My dad won't trust me! But I know I'll be fine!

Question

My dad is going out of town for the weekend for business. He'll be leaving early Friday morning and be returning late Sunday night. Now, he's done this before, but not since I was 11 and in our state not legally old enough to stay home alone for more then a day. Now that I'm 15 and I can legally stay home alone for more then a day, I think I should be able to stay by myself. But my dad(single parent and kind of overprotective), says I still need a baby-sitter and wants to call someone he saw for overnight baby-sitting in the newspaper! I told him I'd be fine, I'm spending the night at a friend's house on Friday anyway and I know how to handle emergancies on my own! I told him just to have our neighbor check up on me every so often and I'll check in with her before I go anywhere. I also told him I wouldn't have any friends over, but he still said no, that I needed a baby-sitter! He says that I can't handle staying home, by myself for 2 days and 1 night and I'll just invite over my boyfriend. I won't! But he doesn't trust me! I've never done ANYTHING to betray his trust. I know I can do this. I'm not five anymore!

How do I convince my dad I DON'T need a baby-sitter? I'll call him, he can call me. I love my dad, and I know he's just doing this out of love, but I don't need a baby-sitter!

HELP!

Answer 1

First, it would be safer to stay alone then some stranger!

You have a phone, a list of numbers, and people to call in an emergency

you don't do much cooking, maybe easy things so no danger of fire or burning yourself

you don't tell people your dad isnt home when they call, just that he cant come to the phone

and have a neighbor or friend check in on you

Answer 2

It's not so much that he doesn't trust you. It is the fact that he will be far away and his child will be alone. He is worried about what could happen to you, not what trouble you can get into.

Can you stay at your friend's house Saturday night too? That would be much better than having a stranger from the newspaper staying with you. Or maybe your friend can stay with you. With all the door locks and the neighbor keeping an eye on the house.

It is very hard for parents when our kids get older. The balance is hard, you aren't a baby, yet not an adult.

Be patient with him, he is just a daddy after all. ;)

Answer 3

You may very well not need a sitter since you seem to have a plan laid out.  But your Dad needs a sitter.  He is leaving you alone and will need this level of comfort for him to be able to sleep well at night, and to not worry about you every ten minutes when his focus needs to be on work.  

Set it in you head that he needs the sitter not you, and you should be fine.  Be mature and maybe get him prepared for this trip.  Make him a card and pack it in his bag secretly.  Step up and be the one to call him and check up on him.  Leave a message at his hotel room.  Maybe he will get more comfortable with you being separated from him.

PS I even made him a welcome home card.

Answer 4

I would ask if you could stay at a friend's house both nights...someone who he knows the parents and knows they're trustworthy.  That would be WAY better than "some babysitter".

Answer 5

Well I would think using a baby sitting service from a newspaper add would be just as dangerous. I would never use a sitter that was not word of mouth. Chances are you are not going to change his mind and the more you beg the madder it will make him. Just see if you can spend one more night with your friend and let it go this time. I doubt I would leave my 15 yr old home alone for that long good kid or not. My sister did this once when my niece was about your age and it all went fine, but the week after they got home the neighbors house caught on fire and burned half their house down. All my sister kept saying was "thank god it was not that week we were gone" and swore she would never do it again. It is not that he does not trust you, a lot of things can happen that are dangerous.  

Answer 6

if your 15 and you have a boyfriend.. well i almost dont blame your dad. when i was 15 i was never a bad kid but still sometimes snuck a boy over. I dont think your dad is necessarily being overprotective, he's probably just worried you'll be the typical teen and still go against the rules somehow

Answer 7

Look, your 15, your dad has a reason to be worried. I noticed from your other questions and answers you say your an only child, well there you go. If ANYTHING happened to you, your dad would  be so hurt.

I think, even though your "legally" old enough, you shouldn't stay home by yourself. Even if your Dad knows everyone in your TOWN you shouldn't be left alone. Danger could strike.

Maybe you could stay with that friend Saturday too and then on Sunday come home. Then you'd just be alone for the day. And if you don't want to see your friend all day for 2 days, then hang out with other friends, then come back to your friends house at night.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I am in agreement with both you and your father.  While I don't think you will need someone there with you during the day I do think that you should have someone there at night time.  I don't think it is a matter of your father not trusting you as it is your father doesn't the rest of the world which I have to agree with.  Your father knows there are a lot of "nuts and squirrels' in this world and he wants nothing to happen to you.   As a parent myself I would rather err on the side of safety for my own peace of mind.   So cut him some slack, he loves you and wants no harm to come to you but you can talk to him and ask if this "sitter" not have to be there all day everyday just be there for overnight.  

Answer 9

To be honest with you I side with your dad.  You never know there are allot of strage people out there and it is better to be safe.  Maybe you could ask him if one of your friends could stay with you at your house.