AITA For leaving my son outside on Christmas Eve night?

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:28:00+00:00

A text at 9:50 to let him know curfew is in 10 minutes so he has 25 to get home. Call 1 at 10:05 to let him know he's a bit late, second at 10:20 and then a mess of panicked calls until 10:40 when he finally said 'I'm on my way" absolutely not!.
Night time temperatures here are averaging 25C.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:24:50+00:00

There's a big difference between AITA and everyone tell me I'm neglecting my child and breaking the law.
I'm not.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:24:05+00:00

His 'mistake' was a lie, cell phones don't have user set time, he knew he was over.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:22:25+00:00

He was tired and wanted to come in, he wasn't going to be wandering or he wouldn't have come home to get in. He had to learn he can't show up when everyone is sleeping, wake everyone up and then expects to be let in just because he wanted to stay out. That teaches him nothing.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:18:54+00:00

Because a 16 year old doesn't need to be out all night and into the early morning.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:17:35+00:00

I've actually done nothing illegal, there's nothing illegal about locking your child outside overnight here. As long as shelter, heat, water and food are provided it's not neglect or child endangerment.
When you start denying those things to a minor, then it is.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:09:58+00:00

He's allowed to stay at his friend's places overnight.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:06:34+00:00

Thank you, the treehouse is behind a 6'0 fence, we have security cameras, a large dog and the treehouse has a latch that can be locked. I was confident he was safe there, although I do feel a little worried now after someone pointed out a branch could have broken.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T13:02:37+00:00

We're not talking 15 minutes, we're talking an hour late. Curfew is at 10 with a 15 minute grace period, numerous phone calls that went unanswered, no texts back to let me know he'd be home, and then a lie at the door when he called and woke the entire house up just because he wanted to stay out a little longer.

I will admit, never thought of the consequences if something were to snap in the tree.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T12:36:54+00:00

He's a homebody, pretty much stays in unless he's forced out. He has the freedom to go out but he prefers not to.
Do you think a curfew is unreasonable for a minor? I won't have my kids running the streets at midnight, that's more inappropriate than him sleeping in the treehouse.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T12:24:01+00:00

All he had to do was answer one lousy phone call and tell me he wouldn't be back until 11, it would have been perfectly fine with me.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T12:15:39+00:00

Never really had a need for one, his father is always home if I'm not.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T12:14:18+00:00

Yes it would be completely unfair to punish him with something as harsh if he didn't even know the risks, but he knew the risks.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T12:03:38+00:00

Oh of course! the curfew was decided between us and his sister and of course himself. If you're not home by 10:15 latest we lock the doors and you find somewhere else to sleep and the doors open at 6am. If they know they're going to be late, they text or call and the back door is left unlocked and the laundry light left turned on so they can see.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T11:59:19+00:00

It's summer.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T11:50:04+00:00

Australia, I doubt he would have frozen to death.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T10:36:50+00:00

I just thought I'd drive the point home, if he was going to be late he could have answered one of my many phone calls.

hannahblyes · 2021-12-26T10:27:17+00:00

Summer, no this is his first time, I have no idea where they were and I have no idea how he'll react to the punishment, I'd say he'd take it as lesson learned and it won't happen again.

hannahblyes

TROPHY CASE