When can you leave teenagers home alone overnight?

[Lanzarotelady]

So my son is 16, I am not even thinking about it at the moment but when he is 17 I am thinking of leaving him overnight so my husband and I can have a night away?

Legally, morally can we do this if he is under 18?

He is sensible - knows how to get help - we have good neighbours who we would let know etc, to be fair as long as as there's wifi and snacks he wouldn't know we weren't there!

Or am I totally overthinking this?

At 16 je can join the army, have children, and until very recently get married.

Yes, you can legally leave him overnight. Or even younger.

My parents went away without me for a week when I was 17. It was totally fine (pre mobile phones!). I may have had a party….
It’ll totally fine as long as you can trust him not to trash your house….

Leaving him overnight at 16 is completely fine

Legally he could move out and live on his own at 16, it's certainly legally and morally fine to leave him alone for a night or two. But you know him, if he is really irresponsible, likely to burn down the house or have some mad party then perhaps don't.

i lived alone at 16

Legally yeah you're fine. The rest depends on the child. I have one nephew who it would be fine to leave (16) and one who you need to be wary off when they're holding an umbrella or he'll accidentally have your eye out (15). I'm assuming the plan is to not leave him until he's about...35?

Completely fine. I left my 17 year old for 5 nights when we went away. At 16 they're definitely fine for 1 or 2 nights

I do appreciate everyone has very different experiences.

I think unless you live in a very dangerous area and he's going to broadcast that he's alone, he should be able to be left at 16.
The joining the Army bit is neither here or there, because everything is done for you and you are never alone. I don't know why people say it. You can't rent your own accommodation anymore at 16 and wouldn't be given residency of a newborn.

Thank you everyone, he is 16, doing his a levels, a bit gormless at times but perfectly capable of locking up etc, making his tea, breakfast, he would probably be on his play station all night haha

Would he have any responsibilities whilst you are away like walking a dog? Or is it just remembering to lock up of a night?

So do you go out all evening and come back past his unusual bedtime? If not, do so.

Surely if it was your baby you would?

He would have to lock up when he went to college and at night, but no dogs, he does have to get himself up and out sometimes for college depending on if my husband is away and I am on an early shift

Idk why people go on about joining the army. To join at 16 you have to have parental permission and you're not sent on active service until you're 18. You also can't work a night shift anywhere until 18.

Nevertheless if he can be trusted to behave ( and his friends aren't going to take advantage of the empty house) I doubt anyone will worry about a few nights home alone.

He's less than 2 years away from the age many people move far away from home to go to uni and lead their own independent lives so one night is probably a good idea then build up from there!

At 16 I moved out had a job at was at college your son will be fine if you feel he has the mental capacity to then please don't feel bad and I don't say that with any insult or malicious intent , I just mean that's the only way there would be any repercussions for you for if anything was to happen while away. So if you feel he is mature enough then definitely go for it. You sound like a great mum very caring ☺️

It's fine - my dad worked abroad when I was 16 and when mum went to stay with him I was often on my own for a few nights, as my siblings were at university.

We left our kids 'home alone' aged 12 and 15 for two nights out of 4 last year as we booked a special weekend for husband's 50th and assumed between our parents and siblings (who are local) they could stay with someone, only it turned out everyone either had guests or was unavailable for part of the time! Plus the last time we'd been away for a night or two a year earlier and the kids stayed with my parents, they found it very stressful getting to school because my parents are about half a hour further away, so both kids preferred being at home on the 'school nights'. Oldest was very sensible and both could make dinner, I don't think anyone could sanely claim they were at any risk to be unsupervised.

We likely have 3 nights away with friends next year and I think that will be the first time we will leave them entirely to it - they'll be 13 and nearly 17 at that point.

You can't keep your baby if you have them at 16?

I spent a week home alone at 16 (& before mobile phones, so parents couldn't check up). He'll be fine, and I'm surprised you haven't already left him, tbh.

My parents regularly left me overnight at 16, even went on a weeks holiday. Granted my 20 year old brother was meant to be looking after us but he wasn't around that much! At 17 I'd left school and while living at home, I didn't have any restrictions and my parents were pretty hands off by this time. It's what I aspire to be with my own kids when they are older. Yours will be absolutely fine.

I think 16 is fine, but mine wouldn’t have wanted to be alone overnight at 16.
I think we did it at 17/18.

Yep, I left my son at just 16 while I went into hospital for 5 days. He was happy to do it and my friends picked him up for dinner a few times.

Jumping on this
I have a 17 year old and 10 year old , get on very well and can leave them all night if we go out . Haven't left them more than a few hours though . We have family/ friends within walking distance who we can let know if they need help . Both can cook . Was thinking of a weekend away . What's the opinion .

I left my 15 yo overnight when I was at a conference about 2 hours away.
He's mature and sensible. I left him the "how to look after a house" list (lock up, check hob off etc) as this isn't quite automatic for him yet.
He gets to cook steak if I am out!
He got himself up and out to school the next day.