What age?

[dancemom]

Having a theoretical discussion with my pre teen ....

What age would you leave a sensible teen overnight? Or until 2/3/4am?

Dd thinks once she is 13 she and her best friend who will be 14 should be allowed to stay together overnight instead of having to get a babysitter or go stay with a family member.

For full disclosure, dd and her pal are the most responsible sensible kids I know so no worries about inviting others over etc

Hmm about 14, just to go out in the evening. didn’t leave any of mine overnight til about 16/17 - and he had several people over- and he was the eldest sensible one.

Wouldn’t let mine till they’re 17.

Dd was almost 15 when we stayed out post midnight leaving her alone. Not overnight though.

I would leave my own sensible 13/14 yr old home until the early hours if they were happy to be left , but it would be on the basis of no friends and no answering the door . It’s when you leave them with friends etc that trouble starts . Overnight would be at least a sensible 15 and again no friends .

16/17 before would leave them overnight. Dependent on the child possibly would leave 14/15 year old until 2am, def not at 13.

Dd does not agree with the Mumsnet majority

Thanks everyone

We left a fifteen year old who didn’t want to come to Peppa Pig world alone for 48 hours. She liked it that way.

would NEVER leave our DS overnight. the house would be trashed!

Why do they want leaving alone anyway?

My 14 has told me that I am not to leave her overnight! And she is nearly 15. I'm not planning to. But it's a difficult age because I feel like my kids have gone past the age of accepting a babysitter. It'd need to be a babysitter who'd left school or my DD would be so indignant.
My DD recently went with a friend to the friend's grandma over night. Parents went out and sent their dd and a friend to grandma's house! made it a sleepover and solved a babysitting issue.

idontmeanto I get that ! I wouldnt' want to go to peppa pig world either.

Yeah late 13 or young 14 if sensible. Especially if there were other people nearby or you would be able to be home sooner in an emergency.

16 / 17.

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone suggests 16 for being left alone overnight

We didn't leave DD1 until she was 18.
DD2 is 13 and I would leave her in the evening up until her bedtime, but not really later than that. No way overnight!

It depends on the child, if you trust your 13 year old then go for it. Its completely irrelevant if other parents would trust their children. Personally I think trusting and giving responsability from a young age is really important in raising a trustworthing and responsable adult, so I would want to do it when mine are 13+.

I trust my 13yo, as in she wouldn't do anything daft.
but she would be scared, and if anything went wrong (eg powercut) she wouldn't be able to cope.

tbh None of the 13yos I know would be ready, I don't think.

But if doing a youngish age I'd build up to it.

• leave alone but back by normal bedtime
• leave alone back 1hr after normal bedtime (have they managed to get to sleep?)
• leave alone until midnight
• leave overnight