14 year old home alone in the evening?

[cakedup]

DS is actually turning 14 in a few weeks.

How late in the evening would you leave your 14 year old home alone?

DS has been home alone for several hours during the day many times. I've also popped to my neighbour's house (6 min walk away) returning at 11pm a few times. We live on the top floor of a small block of flats with nice neighbours and more often than not he is talking to his friends on Playstation when I'm out.

This Saturday I've been invited to something that starts late afternoon and finishes around 8pm/9pm meaning I would get back 10pm/11pm.

I've asked DS what time does he feel comfortable being left alone until, and he said it make absolutely no difference to him (as long as I leave him food).

Well I've done it. My DD has spent the odd evening like that. She has been fine. She knows the rules and can be trusted not to set fire to things...I make sure she's got loads of snacks that don't need cooking and she enjoys it. We only do it rarely....and tell her not to answer the door should anyone knock. Not that they have.

I mean...at our DC's age, I was babysitting for a neighbour until midnight every weekend. So not only was I alone, but I also had charge of a 5 year old and a 2 year old!

For an occasional thing, I don't think up to midnight is a problem.

If it was every night after school, I'd think up to 7pm.

I used to babysit at that age.

I also used to babysit until around midnight at that age. If they are responsible I think it's fine.

I work on the basis that if they're awake it's fine. I don't leave them asleep ( so 11 ish at a weekend) as they would sleep through smoke alarm

It depends on the child. Your DS sounds sensible and typically 14 year old boyish. “I’ll be fine as long as I have a PSP and food!”

Just make sure both of your mobiles are charged.

Our babysitter started when she was 14 and our DCs were 6 and 8!

Thanks everyone. An american friend of mine tells me the legal babysitting age is 11!

It's strange, I was home alone in the evenings from the age of 12 but it just seems different these days. Also I swear it was only a year or so ago that he was too scared to stay home alone because he thought he could hear strange noises in the flat definitely the cats so I'm just trying to catch up with how much he's grown up recently.

Just make sure both of your mobiles are charged. strawberrisc Definitely, and I have the landline for when he doesn't hear his mobile/left it in the other room/had it on silent/thought it was someone else etc