[bloodorange]

Have I missed something or is it now the norm that teens feel they have the right to be out at night?
15 year old wants to go out with friends to dinners, movies etc.
Dont have a problem with day time outings but night time. I know their outings arent as innocent as what they tell there parents. It's not just a dinner or a movie that they are headed for.
I dont think a teen has enough street smarts in them. There dress style is anything but conservative and i feel that they could become easy targets at night.
Your thoughts?

[Ianthe]

I am 42 and used to go out a lot at night with friends.

My son is 16 and they seem to do more daytime outings. I wouldn't be overly concerned if he was out at night though. It would depend on the area though. Out to the movies or dinner I wouldn't have a problem with and public transport isn't great here so I would be dropping off/picking up.

[lifehacker]

At 15 dd was probably just starting to go out at night occasionally but it was things like cafes for dinner, shopping, movies(not clubs or walking around the mall), I would drop her there and pick her up. Now at 17 she goes out to a few parties at friends houses etc.
I've never had a problem with it if I knew the friends, dropped them there, picked them up. 15 was probably the youngest they started doing that sort of thing though.

[AvadaKedavra]

It was the norm when I was 15, about a billion years ago.

I went to movies and dinners that were just that. Even my very strict parents let me out for those sorts of normal social interactions.

[Apageintime]

At 16 I lived out of home for uni. I'm glad I got a chance to develop some 'street smarts' before I had moved out.

When do you want them to wait to go outside at night? 18? 21?

You don't have to let your teen out all hours but surely an evening movie or dinner isn't that bad?

[DarylDixonismyhe...]

My DD15 and her close group of friends often go out at night time. I have no problem with it. They are dropped off and picked up by parents.

It is either dinner, movies, concerts, occasionally someone's birthday party etc.

I believe my DD to be fairly sensible and she has a good group of friends so I'm happy for her to go.

[mumto4boys]

I don't think that night time is out of the question at 15, as long as it's not a school night but I am pretty tough on time frames.


If my teens wanted to go to dinner and a movie, then the time frame fits that. It does not include time for just hanging around and loitering at shops etc. I double check the movie times online and allow 15 minutes before and after. This does not include time for walking to McDonalds after the movie and hanging out there either.

I do think there are times that you need to be one step ahead of teens though. A few years ago now DS2 was very insistent about a particular pick up time. This was enough for me to be suspicious and come back 30 minutes early. It turns out he'd been picked up from the movie theatre, by another parent and taken elsewhere. To this day I have no idea if the other parent knew that she'd been part of a plan or not, but the fault was with my DS as far as I was concerned because he certainly knew what he was up to. They had only gone to another restaurant up the road so I have no idea why he didn't just ask, but anyway, you should have seen the look on his face when the parent delivered him back and I was there waiting. He's 21 now and certainly still remembers it


So, night time outings on weekends, not out of the question but with strict limits and no just hanging out at the shops or around the streets.

[SoxyMama]

When I was 16 I was in a serious relationship. I was pretty much free to roam as I wished. Though I moved in Christian circles so we didn't sleep around, nightclub club or go to parties etc. My boyfriend was 2 years older so drove me places.

[Old Grey Mare]

With DD we had no hesitation letting her go out at night as she has always been reliable and was not easily swayed by others, but DS is a different story as he is a bit of a follower and is easily talked into doing stupid things. Certain friends are OK for him to go out with but others I wouldn't let him out with until he is 30.

[CrazySingleMum]

It was the norm when I was 15, about a billion years ago.

I went to movies and dinners that were just that. Even my very strict parents let me out for those sorts of normal social interactions.

This too. Ice skating, movies, hanging out at a friend's place. I think I was supposed to be home by 11pm.