Is this ok?

[Cawoods]

Someone I know has two teenagers. Aged 14 and 16. Since they were 13 and 15 they’ve been left on their own several times a year for up to 2 weeks at a time. This is while their parents (mum and her partner) go on holiday. They are partly working holidays for the parents’ jobs. The children don’t have any family nearby, their father isn’t around, and if something goes wrong they have nobody. Should I be worried/do something about this? Or is this ok?

I'm guessing you have no idea what other support networks they have or the maturity of them so I don't think you can judge the situation accurately.

I was going to say that they may have other people in call in case of any issues that should be fine but… it is not.

They are too young to be left in their own for a night, forget about a week or a fortnight.

I wouldn’t have left mine alone overnight at that age, mind you, he would have survived, scavenged something from the fridge and remembered to lock the door at night BUT he wouldn’t have been able to control the situation if the house was taken over by his friends or some other kids he barely knew for a party or whatever. I also worried about him going out, getting pissed, being run over etc with nobody noticing he had not made it home overnight until I returned.

Yeah… and they are two but my siblings and I could have easily killed each other of left on our own for days when we were young teens! 😁

You should tell the children's school, so they can speak directly to the children and, if appropriate, parents.

They could be at risk of harm, they could have support in place you are not aware of. You should tell someone your worry tho, just in case.

@OP there's no legal age at which you can or can't leave children unattended.

However, "Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’ ".

Guidance for this from the nspcc suggests children under 16 shouldn't be left alone overnight and those under 12 shouldn't be left for long periods.

The over arching guidance seems to be if the children are at risk. From the guidance, I'd say the parents were open to prosecution before the eldest was 16 and depending on the maturity of the children still is.

I agree contact the school. I.am teacher and know if school had this sort of information that someone would contact the parents.

I would never do this for an overnight never mind a fortnight all guidance says 16 and over for over night and this is 2 weeks jeeeez

One of them is 16! They could be married and living alone somewhere full time!

They could be, but it's unlikely and it's bloody unlikely that they'd have a 13 year old child.

Seems ok. I have always left my teens alone. They will have neighbours to turn to if there is an emergency, or... the actual emergency services. Teens don't suddenly become responsible at 18 and able to do everything... it happens gradually so you have to give them freedom and opportunity and responsibility.

I leave my sixteen year old when I go away for work or holidays and they are fine. They know how to get themselves to school, work, eat, shop and do laundry and take care of the dogs.

I wouldn’t leave them for 2 weeks at that age. Tbh at 13 I don’t think I’d even leave them over night.

I would be quite concerned about them being left for that amount of time.

Just realised they’re now 14 and 16. In that case one night, yes ok. Two weeks, absolutely not.