Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Leaving 16 yr old alone on holiday.

40 replies

TooManyCats2024 · 23/07/2024 16:05

Going to Florida in a week. Plan to meet up with a friend who is a drag performer and see his show. It’s over 21’s only, so 16 (nearly 17) year old son can’t come. He is happy to stay in the resort on his own and chill out, eat, watch a movie etc. We will be a couple of miles away and out for a couple of hours. For context he goes out with friends in the evening at home and is very sensible and reliable. Stupidly I mentioned this to my sister and she is making me feel like I’m the world’s most irresponsible parent! What would you do? Are we being selfish?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
LadyMonicaBaddingham · 23/07/2024 21:16

Your sister is being ridiculous. We are going on holiday to Poland this summer and fully intend to leave our teenagers in the hotel/local area alone while we go to a wedding. You KNOW what your child is comfortable with/capable of; just feel happily secure in that knowledge and ignore the 'haters' 😉

pinkspeakers · 23/07/2024 20:51

It's fine!

Giannetta · 23/07/2024 20:51

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/07/2024 20:39

A 16 year old can be the Lifeguard, though.

Show quote history

Then they'd know they should have a second person around to get help/hold their head out of the water if they lose consciousness.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/07/2024 20:39

Giannetta · 23/07/2024 19:45

Thorpe Park etc are teeming with teens dropped off for the day after GCSEs.

I'm with you 100% on leaving him and on the pool. I'm an ex-lifeguard.

A 16 year old can be the Lifeguard, though.

ifitquackslikeaduckitsafuckingduck · 23/07/2024 20:36

How are kids supposed to grow up if you treat them like toddlers. Of course it's fine. It's fucking weird that you're even asking. Have you always treated him like he's incapable of thinking?

Giannetta · 23/07/2024 19:45

Thorpe Park etc are teeming with teens dropped off for the day after GCSEs.

I'm with you 100% on leaving him and on the pool. I'm an ex-lifeguard.

PerfectTravelTote · 23/07/2024 19:10

I'm not the most permissive of parents and I'd have no issue at all with that.

Movingon2024 · 23/07/2024 19:07

At 16 he can legally move to Florida on his own if he wants.

so yadnbu but your sister is being batshit.

longdistanceclaraclara · 23/07/2024 19:04

Have I read right, 16 and not 6?!

HuaShan · 23/07/2024 17:45

I'm sure he will be absolutely fine. I think it's interesting how much times have changed - when I was 16 I went to the South of France on a coach, with a friend, also 16. Then having just turned 18, flew to Israel and worked on a Kibbutz. It was quite normal for teenagers to travel on their own.
In a year or so he will be away at university. You have said he is sensible, he will be fine.

SallyWD · 23/07/2024 17:34

Why do people mollycoddle teenagers, these days?! He's old enough to leave home, join the army, get married in Scotland.

Bobbotgegrinch · 23/07/2024 17:05

Interested to see that people would allow their teens to go to the parks

I used to do it myself at 16. I was obsessed with getting on every ride I possibly could, and we'd go with cousins who were much younger, so there were a few days every holiday I'd ditch everyone else while they had a hotel day, and spend an epic day taking in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot by myself.

Admittedly this was 25 years ago, but the transport options have only gotten better since then, and you can keep in touch by mobile which wasn't an option back then.

123sunshine · 23/07/2024 17:01

TooManyCats2024 · 23/07/2024 16:27

The quiet pools don’t have lifeguards in the evening.

Show quote history

Honestly that’s being over cautious. I have a pool at home. I don’t ban my teenagers of similar ages to not swimming if no one is home. Leave the boy and let him have some space.

Original poster
TooManyCats2024 · 23/07/2024 17:00

Stereofind · 23/07/2024 16:55

At 16 he could actually go on holiday on his own.

Yes, although he would be with friends, hence the request that he doesn’t use the pool.
Interested to see that people would allow their teens to go to the parks - he often goes off to go on a ride by himself whilst we are there, but always when we are still in the park. I might suggest he could stay in whichever park we are in that day.
Sister has a DD aged 18 and 12 year old twins. She is generally horrified that we go to Disney in the first place, as it’s not educational!

OP posts:
suburberphobe · 23/07/2024 16:57

If he can swim surely a 16-year-old should be able to use the pool?
If not, I totally get it.

Don't mollycoddle him.

He's the perfect age to start branching out on his own. And find his confidence.

JMSA · 23/07/2024 16:56

Totally fine - enjoy the show!

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 23/07/2024 16:55

I'd be more concerned about your sisters parenting skills to be honest. If a 16 yr old can't mind themselves for a few hours then God help us all.

Channellingsophistication · 23/07/2024 16:55

I’ve got a DS16 and I think no problem to leave him for the evening. Agree re pool.

Stereofind · 23/07/2024 16:55

At 16 he could actually go on holiday on his own.

rainbowunicorn · 23/07/2024 16:53

TooManyCats2024 · 23/07/2024 16:15

It’s a Disney resort - he knows to go to the Front desk if he has an emergency and I have said no to using the pool without us.

Show quote history

Can he not swim?

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 23/07/2024 16:49

Does your sister have experience parenting a 16 year old or is she extrapolating from her experience of parenting younger children? I think I would be more concerned if I didn't think my 16 year old could be left alone for a couple of hours.

ineedtogwtoutbeforeitatoohot · 23/07/2024 16:41

Is he 6 or 16

StellaLaBella · 23/07/2024 16:41

I'd not only let him stay behind, I'd let him go to the parks by himself for the evening. And I say that as someone who just let my DD who just turned 17 do exactly that. There couldn't be a more controlled and safe environment for a kid to have some independence and he gets to go where and when he wants without it being a committeee decision, and has the advantage of being a single rider so would get to skip to the top of a lot of lines. She had the best time exactly because she was by herself

LBFseBrom · 23/07/2024 16:38

Your son will be fine on his own for an evening, he is sixteen, not twelve.

Onthegrid · 23/07/2024 16:38

At 16, in a Disney resort, no problems at all. I actually agree with you about the swimming as I stayed onsite last year for the first time in ages and there was no lifeguard on duty at the quiet pools at any time during the day. Also it is not necessary. Mine at 16 would probably gone to the arcade and foodcourt, then settled down to watch a movie/crap on their phone

Swipe left for the next trending thread