No. It has nothing to do with maturity level; that would be secondary. It’s about having an actual adult–age of majority–in the event of any legal decisions to be made, or legal repercussions to decisions made during my absence. I wouldn’t want to put that responsibility on a 16yo KID.
For a week… I don’t think so at 16.
We have left our 16 yr old for 3 nights/4 days. She is very mature and thrives on independence and responsibility.
She was at school and cheer during the day and was home at night.
My house/pet sitter came in 2 times a day to make sure the dogs were ok. We don’t leave our dogs more than 5 hrs alone. She made sure they had outdoor activity and were fed.
Our closest neighbors and the cheer coach knew our plans. Daughter actually enjoyed her alone time in the house.
Depends upon the kid, but likely yes. When I was 16, I spent a week being in charge of a wildlife rehabilitation center in upstate NY. I had one 16 year old assistant. We were responsible for taking care of about 50 birds, raccoons, opossums, birds (raptors, waterfowl and songbirds) and squirrels. We kept them fed, watered and changed their bandages. We could have called a supervisor about an hour away if we needed assistance, but we did not. We learned a lot about responsibility and about ourselves. It was a truly valuable week to me. It was way before the days of cell phones. I started college 6 weeks after I turned 17. My parents never even considered this to be a problem. Many 16 year old are absolutely mature enough to handle the responsibility. They will be heading off to college soon - why not let them try out a little autonomy.
ETA - Are these 'h*ll no" responders the same parents who always advise the pregnant teens on this site to keep their babies?
No Way In H*!!
My neighbors recently went on a week long trip. Mom came over to tell me the “kids” would be on their own for a week, so please to keep an extra eye out. Those “kids” are 19 and 21, even with them being young adults she was still hesitant to leave them home alone for that long.
M
Depends on the kid, Don’t see why not.
Fanged bunny
im going to agree with most of the others who answered… it totally depends on the kid… now when i was 16 it wouldve been a 6day nonstop party with day 7 left to do a serious cleaning of the house so when my parents got home they would have no idea lol… but my neighbor for example is like a perfect angel… his parents went away for the weekend and left him home and he had one friend over one afternoon and that was about it … by comparison… at 16 i was always out with my friends, getting drunk on the weekends… i was a pretty wild one-loud, outgoing, a little crazy… the only thing i made sure was to keep my grades high so my parents didnt bust my chops… now my neighbor is quiet sweet gets good grades is in the school band and all his friends are exactly like him his parents dont think twice about leaving him home while they go away … my point being, every kid is different… honestly if youre questioning wether its a good idea or not, its probably not
Nope.
Would I leave my 16 yr old home alone? - Yes, if I can trust her maturity and confidence.
Would I leave my 16 yr old home alone with young sibling(s) - No. It is tough on the 16 yr old to manage.
Would I leave my 16 yr old home alone for 1 whole week? - No. Howmuchever mature or independent she is. 1 week is a bit too long, IMHO. Max 3-4 days.
No.
I don’t think my kids would have wanted to fend for themselves for an entire week. They were very mature and responsible at that age but I would have felt like I was neglecting them.
I had 8 kids. If I only had one, I would have left only three of my 8 home if they were only children. They had the maturity, and responsibility at that age to handle it. The other 5 of my kids didn’t gain the maturity and level headedness until later.
Good luck to you and yours.
No I wouldn’t. I know many 16 y/o’s that are extremely responsible and trust worthy so I can’t say it would be because of worrying they would get themselves into trouble. You can have the most mature, responsible teen in the world and yet you can NOT predict how others will act.
I would be more worried about a break in while he/she was home alone. These days unfortunately, you are not even safe in your own home. I’m sure others will know he/she is there alone for that week. An innocent conversation could be overheard by the wrong person and know “weirdo/deviant” knows your child is there alone!
Perhaps he/she could stay with a friend or relative during that week?
Peace and Blessings,
Theresa B
No.
My parents left me home at 16 for a week. They NEVER left my brother home by himself. We were two totally different kids!
I was very responsible, kind of a homebody, and a virgin…my brother? Not so much.
You know your kid best.
Laura
It depends on the kid.
Some could handle it while others could not.
My son’s not 16 yet, and I think he could handle it (when he gets to 16 in a few years), but I think he’d be too lonely.
I trust him, but I wouldn’t want him to feel all alone and maybe scared by himself.
You’re kidding, right?
No no no.
You’re kidding right?..NO WAY. Regardless if you think your kid can handle it or not, 16 is still an age in which they need guidance, especially in this day and age, maybe not so much supervision, but definitely guidance. Food: cooking, cleaning ordering, delevery and tipping; cleaning up, putting things away etc. You may come back to a huge mess. Also, you may trust and feel your 16 year old can do it, but all he has to say to his friends is "Mom & Dad are gone for a week " and anything goes then. My friend has a 21 year old and a 22year old and grandma still comes to stay to ensure no shenanigans.
Actually,
I had to go on a business trip this past April for 4 nights, and yes, I left my 16 year old son home alone. Well, between school and sleeping at the neighbor’s house, he was really only alone for about 4 hours per day.
It really depends on the maturity level of the teen. Mine happens to be a solid, level headed kid, who know what to do and when to do it. I checked in with him several times in the morning and throughout the evening, and my neighbor ensured he was maintaining his schedule and eating. Since, he is not so responsible about regularly feeding himself.
But, for you our dear teen on MP, based on your posts - no, I do not think you should be home alone.
Are you serious?
Good heavens NO! I am 29, and I cringe to remember my thoughts when I was 16, not that I was bad its just that your brain at that age does not functional well yet lol. No no no!!!