Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Millihelen]

16 and 17 yr old sons went to a party tonight.

Started texting/calling them just after midnight, and eventually discovered 16yo is no longer at party (it was rubbish) and is now round a mate's ("setting up" for another party tomorrow!)

17yo is "staying over" and "its OK mum"

So - I have threatened both with grounding - and both should be on way home!

(Its now nearly 1am)

 

I am sure I was no better.... but how long before I can trust them with keys and just go to bed??

[Lewis]

They'll be fine

... says he who rolled in at quarter past 4 last night

 

As long as they've texted and you know where they are, they should be fine - they're with friends too

[Seagazer]

I'm awful at staying up after a certain point anyway (normally about 11.30 ) so they've always had keys and we haven't come unstuck - so far. ES (19) didn't come home last night but thats not unusual given the lad's house that he went to.

 

It is horrible when you start letting them go out and be responsible but it does get easier.

[Millihelen]

All was well - they turned up happy, sober and hungry! They sat in the kitchen eating all the cake, biscuits, ice cream etc they could get their hands on - and we "agreed" at 1am time to come in for tonight's party.

It is true that the worst times are when they don't hear their phones, or batteries go flat.

The best times are parties in villages when they prearrange a sleepover, I get a decent night's sleep and pick them up the following lunchtime!

[Plum]

You're lucky, I always seemed to be going out to collect them in the early hours. gets worse, you will pass on to the stage of going miles to find them because their car has broken down/run out of petrol etc.,

[Seagazer]

Mind you I spent the early hours of last Sunday morning changing passwords on computer sites etc and finding phone numbers for DD as she'd had her mobile either stolen or lost! Then the cab that we arranged to pick her and her boyfriend up didn't turn up. Just what you want at 4 in the morning in Shoreditch!

[Millihelen]

OK -I'm convinced! I am actually very lucky; we live on a good bus route, locally it is safe to walk and they are on the whole good boys! Dreading them learning to drive though....

[bronze]

I had a very good relationship with my parents on thsi score. Basically I could stay out as and when I liked as long as I told them beforehand and then stuck to it. Not sticking to it resulted in not being able to go again so it was in my favour. Luckily I was a pretty sensible teen.

[Tiggy]

its a horrible time, ours both drive now & have keys so far so good but they are 18 & 21 now so a little older than your 2. at that age both of them had mobiles that mysteriously failed to work whenever they were going to be late & I sat up until the early hours worrying & then would come home at 4am completely unaware of the trauma they had caused . It sounds as if your 2 are sensible at least they rang to let you know, im sure they will be fine. Id think about giving them keys and strict rules (Im sure you have already) and letting them take the responsibility. Wont stop you from lying awake waiting for the front door to open tho

[rosie]

All 3 of mine can drive and I have a set-in-stone rule. If you are driving, no alcohol at all. I am sure they stick to this. It gives me some comfort when they are out late.

I know all too well how easy it can be to drink more than you think. At a recent formal dinner I went to (I have to stick to my own rule, so on water only!), the elderly lady mayoress opposite me kept having her glass refilled by the waiters who were constantly hovering. I didn't think that she realised this half of the time, but as the evening wore on she got quite chatty and gossipy-I had a great evening. Previously she had been a bit boring When the dinner finished, her driver came in to collect her, but she was having none of it and wanted to go to the bar and carry on the evening. She found it a bit tricky to walk to the bar as well. One elderly lady who I bet had a bad headache the next morning Probably blamed it on the food? An aunt of mine always said that the tonic was 'off' whenever she over indulged on G & T.

[westie mum]

We have 3 daughters 2 are 18 and 1 is 17. The 2 eldest are quite good at letting us know when they are going to be late or if they decide to stay at friends houses. They have a key when they are out clubbing and I usually know when they are in when I hear a knock at the door and they are having a kebab delivered . I did worry the other night though when they didn't roll in until 4.45 in the morning but apparently I need to get with the times as some of the clubs don't close until 4 now . My 17 year old is a nightmare though she doesn't go out that often at night time but trying to contact her on her mobile is murder because she won't answer it or text back so we tend to worry a bit more, she then strolls in, usually no later than 11.30 and wonders why we were worried. I am dreading when they all pass their driving tests though.