What's the longest you should leave your teenage kid alone at home?

Question

my coworker, a single parent, told me that he is planning to leave his 17-year-old son home alone in the u.s. for sixty consecutive days while he visits his country of origin (china) to start a new business. this is during the school year.

from a parenting standpoint, is this a good idea? is a kid at 17 old enough to care for themselves for so long? (i have not met the kid.)

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Depends on the kids maturity level really. I moved out and was on my own at 17. as long as the father has someone check in on the kid and make sure there is food and money if needed its probably ok

Answer 3

It depends on the kid. A friend of mine knew a boy in high school who lived alone for a fiew months. SHe could have had s*x over there but who knows. He had a cleaning lady though.

I think she would keep her eye on him a little.

I dont know depends on the kid.

I would have run wild.lol

Answer 4

Should be fine. Knowing Chinese the way I do (I am full blooded Chinese) the kid will probably be spending most of his time behind the computer anyway playing World of Warcraft or chatting with his buddies on IM. Besides Chinese parents are inherently nuts, I know mine are. Wouldn't surprise me at all if they left the kid alone for a couple months.

Answer 5

yeah sound sok.

Answer 6

I think it would depend on the maturity level of the kid. Ipersonally would not leave mine for that long. A week at the most.

Answer 7

depends on the kid, all considering in a years time he would be old enough to move out and live on his own

and even if alone are you sure there arent grandparents and the like who the kid can contact if needed?

i was lucky i could stay home for high school i know kids who move out at 16 to persue special lines of highschool

so yeah no he probably know his kid, and if he is responsible no harm

Answer 8

hahaha BAD CHOICE he can expect a house party to happen...although maybe the teenager will be responsible and take care of everything, but most probably wouldn't also it depends on if he just turned 17 or will be 18 soon etc.

Answer 9

Depends on their maturity level really.  I do know some 17 year olds that can cook and clean up after themselves, drive and have jobs as well as going to school so they function more like an adult already so 60 days of being home alone wouldn't be a big deal for them.  

Answer 10

No, I would be having someone check in on him periodically to make sure he is ok

Answer 11

well most people move out around 17-19 so i think that's okay. of course it all depends on the kid, i doubt his dad would've done that if he was the kind of kid to throw crazy parties when unsupervised. i'm 13 and the longest i've been left at home alone is only seven or eight hours. i would NOT be able to be at home alone for sixty days!