What were DS (9) and DS (7) doing outside at 2.30am?

[TroublesomeTrucks]

My DSs aged 9&7 are in serious trouble this morning. Background: our front door is set back from the road and the house is long and narrow along the road. DSs bedroom (shared by their own choice) is at one end almost above the front door.

Last night at 2.30am the door bell camera caught the pair of them going out of the front door and walking round to the front of the house, I would guess to approximately where their bedroom window on the front of the house is, before coming back in about 30 seconds later (staying inside the front garden, so nowhere near the road or pavement). They were empty handed so if they’d thrown or droppedsomething out of the window they didn’t find it. They claim they ‘wanted some fresh air’

I don’t know if it’s connected, but they were already in trouble because when it came to handing over their chrome books at bedtime, they told me they couldn’t find them (not unusual) but then I caught them using them under the bed covers.

What the hell were they up to????!

LOL at people clutching their pearls about them even being awake at 2.30am. You do realise that kids can wake up in the night just like an adult can, right? Once a 7 or 9 year old goes, they can still wake up after a dream or because they need a wee or they heard a noise. And then if they can't get back to sleep, it's also common for them to wake the other one up.

I'm not saying that every child in the world sneaks out at night. But pretty much every child in the world does at some point do some minor silly, reckless thing out of boredom or mischief. A lot of people on here saying they think they must have had a 'reason' are thinking like adults, not like children.

I can honestly say I never did this and would never have been allowed to camp out in the garden without a grown up at age 7.

I probably wouldnt have left my room at this time of night until well into secondary school years. I just went to bed.

There is no such thing as a safe little village … we catch all sorts wandering around outside on our camera in our safe little village 😕

Oh and I read all the enid blyton books at about age 8, it didnt mean I thought it was ok to be wandering around outside at night.

I dont remember the books really being like that anyway. I also remember being quite aware that they were old fashioned - by the time I was reading them in the 90s no one would have treated Julian practically like a grown up at age 12.

Fwiw my Dad was found a street or two away dressed only in his vest as a young child - he died aged 80 a couple of years ago.
But I 100% agree it's to be discouraged!!

@Washermother33

There is no such thing as a safe little village … we catch all sorts wandering around outside on our camera in our safe little village 😕

I’m not saying it was without risk, just that it’s not the same as a busy city centre.

my 6 year old took himself out of the house at 5 am, went down the road to a neighbours garden pond and fished for tadpoles. I knew nothing about it for years when the neighbour told me it was a frequent thing! I think its a kid thing.

They probably had some amazing plan to do something totally bonkers that sounded absolutely brilliant in their heads. Then at 2:30am outside in the dark and cold they quickly realised their plan wasn't going to be quite as simple and fool proof as they has anticipated so they just headed straight back to bed.

@incognitoforthisone

LOL at people clutching their pearls about them even being awake at 2.30am. You do realise that kids can wake up in the night just like an adult can, right? Once a 7 or 9 year old goes, they can still wake up after a dream or because they need a wee or they heard a noise. And then if they can't get back to sleep, it's also common for them to wake the other one up.

I'm not saying that every child in the world sneaks out at night. But pretty much every child in the world does at some point do some minor silly, reckless thing out of boredom or mischief. A lot of people on here saying they think they must have had a 'reason' are thinking like adults, not like children.

Sooo over the top. So two children stepped outside during the night. Hardly earth shattering stuff.

Love kids with an adventurous spirit. Some of the parents in here sound so pompous and dreary.

When I was eight, I sleep walked out of our house in the middle of the night to my friend’s house at the bottom of the road. I woke up when their dog barked.
However, two of them in cahoots together is very different. My guess is that they thought they were going to have a nighttime adventure. Hope you can get to the bottom of it. I am sure they are under no misapprehension by now that they are in serious trouble.

This woukd freak me out. I saw a tv programme once where paedophiles would lure children out of their rooms and take them.

@OfstedOffred

Oh and I read all the enid blyton books at about age 8, it didnt mean I thought it was ok to be wandering around outside at night.

I dont remember the books really being like that anyway. I also remember being quite aware that they were old fashioned - by the time I was reading them in the 90s no one would have treated Julian practically like a grown up at age 12.

And barring midnight feasts at school I don’t think they did go outside at dead of night just for the hell of it - it was usually in the context of some adventure or mystery they were already in the middle of.

It could be something, it could be nothing but I would be taking this very seriously. I would go through their devices and make sure any sm they may have is set to strictly private (I’m sure you’ve done this) and checking messages. I would talk to them individually and calmly in the hope that I could persuade them to tell me what they were up to. I don’t buy the fresh air thing either, they could just have been doing it for fun or a dare but I’d need to be certain that nothing else was going on with the chrome books.

Good luck.

Smoking?

Oh my god I would be in bits. I bet they just thought it was a good idea and an adventure.

They are just being children for gods sake.

I'm not a mum so am prepared into by shot by mumsnetters so this opinion but they are 7 & 9. You can't be out smarter by a 7&9 year old because if you are now, the teenagers years will be hell!

Divide and conquer....seperate them and start asking them seperate what they were doing. Use lots if "oh, DS1 said you were out there for a different reason, are you sure you don't want to tell me the truth too" or "DS2 says it was your idea but he just followed you" etc.

It shouldn't be that difficult to get to the bottom of it and if it is they are gifted.

my siblings and I used to do this, including when we went away on holidays! Also did the same with my friends on sleepover when we were a bit older, would go for a wander round the streets in the middle of the night. Mid 90s to early 00s.
I don't think it's a huge deal but would just warn them about doing it again and why it could be dangerous.

Divide and conquer. Interrogate them separately, compare their stories. You need to find the truth, then up your home security! Little buggers could have been on the milk train to Tangier by the time you woke up.

"Little buggers could have been on the milk train to Tangier by the time you woke up."

:)

they claim they wanted some fresh air. I don’t believe them

I'd be keeping the tablets until they fessed up.

Ooh! advanced!

"I'd be keeping the tablets until they fessed up."

Little scamps. Divide and question. The little one will break, they always do. Looking at you Dsis

@ballsdeep

This woukd freak me out. I saw a tv programme once where paedophiles would lure children out of their rooms and take them.

🙄