To think it's ok to leave the door open for 15 minutes each weekday?

I live in a very small town where not much happens. I still came out of my bathroom one day to find a strange man halfway up my stairs...

The police thought it was an opportunist who was in the area trying door handles. If you regularly leave your doors unlocked, let's just hope they don't pay your area a visit next...

Another vote for giving him a key and if he refuses then he'll need to wait outside for 15 minutes. I'm sure it'll only take a couple of days of waiting outside in the freezing rain for him to agree to take a key

He should have a key and if he loses it, he has to wait on the doorstep until you’re finished. I wouldn’t leave my door ajar. Unlocked for 15 when in the house, whatever but not open.

They are also ridiculously insecure.

Looks like it... I'm speechless....

You all lock your doors? When you're in the actual house? WTF? Where are you all living???

Okay, I was just making the point.

The ones which are approved are not that cheap.

Do people really lock their doors if they inside during the day?

Key on a string/ribbon attached to the inside of his schoolbag. I have one in every single bag I own, because I lose everything all the time.

Also your husband needs help for his anxiety as it's impacting all of you.

Both my front and back doors are always unlocked when people are home

Well it depends where you live but our door is nearly always open, only pushed to. It’s an absolute pain in the arse to faf around with keys all the time with people always coming in and out and also it means delivery people can just leave stuff in the porch.

what do they think is going to happen in those 15 mins??

https://amzn.eu/d/gvFBhfu

Ah now 😂😂😂 do you still wipe his bum aswell fgs ..tell him he has to bring a key and that's just it..stop pandering to these bloody kids all the time..you're at work,not just sat at home not wanting to answer the door to him..how is he going to manage in the real world 🙄

Change the lock for one with a thumb latch on the inside. The the door can be shut but unlocked.
It has the advantage of not leaving you locked out if it blows shut or swings to whilst you are out front.

I despaired of my neighbours and their kids who were alway locking themselves out accidentally because their door locked if it was shut.

Get a key safe. All of the elderly service users, I care for have them. Look on Amazon. They're not expensive 💕

I would tell my ds to wait outside 15 mins if they dont want to carry a key. I would hope it motivated them to take key but if they prefer to wait then thats fine. Walk a bit slower, or pop to a shop on way home.

I would be fine leaving door unlocked but not ajar.

Well, there isn't much motivation for your ds or dh to shift as they aren't being affected.

It's ridiculous for you to leave a work meeting everyday. It impacts how professional you look. That shouldn't be an option for even one more day.

I'd say your ds carries a key or waits outside until your meeting finishes, his choice. And stern words with your dh about saying careless things in front of your ds that stress and upset him!

It's London - nobody leaves doors unlocked there, you'd be mad to. When I lived there I saw my door handle moving a couple of times - just some crook going around trying them all. And not in a bad area. It's not a question of being frightened - I was never frightened to live alone where I did - it's just what you do, automatically, like locking your car when you park it and walk away. Her teen needs to get used to it and have a key.

I had a friend who used to say that - until one day someone slipped through the front door and stole her handbag while she was watching TV. I'm sure there are places where burglaries don't happen and maybe you live in one of them, but most people don't.

OP’s door has to be slightly open not just unlocked. Would you be ok with that?

Where on earth do you live!! I never ever lock my front door whether we're in or out, it never crosses any of our minds to lock it. In fact we've got one front door key between 5 of us and it lives in the back of the door 24/7 365 days a year.

I can't imagine living somewhere that I'd be frightened to leave my door unlocked.

It's nice that your son feels concerned about the possibility of losing a key... that shows that he has some responsibility.
You could change your front door lock to have one of those combination openers, they have a keypad and you just have to know the four five or six digit combination to open the door? You can't lose a key that way.
Or he could get a chain around his neck and put the key there, hard to lose it when it's around your neck.
If you're not comfortable with leaving the door open for 15 minutes, don't do it. There's other ways to get around this. Besides at some point he's going to have to learn the responsibility of carrying keys, he's already started secondary school. Can't be a little kid forever...

Yes, during our family discussion about it, DH made it clear that if a key is lost, the lock must be replaced that same day in case whoever found it followed DS home, which I think added to DS's worries. @ILoveMyGonk

That makes sense now as to why your ds is so anxious about it.

You do know that the chances of this actually happening are so small it's ridiculous for it to be the cause of so much stress and damage.

I'm guessing this is just the tip of the iceberg and you've been living with this delusional type of anxiety of your DH's for years, so it's hard for you to stay rational, but your DH needs help as it is already clearly affecting your ds.

Based on your update your DHs anxiety is 100% impacting ypur son

Please start advocating for him (DS not DH)