What age would you leave your child alone for a few nights?

apesxx

My parents went away for 2 weeks when I was around 17-18. I loved it and infact didn't think they we're gone long enough lol x I must admit tho that my boyfriend did stay over most nights even tho I was told that he wasn't to even come to the house while they were gone x

silvercar

I left my youngest for 8 days when he was 17. It was planned that his brother would be home from university for the last 4 nights but his plans changed. My biggest worry was that he passed his driving test 3 weeks before we went away.

Everything turned out fine.

DianneB

Left my son home alone when he was about 19, had to rush home when he brushed his wet hand over a light switch, had a shock and passed out and when he came too the cat had got run over and the vet wouldn't take him in (cat not son) without a deposit!!! Turned out the light switch had been put in with the screw through the live wire (not us!!) and the cat had been knocked aside and had drag injuries on his paws. It was the worse drive home ever!! Daughter is now 18 might leave her when she is about 35!!

tiggerjj

I was left when i was 16 or 17, for some nights (i dont remember how many) only slight disaster was a power cut. But luckily we had a non-electronic phone, (always useful to tell her if you still have one where it is stashed and that it will work in case of a power cut) Then i could call someone and find out if it was just our house (isolated area) or wider.

That even i went to stay at a friends parents as I didnt like it so much without power.

All i'd advise is to make sure she has a place to stay should she need it (such as her father's you mention) and the manual idea for the stopcocks etc is also good!

If you think she is mature enough then trust your judgement, just give her a way out arranged should she wish it

go_cat

I was left on my own for a week aged 18 ..to begin with I loved the independence by mid way I was hearing every bang and bump in the night and went to bed with a rolling pin ( just in case ) , by the time my parents came back I was very pleased to see them. It can be incredibly lonely if you are not used to it.

justanopinion

I was more responsible with my parents away than I was with them there! They used to joke they came back to a cleaner house than they left us with.


Bro and I were left with money for incidentals and a fridge full of food. We had gatherings, but they were in the back garden and we BBQ'd food. Or tried to. One memorable night involved us toasting the neighbours hedge - we'd lived there since we were tiny though and they found it funny.


At 17, I think it would be more loneliness.

Robisere

I was 9 the first time I was left at home (60 years ago!) for a week, whilst parents went to see my dying granddad, 80 or so miles away. However, I had two married brothers, 15 and 17 years older. I had the house key and could come and go as I pleased, but stayed overnight at big brother's house. I even cooked chips at home on an open fire for myself during that time!

When I look back, I must have been a very independent child. At 8 years old, I would go to see my cousin, two counties and up to 5 buses away, on my own. I packed my own case and stayed for up to a month. Cousin Bill would meet me at the last bus stop, then walk with me to catch the return bus. He would often do the same, we were almost the same age.

It was of course a very different world then, but I think that children are unfortunate not to have the same freedom that my generation enjoyed. Of course it was a much safer world in many ways, but I do think that we had more opportunities to become mature and independent, than is the case today.

cloudy-day

go_cat wrote: »

I was left on my own for a week aged 18 ..to begin with I loved the independence by mid way I was hearing every bang and bump in the night and went to bed with a rolling pin ( just in case ) , by the time my parents came back I was very pleased to see them. It can be incredibly lonely if you are not used to it.

This.

DS is 14 and v trustworthy. But if DH & I are out, I know he won't turn the light off till we are home, and insisted I woke him up before I went to work (7.15am) over the recent half term. He just doesn't like the idea of going to sleep or waking up in an empty house.

Prothet_of_Doom

WE left our 17 year old daughter for 8 days, last October, as my nephew planned his Wedding in Ohio, with scant regard to the dates I gave my sister a year before (Not that I expected him to arrange it around the half term dates of a 6th form collage some 4000 miles away LOL). We live close to family, so she arranged 3 meals with her nan, and 1 meal with her aunt. Plus her cousin came around with beer and a chick flick. She says, she prefered it without us.

FatVonD

We left DS(16) home alone for 2 nights in October. We wanted him to invite a sensible friend to stay but he woudn't as it would cramp his style for having his girlfriend round during the day.

In the end the girlfriend was grounded and DS didn't like being on his own in the house so went to stay with his friend on the second night.

The cats were glad to see us back :rotfl: