Teens left the back door wide open all night!

[TheDoorsOpen]

Came down at 8am to find the dog was in the living room with the light on and door not shut, she's always locked in the room.

Thought it was unusually cold downstairs and go to the kitchen to find the back door wide open!

Ran upstairs to check my younger 2 were in bed, they're high-school age but still panicked.

DH had locked up at about 10pm, took dog out, put her to bed.

The teens (17 and 19) are up and down all night and I suspect let the dog out again.

I'm absolutely livid. We live in a densely populated terraced street. We could easily have been robbed or bloody murdered in our beds (a little dramatic, I know)

How the fuck do you just wander off to bed in the middle of the night without shutting the door??

I'm seriously pissed off at them and both are denying it was them.

I have chronic anxiety/OCD and I can just see this is going to be my new thing to lay in bed worrying about now.

Key factor for me is have you actually taught/told them to do a quick check around before going to bed, or do you just expect them to 'realise'?

It's housing association so I don't need building insurance and I had contents at my old house but we moved 18 months ago and I've just not done it

I will get some today though 😅

Surely this poses a danger to life in the event of a fire?

OP I can understand why you’re upset - I would be too BUT nothing happened - you were neither burgled nor murdered in your bed. I would have a stern chat with them and leave it at that.

banning them from going downstairs and filming them in the house would be inappropriate.

You seriously have no insurance? That seems crazy in general but especially for someone with anxiety. Surely it would help give you some peace of mind?

Does a 19 year old really need to be taught how to lock a house up?

I don't suffer from anxiety, let alone chronic anxiety and yet I couldn't sleep a wink knowing I have no insurance.

What do you mean by you should 'probably get some'?

Especially after you've been burgled twice.

@coffeesaveslives

Does a 19 year old really need to be taught how to lock a house up?

Did you read the thread?

So you've been broken into twice, have severe anxiety around it and don't have insurance?

Yes?

They shouldn't need to be bloody taught to lock a door - it should be common sense. Honestly, I hate to be one of "those" people but we are honestly failing our kids and young adults if we think they can't lock up a house without someone waling them through it

How does that mean a 19 year old has to be taught to lock up?

Knowing how to do it and forgetting once, are two completely separate things.

It's depressing isn't it?

Pretty sure my parents never taught me how to lock a house up - it was just common sense that the last one "out" locked the door and made sure things were switched off etc.

I mean, 19 year olds can get married and live completely independently - why would they need to be shown how to lock a house?

@coffeesaveslives

They shouldn't need to be bloody taught to lock a door -

I know that, but they didn't lock the door...

@OhBumBags

How does that mean a 19 year old has to be taught to lock up?

I didn't really mean they should be taught at 19, I was asking if they had been at all - surely most people teach this kind of thing as kids are growing up?

My point is that at seventeen and nineteen, whether they've been "taught" or not shouldn't even have to come into it - they're adults who should have the common sense to lock a door behind them before bed.

Let's not try and blame this on OP's "failings" as a parent - they're not little kids, they're adults who should know better.

No insurance? Faints....

@coffeesaveslives

Let's not try and blame this on OP's "failings" as a parent -

I said it was a factor: I wasn't blaming OP - but I do understand that's lots of teens don't think of things like that of the parents have always done it. Absolutely no blame throwing.

The ginnel is the quietest sneaky way into the backs of terraces.
I don't have anxiety but would be taping a sign on the inside of the backdoor, Make sure the door is fully closed and locked please.
We had very elderly relatives in a terrace in Birmingham, some thugs bust in through the front door and he was knocked to the ground and ended up in hospital and the wife died from her injuries. All they got was a few quid, no tech as they were too old to have anything like that.
I think those giving you a hard time, live in cloud cuckoo land.

I would be livid. Crime is high in most cities and towns and although I'm not scared of being murdered by a random opportunist, I would worry about being burgled.
People have their car keys and cars stolen, laptops, phones and handbags, even trainers all in our area that we know of.

It's basic common sense to lock up and my dc have been told to check windows and doors before they come to bed.

If they were 12 and 13, or even 14 and 15, maybe you'd have a point, but at 17 and 19, whether OP has "taught them" or not shouldn't even come into it IMO.

Not having insurance is more stupid than leaving the door open. I hope you give yourself a good telling off.

My neighbours teenage daughter and boyfriend left the front door wide open, one bitterly cold December day, and drove off!! Luckily for them, I noticed at some point and text my neighbour and thankfully we live in a nice area and in a road with no-through traffic. No harm was done. My neighbour was furious with her daughter, and she was given a stern talking to. You have every right to be angry. Your oldest children are old enough to know better. Give them a serious talking to, so they understand that it is something that shouldn't happen again.

ooh, yes you should have house insurance. Keep your doors locked from now on.

Go in a steal all their valuables while they are asleep and deny all knowledge when they tell you that they are all missing. Then say it must have been burglars while they left the bloody door open!

i would mention to them that some of your valuables/sentimental items are missing and see if thet guilt makes one of them confess

it is typical of teenagers to make mistakes sometimes. It’s one time that they forget to close the door. They don’t remember not closing it. So it might not be them.
It’s really not making excuses for them.