...to ask you at what age do you think 2 girls could be left alone overnight?

[Bunnyfuller]

...posting for traffic, and yes, all kids are different.

It would be an overnight, but about 200 miles from us. No family local.

@Bunnyfuller

One is 16 the other 15. It wouldn’t be immediately because Covid. But DH and I haven’t had a night alone since they were born. Just seen a very tempting offer, but the overnight bit makes me wobbly!

I personally would at those ages OP. Go and enjoy yourselves x

16+.

At those ages I'd get them to organise sleepovers at their friends houses. Nicely though since they're inviting themselves. With a reciprocal invite before. I think I'd enjoy myself more if not worrying about them.

Mine were 16 & 18 before I felt comfortable leaving them, I wouldn't have felt relaxed before that.

@bobtots - our family live overseas/400 miles away. We’ve moved a lot and overnighters are not something we’ve felt we could ask a babysitter for. For context, until they were 13/14 we hadn’t left them alone at all,

I’m not sure what the family dynamic is in some of the replies, but we’ve always had to rely on us!

I’ve seen an amazing and dreamy deal on Wowcher, and for the first time in about 10 years, we could actually afford it (our no nearby family also means zero financial help). We both work for the police and have spent the last 15 years juggling childcare, the cost of living and several serious illnesses (me) and this just seemed like a glimmer on the possible horizon.

I think we’ll maybe think about something closer to home and see how the girls feel about it as an overnight. Starting to feel like a terrible person for asking!

18

I think they both need to be over 16. Are you really going to travel 200 miles for a single night away?

At 16 I stayed home whenever my parents went away because I had a Saturday job I couldn’t miss. I think 16 & 15 sounds fine. Surely they know somebody local they could call if they did something daft like lock themselves out?

You’re definitely not a terrible person for asking OP, but only you know your DDs well enough to make that decision. I agree with previous posters that perhaps a trial run much closer to home might be a good idea before being 200 miles away overnight.
We’re in the same position, we’ve never had so much as a night away together, no family near by and working full time so I completely get you wanting a bit of a break. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I think it really depends on the kids. One of my sisters would have been perfectly fine and self-sufficient at 13. The other would still have been nervous home alone at 16 and incapable of making herself dinner that wasn’t just sugar

17 for me. Especially as you would be so far away.

@BrownEyedGirl80 my daughter will be at Uni at 18! You can’t just drop them from nothing to that surely, unless there are other issues in which case that’s really not comparable to the app. @Bunnyfuller I don’t understand why you feel terrible for asking?

14 and 16

Depends on kids. We first did it 2 years ago when they were 15 and 16. Girl and boy but don't think it makes any difference! We weren't quite that far away, but I don't think that would have changed much.

We made sure they knew how to contact nearby friends/neighbours if there was a problem.

[quote Bunnyfuller]@bobtots - our family live overseas/400 miles away. We’ve moved a lot and overnighters are not something we’ve felt we could ask a babysitter for. For context, until they were 13/14 we hadn’t left them alone at all,

I’m not sure what the family dynamic is in some of the replies, but we’ve always had to rely on us!

I’ve seen an amazing and dreamy deal on Wowcher, and for the first time in about 10 years, we could actually afford it (our no nearby family also means zero financial help). We both work for the police and have spent the last 15 years juggling childcare, the cost of living and several serious illnesses (me) and this just seemed like a glimmer on the possible horizon.

I think we’ll maybe think about something closer to home and see how the girls feel about it as an overnight. Starting to feel like a terrible person for asking![/quote]
You're not terrible at all. I think the main issue is the distance, especially for the first time they're being left.

13 and 16 for that distance away.

I left my DS and a friend at home for 2 nights last year, DS was almost 16 and friend was almost 17. I was about 3.5 hours drive away. No family nearby but we know all the neighbours well and friends mum was only 5 minutes drive away. They were absolutely fine and enjoyed the independence.

@BrieAndChilli

Other option would be to get them a room in the same place where they can order room service and do face masks etc. You can relax knowing if any issues you can get to them and they can have a fun evening

I'd be more tempted to do this. You might feel fully able to relax.

Our kids are younger, but I've previously loosely gone off the NSPCC guidance. That seems to suggest under 16 is unlikely to be ready to be left over night. How that factors into being left with a 16 year old sibling in charge isnt spelt out.

When the youngest is 16, I’d have said.

16 for the younger one??

although if the older one was 20 or something I’d probably think 15 was ok.

16. (Wouldn’t leave my two at that age though.)

15 and 16 would be fine I think if they're sensible.
My eldest left home at 17 so not much older. I left her in charge of my younger two overnight when she was 18 and they were 2 and 4.
Depends if you're happy, if they have someone to contact in emergency and if they're happy to be left. I'd probably stay more local first time though.