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?

I don't see that as too much @yetanotherdaytoday .

Some people live independently at 16.

Of course it's fine. I would think twice about leaving my 15yo sensible DS.

One night for DS alone with nice neighbours either side will be fine. Just let the rich ours know. He’s 15, he’ll love it!

I went away for a week when my dd2 was 16, she didn't want to come with us and my dd was 3 miles away so checked in on her each day (means, took her to Starbucks as he liked her company) My neighbours were on hand if anything went wrong. I had a good set of neighbours so she had 3/4 homes to call on.

You know if your own child is sensible enough, and you've said he is more sensible than you we're at that age.

I think 15 should be fine for one night. Leave them a ready meal. Don't see why it would be an issue but I was living on my own by 17.

Should have said 'wouldn't think twice' !

Thats a stupid idea

Since he is sensible and fine with staying on his own, and the neighbours are kind and could help in the event of an emergency, I'd do it without hesitation.

Do people in the real world really have nannies for their 17-year-olds? That's taking the infantilisation of teenagers to a ridiculous extreme IMO.

Under 16's shouldn't be left alone overnight. Can't your ds stay at your friend's house you will be staying at?

He's 15!!! You want a camera to spy on him? This is horrible

The point being that at that age (13/14/15) many of us were home alone overnight and also looking after younger kids and so we know from personal experience that we weren't terrified, traumatised, about to burn the house down or whatever else people think 15 year olds will do if left alone. That's not to say leaving kids overnight in the care of a teenager is sensible, it's not, but from the perspective of that teenager it shouldn't be a scary or difficult thing to do. If your NT 15 year old is scared to be left at home alone overnight or likely to set the house on fire you've gone a bit wrong somewhere.

Why not?

Why is it stupid?

Course they can. Depends on the child. Obviously don't fly off to Marbella for a fortnight, obvs, but if the child is sensible, happy to be left and capable of knowing what to do in an emergency, then of course you can go out at night and come home at breakfast time.

read the first post

Bloody hell I went on my own with a friend to Germany for the summer by ourselves when I was 15, and had my 16th birthday over there.

Late night ferries, overnight sleeper trains in a foreign country with no mobile phones/internet.

We do our youth no service if we don't allow them to take calculated risks, with our help. It's part of developing a healthy relationship with the world.

I was living alone in a hostel from 16, the NSPCC is guidance not law. You know your own child, would I do it routinely definitely not. But as a one off for work purposes, I would yes. Just make sure a trusted neighbour knows and that DS has their number.

Id rather get the taxi. I wouldnt sleep knowing he was on his own for no real reason.

Its actually a really good idea.

A sensible 15 year old with good neighbours either side? Yes, I would leave them for one night.

Of the people on here saying they wouldn't, how many have teens that age? Not being goady, I'm interested to know the spread of parenting stages of people commenting.

Christonabike @MikeRafone you’re bloody rude!

So, OP can’t drive.

I agree with PP who wouldn’t feel comfortable with this. Mine are in their twenties now but I wouldn’t have left one overnight alone at 15

Surely many of you naysayers were babysitting for extra cash when you were 14+, I know I was.

I had an excellent gig in lower VI looking after three boys aged 4-9 when their mother was working nights, she even left me a bottle of wine and let me have friends over (it was the 80s mind). I was 16/17.

How useless are your 15YO children that they can't be left alone for a night without surveillance?

I think it's fine ... I was left alone overnight sometimes from 15 and was left for 2 whole months at 17 ..

The OP stated in the opening post that she doesn't drive.