening, which would usually involve a few glasses of wine - so I wouldn't be able to drive.

DS1 has only just started going out, so I'm not sure how this is going to work! But I do resent the idea of giving up my evening just to pander to him.

[WendyWeber]

Bad mummy here too, BIWI - I have nevernevernever waited up, or even stayed awake

DH, luckily for them, is an angelic parent - they can ring him literally at any time and he will get up, go out and fetch them (probably drives in his sleep but hey...)

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

But DH wouldn't do it either, so not sure where that leaves us!

Thankfully where we live, public transport is very good, and if DS goes out locally he can easily walk home, and one of his friends lives just 50 yds away.

(Not looking forward to this!)

[WendyWeber]

Public transport is crap here, so if they go out of town they have to make use of taxis - not cheap, but if in a group of 4 or 5 not too bad.

Local nights out - the kind they can reel home from - are the best way to start...how old is your DS1?

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

16 - but relatively young, tends to be home-focussed and girls are not really on his radar (goes to a boys' school)

[potoftea]

I won't drink when they are out, because it does happen that we get a call saying they can't get a taxi, or the person who was supposed to be giving them a lift has let them down. Bloody nusicance.

I leave on a light and go to bed. They have to turn off this light when they come home; so if I wake and the light is off I can relax; if it's still on I wake up quickly and start worrying

[lazymumofteenagesons]

Also operate the leave a light on method. However, woke up at 4:43 on sunday morning to find light still on. No answer from his mobile and both of us lay there worrying until hubby got up at 6:30 and found DS1 fast asleep in bed having forgotten to turn hall light off!

[Milliways]

I can only go to bed if her lift home has been confirmed with a responsible adult. Some of her friends are now driving and I wouldn't want them doing the late night driving yet!

We also leave landing light on and she turns it out - but DH (so far) has always heard her come in.

The first time I fell asleep before she came home, I woke at 2am and had to go and check she was actually in her bed - that's when we started the light thing.