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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Curfew time for teens

15 replies

SillySeal · 27/05/2025 09:48

Disgussing curfew times for teens with DH. Only really DD wants to be out late, she's 16. What time do you let your 16 year olds out until and do you have any conditions to it such as sharing location or who they are with?

I grew up in quite a strict household for not being able to stay out late and DH came from a household with very little rules so looking to watch somewhere in the middle but neither know what the norm is.

OP posts:

babystarsandmoon · 27/05/2025 09:51

10pm Friday/Saturday for my teen as her friends have the same curfew. It’s about 8:30-9pm during the school week but they haven’t been going out much midweek due to their exams.

We have Life360 app which is great for checking their live location.

summerscomingsoon · 27/05/2025 09:53

Dependso. So many things.
Is ahe still at school or just finished. Is it a school night. Where do you live. City town rural. Will she need a lift o good public transport. What is she doing. Round a friends. Doing an activity hanging round the streets.

It's a difficult age. Think you need to be pretty lenient. She could leave home if she wanted.

peidhDassffeks · 27/05/2025 09:57

It depends on what they’re doing; 9.30/10pm on weekends and 9pm on week days generally was our rule unless at the cinema or a particular event or day out. I dont want DD hanging around on the streets so she’d be expected to be actually doing something or at someone’s house and I don’t want her walking back late alone. I also think that nothing good happens after 10pm for teenagers out late.

Seeline · 27/05/2025 09:58

We never had a set curfew time - each occasion was looked at separately as there were so many different factors involved.
If it was a weekly event eg Scouts, they came straight home
If it was with friends were they at someone's house or in the park? Did it involve a parent picking them up etc?
One off event - eg special trip with school, or a gig, or a party - it would depend on whether it was a school night, how they were getting home etc

peidhDassffeks · 27/05/2025 10:01

I’d disagree with thinking she could just leave home if you’re not lenient as suggested by @summerscomingsoon technically she could leave home but our DD would never do that - no friends parents would take her in just because she doesn’t like the rules at home and any kind of 16-18 accommodation she’d be running home from once she saw it and the reality of looking after herself. If you have a DD that would be willing to leave due to curfew times then you’ve got fairly big issues beyond curfew

RowanMayfaire · 27/05/2025 10:21

My 16, nearly 17 year old, usually stays out until around 10pm on a school night. That's mainly because I'm working in the mornings and can't be dealing with him setting the dog off when he comes in any later than that.

Weekends depend on what he's doing. If they are in someone's house, its normally a midnight 'chuck out' time, and usually home by 1am. We're pretty flexible but discourage mindlessly wandering the streets just to pass the time. We'd rather he was in his room with his friends.

Like a PP, we have the Life 360 app, so we can keep an eye on what he's doing, if needed. Rather than going off times, we go off communication. No times are off the table as long as you communicate. Let us know where you are, who you're with and and an ETA. It's just basic respect and part of living in a shared household.

I feel that if you keep them on too tight a leash, they're just going to push the boundaries. We are quite flexible with timings and he's very often home earlier than expected because it doesn't really matter in our house, so he's got nothing to prove to anyone.

BobbyBiscuits · 27/05/2025 10:25

No curfew on Friday or Saturday, but school nights I'd say home and ready for bed by 11pm latest. And not every single school night.
Being in contact and saying where you are and answering your phone as well.

Mumdiva99 · 27/05/2025 10:28

Depends on what they are out for.
Party and movie at a friend's later than hanging out in the park. ....
Depends who is collecting and who is supervising - if anyone.

Original poster

SillySeal · 27/05/2025 10:31

summerscomingsoon · 27/05/2025 09:53

It's a difficult age. Think you need to be pretty lenient. She could leave home if she wanted.

We have a fantastic relationship and she has absolutely no intention of moving out.

Our rules so far seem to be similar to this thread but going off another thread I was reading it was like curfews were much later, which is why we asked.

OP posts:

SunsetCocktails · 27/05/2025 10:36

I think that’s fine for a 16 year old, mines a little older so curfew more like 11/12, although depends on lots of things, how they’re getting home (lift/with friends or walking alone), plus if it’s a party will often be 1ish and a taxi home.

Original poster

SillySeal · 27/05/2025 10:36

Thanks everyone.

We currently have 10pm on a college night as shes out super early and weekends depend on what she's doing. Communication is the key with our decisions.

We live semi rural. On days she has activities those dictate the time home. The rest of the times she's with friends or her boyfriend at their homes or cinema/ bowling. She is not out walking the streets. 1 friend and boyfriend drive but DD isn't 17 for a few more months.

Glad to see we were not too far off "the norm" as some posts I've read suggested midnight was the norm which I felt was too late during the week anyway.

OP posts:

BelfastBard · 27/05/2025 10:37

9/9.30 on weeknights, 10pm on weekends unless it’s a pre planned event that ends later.

RedSetter78 · 27/05/2025 10:39

We had no curfew. DD was always sensible - as long as I knew where she was and that she was safe that was fine. Latest I usually picked up from parties was about 1am. If just hanging out with friends it was about 10pm. They never really went out on school nights so I never saw the need to make a fuss of curfews

TimeForABreak4 · 27/05/2025 10:41

She doesn't tend to go out weekdays, if she does its just in a friend's and would be home 10 latest. Weekends they are always in each other's houses at parties and are generally home for 12/1am and get taxis or a lift.

Natsku · 27/05/2025 12:15

I don't have a curfew for my teen yet (because she doesn't go out anywhere late really, very rarely) but thinking back to my own teen years, I never had a set curfew. Thursday nights was live music at the brewery so I was always out until gone midnight those nights and my parents never made a big deal out of it which I appreciated.

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