Those with teenagers .. what is a reasonable hour that kids should go home by?

[iloveflipflops]

LOL

They are all 15 and 16 year olds. I am thinking 11:00 pm in the summer is plenty late enough. Do these kids parents mind them being out that late? I don't want Emily being out that late... I just don't get it. There is a girl over here right now. I have never met her and I have never met her parents. Are her parents just assuming we are ok parents? I don't assume anything but that's just me.

Looks like 2 girls are now spending the night and the one boy is hopefully going home soon.

I'm tired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ellie]

I am always amazed at stuff like this. My sons always had a curfew. Their's was 10 on school nights and midnight on the weekends. We didn't let them get their license until they were 18 so by then, midnight was ok. If my kids were 15 and 16...I would want to know all I could about the parents...how do they know what is going on at your house.

[cecescraps]

Patrick is 16 but, he will be a Senior in the Fall and his curfew is 11pm. He thinks since he will be a Senior it should be midnight but, he won't be 18 until he's in COLLEGE...

[tesschap]

It was 11 pm here for summer nights and 10 pm if I had to get up early for work travel or something that was preplanned. Once in a while I'd stretch it to midnight on a Friday or Saturday night if they were watching a movie but I never went to bed until they all left - except the occasional ones who spent the night.

[Christie]

When I was her age I had to be home by 11 and then when I turned 17 is was midnight. IT wasn't until after I graduated that I didn't have a curfew!

[tojoco]

I just changed Corey's curfew to midnight since he graduated high school. It was 11:00 on weekends during high school and 9:30 during the week. That didn't mean he had to go to bed that early; he just had to be home and in his room. Sometimes he was up until 1 am. And even now he has to check in with me a few times a night or if he's changing plans. It really is amazing how parents just let their kids "do their own thing" at an early age.

[loobylou]

I think what ever time you feel comfortable with is reasonable- you're the MUM!
my oldest is only 14, and he has to be home by dinner-time unless he is sleeping over a friend's house. When they have friends to sleep over i do let them stay up late to play Wii, or watch a video. But they cannot watch late night TV- the advertisements are horrible enough, let alone the programs. I still have a while to go before I have to make the bigger decisions, but even then I will do what I feel comfortable with. I live by my standards, and they may not be the same as those of other parents- and I am fine with that, even if my kids aren't!

[cecescraps]

I think what ever time you feel comfortable with is reasonable- you're the MUM!
my oldest is only 14, and he has to be home by dinner-time unless he is sleeping over a friend's house. When they have friends to sleep over i do let them stay up late to play Wii, or watch a video. But they cannot watch late night TV- the advertisements are horrible enough, let alone the programs. I still have a while to go before I have to make the bigger decisions, but even then I will do what I feel comfortable with. I live by my standards, and they may not be the same as those of other parents- and I am fine with that, even if my kids aren't!

I totally agree with your last sentence Sarah!! My kids say that I'm strict but, you know what? When I talk to the other parents they for the most part are on the same page... I actually think I fall in the middle - more strict than some and less so than some but, my kids know that I love them more than anything and in the end, they are okay w/ my "strictness!"

[Kreative Dryve]

My house is home to a 17 yo DD, a 14 yo DS, and a 12 yo DS, and they all have different times they are required to be home.

I have really great kiddos, and I am a very easy going mom, but I sure know where my kiddos are, and since this is a small community, and since I worked at the sheriff office, I pretty much know they families I don't want my kids to be with.
I don't know about other parents, but I don't think I would be such a easy going mom, if it wasn't for the kids all having cell phones, and the ease of getting a hold of them when I need too. Plus my kids don't know, but they all have the option of GPS track on their phones, and I can just log onto my provider and see their were they are.

I also follow the curfew laws we have here in our commmunity, which varies according to their age. They seem reasonable so why not use them??

~Marie

[logcabincreations]

well....my oldest 2 are 18 and 19. Since Justin (my 18 year old) is the only one with a girlfriend at the moment, and her curfew is midnight, he comes home from her house around 12:30. Even though they are adults, they still live in my house and let me know where they are, who they are with and when they will be home. Otherwise, they know "mom will worry". Mom stays up too until everyone is home safely. I know parents who go to bed while their teenagers are out....I don't agree with that at all.

[tojoco]

well....my oldest 2 are 18 and 19. Since Justin (my 18 year old) is the only one with a girlfriend at the moment, and her curfew is midnight, he comes home from her house around 12:30. Even though they are adults, they still live in my house and let me know where they are, who they are with and when they will be home. Otherwise, they know "mom will worry". Mom stays up too until everyone is home safely. I know parents who go to bed while their teenagers are out....I don't agree with that at all.

How can a Mom sleep just knowing that her kids are out gallavanting in the night? I know I can't.

[logcabincreations]

How can a Mom sleep just knowing that her kids are out gallavanting in the night? I know I can't.

I know what you mean Joanne. I remember several years ago on the news the story about a college student who went out with a guy, and she was killed by him really close to her home. The parents were asleep!! I've often wondered had they been up waiting for her would they have heard her and possibly could have saved her life.

[teabear]

My house is home to a 17 yo DD, a 14 yo DS, and a 12 yo DS, and they all have different times they are required to be home.

I have really great kiddos, and I am a very easy going mom, but I sure know where my kiddos are, and since this is a small community, and since I worked at the sheriff office, I pretty much know they families I don't want my kids to be with.
I don't know about other parents, but I don't think I would be such a easy going mom, if it wasn't for the kids all having cell phones, and the ease of getting a hold of them when I need too. Plus my kids don't know, but they all have the option of GPS track on their phones, and I can just log onto my provider and see their were they are.

I also follow the curfew laws we have here in our commmunity, which varies according to their age. They seem reasonable so why not use them??

~Marie

I love the GPS on the phone. Thanks for the tip. No matter how careful you are as a parent there are times kids end up places they shouldn't be. What a wonderful way to be able to find them in case it's ever needed.

[iloveflipflops]

Do you know I just realized today once the girls woke up that I did know this girl Amanda. She has been here before and i do know her dad. i just didn't recognize her. LOL So all was good and they went to bed at a descent hour then wanted chocolate chip pancakes and bacon when they woke up. That's my specialty according to Emily.

[shadoob]

My kids always had to let me know where they were...and they HAD to leave their cell phones on in case I called. If they went to one place, they had to check in every couple of hours and every time they moved to a new place, they had to let me know.

I was pretty lenient with the time curfew but they had to check in between 11 and 12 to let me know what was going on. Sometimes they stayed out late, sometimes not.

I ALWAYS had all the best food and snacks and extra food for meals in our house too so their friends would want to hang out at our house instead of going about town. : )

Even now when they don't really live here anymore, but are here for a few days or weeks at a time, they let me know their plans and when they come and go..just out of courtesy. I STILL have trouble sleeping until they are home though.
~Cheryl

[suzi_f]

Sherri, did you not feel you could tell the kids to go home? (at least the ones who don't live with you :P) I am not yet to this point w/my kids. I don't know what it will be like when they get older. Many, many many moons ago when I was a teen (I got my 25 year reunion invite today. I feel OLD!!!) it never was an issue: we were told to be home by 12:30 on weekend and we had to go wake mom up & tell her we were home. None of us even tried to bend the rules (ok, I take that back: my 2 bros were out LATE one night & took mom's escort 4-wheeling. Got it stuck in the mud & then took it to a gas station & "washed" it w/the window washing junk. My parents never did find out. I was the good kid. LOL) When I was in my twenties & living at home, my mom trusted me enough that she never worried, even when I'd fall asleep at Scott's & come home at 6am. (Honest, I was sleeping on the couch, I was the good girl, remember? ;) )

[Darleneh710]

I must say I am glad this topic was brought up. My DD is not old enough yet (thank God!) but it is nice to know how others think on the subject, so I can prepare myself when she gets to be a teenager. She just turned 12 this yr and has the attitude down pat...but I am sure it will get worse lol.

When I was a teenager my mom never went to sleep until we were home safely. I cant remember curfew, but that it never seemed to be an issue really except for one night...I was out late one night with a guy "just talking" I swear, who knows if anyone ever believed that or not, but it's the truth. We sat in my car in front of his house just talking to the early hours of morning. We worked together at an amusement park and hung out after work one night. I do remember mom not being happy that night/morning that I got home. But I think that was the worst!