AIBU to think that leaving a just 16 year old…

[justpoppy]

… alone from after school until gone midnight, three times in a week is too much?

Depends on the child, but I think a 16 should be fine.

I was regularly babysitting from 14yrs old. My parents left me alone for weekends from 14yrs old. Depends on the teenager. I was 'mature'.

@SleepingStandingUp Sorry for late response, I've only just seen your reply.

Yes I get that and I actually agree! My parents were much older and when they were my aGe then, they were considered fully fledged adults.... Also, it was expedited by the fact that my brother had just come back to live with us with his girlfriend & baby and we were all clashing. Massively. I was also super independent and apparently I 'wanted' to live alone. Truth is, I ended up living in a homeless hostel struggling to find money for food but that's a whole thread in itself. They even buggered off to Canada for 3 weeks whilst I was stuck in that horrendous hostel.

Anyway, I was just making the point that at 16, a person is more than capable of knowing how to remain safe and not burn the house down or answer the door to strangers

@FrodoAteMyRing

Ppl are so weird on here. You leave your poor BABYs in nursery for 5 bloody days a week but then you wonder if you can reasonably leave an almost adult 16 year old home a lone for a few hours!!!! Seriously, the world has gone so mad!!

Huh? Babies in nursery are not on their own. 🤣

16 year old responsible for just themselves, yabu. I'd leave my nearly 15 year old alone for that i ngif he was happy to be left.

I wouldn’t have liked it and I wouldn’t do it.

@Franca123

I was regularly babysitting from 14yrs old. My parents left me alone for weekends from 14yrs old. Depends on the teenager. I was 'mature'.

Is that even legal?’