Leaving 15 year old at home

[yetanotherdaytoday]

Is a sensible 15 year old too young to be at home alone for a night, as a one off?

DH has to take MIL to hospital 300 miles away and I need to be at work in the next town, to run an event, on a day with train strikes. My youngest can go to her friends but I don't have anywhere to send my DS.

DS is suggesting I leave him at home. I'm tempted. I was up to all sorts at his age, he's a good kid and very very sensible in comparison!

I don't drive and therefore wouldn't make it back till breakfast.

If it was a normal day at work I'd just take the day off, but the event can't run without me.

Is it madness to consider this? I'm not sure what else to do. My couple of friends who I could usually call on for favours just can't help that day.

WWYD?

Oh god I wouldn’t even blink at a 15 yr old being left alone! My first night home alone was at 14. It was fab. Ordered pizza and stayed up late 😂

I wouldn’t worry. If you trust him to be sensible then no major issue. You have your phone for him to contact you also and if required you could get a taxi if an emergency and be home quickly with the neighbours as back up! These are for worst case scenarios.

i have a very sensible 13 year old who I feel I could trust to be left (I won’t before I get attacked lol) but at age 15 I’m thinking he could be left.

My 13 year old is left if I’m on a rare night out (single mum so no other option at times) and he happily plays with the dog and his PlayStation. He contacts me if needed (normally wanting money for his games!) and I constantly check in via snap chat and could be home within 10 mins or less. Some nights he is already in bed sleeping and he sees me in the morning when we wake up. (Which is almost like an overnight I suppose) it’s not regular maybe once every couple of months and we are both ok with the situation. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t trust him or if he didn’t feel ok with it.

Explain the situation to your employer and ask if they will fund half the taxi fare, you can show them NSPCC information that DS cannot be left overnight

That's awful and very difficult. But not common and therefore not an approach to extrapolate to the general population, therefore your advice is moot in this context!

I think it totally depends on your DS and how mature he is, I have a 17 yr old who would literally burn the house down if I left him home overnight alone 🙄 but my 16yr old would be more than capable so if your DS is fine and mature enough then I don’t see the harm 🤷‍♀️

You know your son and how sensible/mature he is.
Age is just a number, some kids are more responsible than others at 15.
NSPCC is only a guideline.

I would trust him if he’s happy to be left

🤦🏼‍♀️
NSPCC guidance isn't 'information' and the 15 year old definitely can be left alone at night

Yeah. I’d do it

i was left alone at 12 overnight on my own and I was fine

i even set the kitchen on fire and managed to sort it! 😂

The fairy didn’t arrive in my house. My 16 year old DS is a tit! (ADHD, defo wouldn’t leave him home alone) But a sensible 15 year old who is confident and happy enough to be left, I would

If you trust him enough I can’t see a problem. We left ours 15 and 13 while we went away for the night for our anniversary they were happy had a take away and loved it. Bit of responsibility they had contact numbers for any emergencies. If you think it’s ok go for it :)

Yes, some reservations, but maybe also looking for someone to tell her it’s ok? Your child is legally your responsibility until they’re 18; however, these later teenage years are a time to start entrusting them with more independence and responsibility. Why is a night any different to a day? In some ways they’re more at risk when they’re walking home from school etc. Main thing in my mind is that they are happy to be left; if they are then just make sure they know the fire drill, switch everything off at night, inform neighbours in case in they’re needed for anything etc. They’ll probably relish a chance to feel grown up and trusted.

I think 15 is too young. Your work should pay for you to get a taxi home because of the train strikes.

An indoor camera to spy on a 15 year-old?

Batshit advice.

If he’s sensible, knows where to go in an emergency and you call him regularly then I think this would be ok for just the one night.

Why on earth haven't you learned t drive if there is a car in your household ?

(Uncontrolled Epilepsy /unpredictable heart condition not applicable)

It is mid week and the teen would miss 1.5 days of school and possibly be on his own all day in a strange house whilst OP hosts her conference or whatever it is.

Would anyone from your company be able to give you a lift? Even if you have to take a taxi part way?

I agree that he will be fine. Just let the neighbours know that he is there alone.

I also agree about the infantilisation of teens these days. I started full time work three weeks after my 16th birthday and my DF when he was 14. Also, as others have mentioned, it was quite common to babysit other people's children at a younger age than 15. My DM worked and wasn't at home when I got home from school in my teens - if she had thought I needed a nanny I would have been horrified!

I think it’s fine. My parents went on holiday for a fortnight when I was 15! I had a great time 😁

How about a sleepover in a friend house?
I wouldn't see a problem to leave a 15 years old alone in the house tbh. I would see a problem if you were going to the pub but that will talk more about you than about the teen.

I wouldn’t do it. If it was me I would feel better if he had a friend staying over with him. They could play games, watch tV together and have a laugh.

Absolutely hilarious isn’t it?!

@yetanotherdaytoday you either trust your son or you don’t. At his age I was consistently on my own and often with my younger siblings. You say he wouldn’t get up to anything and he’s sensisa
sensBile. Give him the opportunity to show he can be trusted

I don’t know why your employer wouldn’t fund transport home on the day of the strike. They want you to deliver training and there is no public transport. It is not right that this depends on the goodwill of a friend to provide free accommodation. You should at least ask them. Quite apart from the safety issue, imagine the reputational damage if their name was associated with harm to a child because they refused you transport.

It’s perfectly fine - I as long as he’s happy with it

Are you the employer?!

It was simply a suggestion for the OP to use as leverage for the taxi fare.

What makes you better 'informed' to make the decision her DS can definitely be left?