To leave a sleeping nearly 13 year old for 2 hours at night?

[Sarahcoggles]

WWYD.

Single parent.
Next Saturday DS1 is going to an event and will need picking up at around midnight. I will be out of the house for about 1.5 hours, possibly a bit longer. There’s no one else who can bring him home.
DS2 is nearly 13 and he’ll be asleep from 10pm at the latest.

My Mum lives 2 doors down, and has said she can come to my house while I collect DS1. But she can’t stay all night as we don’t have a spare room, and she usually goes to bed really early, so this will be massively disruptive for her. She’s very elderly and not a great sleeper, so this will wipe her out for a couple of days.

Or I could leave DS2 on his own, having obviously discussed it with him first to check he’s OK with it.

There are no other options, apart from a taxi for DS1 which would cost about £100. We’re very rural so no public transport.

What would you do? I feel awful about both options. This event is all a bit last minute, hence not thinking about it till now.
No local babysitters.

@BeetyAxe

I really wouldn’t think twice about this, just leave him sleeping and you’ll be back within a few hours. It’s hardly a big deal.

This. ^ He's 13, not bloody 3! He'll be fine!

Take them with you they can sleep in the car or alternatively enjoy the night journey. Or let them stay with grandma on call if they get burgled.

@LynetteScavo

He'll be fine! As long as you lock the house and have smoke alarms it's probably safer than him coming out with you. Ask you mum to have her phone next to her bed just incase.

I've never met a 12 year old who would have a nap in the afternoon, but maybe that's just the kids I know.

He doesn’t nap in the afternoon. I’d be going out around midnight.

This is baffling. He is far safer at home than in the car with his mum! As long as HE feels comfortable there is no actual rational reason not to leave him at home.

Dd is 12, I'd leave her in the day no problem but no - probably not at night whilst asleep. Just give your mum your or ds's bed and one of you sleep on the sofa or in other ds's room seems the most obvious solution to me.

Fwiw we stayed in a hotel when the fire alarm went off in the night. Far far louder than any home alarm. Dd1 didn't wake from it , dd2 woke up but was extremely disoriented. Not really the same as a child letting themselves in after school etc and dealing with any issues while awake.

@BattledoreAndShuttlecock

Completely fine for a standard NT 13 year old who knows where you are, and has access to a mobile phone number and a trusted adult two doors away in case of emergencies.

Nothing will happen between midnight and 2 am that couldn't happen between 4 and 6 pm for all the thousands of thirteen year olds who fend for themselves after school. And far less likely that he'll be up and burning down the kitchen making oven chips.
13 year olds used to babysit in my young days.

The issue is that sleeping children don't hear smoke alarms.
If it was during the day, yes absolutely no problem, but if he's asleep he's vulnerable.

So long as he has his phone next to him and you have yours he will be fine.

He will be fine. See how he feels about it but otherwise I suspect he will be OK to be left asleep in bed. Your mother is just 2 doors down if anything major kicks off.