What age were your teens when you first left them at home overnight?

[JustlookingNotbuying]

Or for a Weekend?
DH and I have a special anniversary coming up and haven’t been away for a long time.
DD is 14 and DS is 17 in 6 weeks time.
We would like to go away (only a few hours drive away, not overseas) next weekend. I have asked the dc if they would like to come but they said no.
My sister and her partner live just around the corner (literally a few minutes walk away) and my parents about a 10 min walk away. FIL is in the next village so a 10 min drive. So lots of family nearby.
Dsis did originally say she would help and stay at ours overnight but has since changed her mind (she has form for being flakey, has no dc of her own and hates being away from home, even just round the corner at ours). She asked if she could just be there at the end of the phone should they need her (Doesn’t matter how many times I’ve fed her cat every time she goes away but hey! that’s another story).
Mum and dad are 80 and mum has Alzheimer’s (late early stages), Dad says they could stay over ours in the evening and overnight on the Fri and Sat (dc will be fine on their own during the day) but I don’t really want to put much stress on them.
DS says he’s happy to look after his dsis but this would be the first time we have ever left them overnight and ideally we’d like to go for 2 nights so I am a bit uneasy about it. He’s a sensible lad but I would still worry I think.
Ive asked a couple of friends, one said she didn’t leave her dc until they were 18+ and another is way more laid back and often left her dc until 1am, when they were only 12.
Just wondering how others are?
I am still in two minds as what to do. Obviously, it’s helpful and reassuring to know dc have family just around the corner and if they needed anything urgent dsis is literally minutes away and we are also in a large village with neighbours all around so not like we are in the middle of nowhere. But still!
At what age were your dc when you left them at home overnight?

I think if they're both generally sensible types and your sister is literally round the corner and could be there within minutes - I think I'd be ok with it. Get loads of food in - more than you think they could possibly eat, and maybe some cash for a takeaway, and enjoy your time!

16. Am thinking of a weekend away soon though when they will be 17 and 15 and we’re going abroad, but SIL is 10 mins away.

Hi OP, I think it depends on how mature they are. I left my 16 year old alone in April. He’s 17 in October. I had very similar networks around- (flakey sis in law, no kids, no interest in helping!) We set ground rules beforehand and everything was fine!

DD was 16. She had a friend (17) come and stay with her. They ate pizza 3 nights running, hardly cleaned the cat bowls (just added more food on top) and never cleared up a pile of cat vomit in the hall. Apart from that they went to college each day, kept the place tidy and had a curry in the slow cooker for when we got home. DD helps to run a youth group, is a senior Guide, helps with the Brownies, goes away and helps takes care of the Brownies on their summer camp, helps do the weekly OAP lunch at our church, is quite capable of doing a food shop and can cook very well.

DD was alone at home for three days while I was in Prague, when she was 15. She coped fine.
I was left alone at home in London when my parents went to a funeral in Northumberland for three days when I was 13. I also managed fine.
If your teen is sensible and has basic life skills - cooking etc - then there’s no problem. If they’re immature and likely to invite a hundred teenage friends to trash the house, then maybe no…!

We've not done it yet but have a weekend away planned in a few weeks. DS will be 18 and DD will be 16.

I'm not worried about them looking after themselves in a practical sense. Just a tiny bit worried that DS will have lots of friends round for a drunken party...

We have left DS15 at home for several long weekends. He looks after the dog so knows he needs to be in the house a certain amount of time and knows he’s only allowed one friend over at a time and has to ask before anyone sleeps.
We left simple foods (pizza, pot noddles, beans and sausage etc) and some money for a take away one night. He has always been absolutely fine.
We’ve now booked a week away abroad next year , he will be 17 be then.

Mine were 16 and 11 when we left them overnight for the first time. We weren't too far away and they were absolutely fine.

Thanks all that’s made me a little more reassured.