Mom Leaving Teenage Son Home Alone While on Honeymoon Backed

A mother who left her 18-year-old son home alone while she went on her honeymoon was surprised when his high school raised concerns for his safety.

In a Reddit post, she shared that her son—who is "closer to 19"—was staying home alone for a week while she and her husband traveled. When a snowstorm was forecast, her son went to his school's front office to ask if they could notify him directly of any closures or delays, since his mother was away—but this raised red flags.

"He got called into to see his guidance counselor and questioned about the situation," the mom (OP) wrote. She was baffled, adding: "He's a legal adult, he can vote, join the military, get married if he wants, but I guess being home alone for a week with plenty of food and people nearby he could call in case of an emergency is too much."

The post quickly went viral, with 93,000 upvotes and over 4,000 commenters discussing the school's reaction. One user pointed out the contradiction in how young adults are treated.

"There's such a weird dichotomy where systems/institutions like this both infantilize kids, while also demanding they act like adults in so many situations," they wrote. "There's got to be a happy medium here."

Others found the situation absurd.

"He's 18, not a toddler. The school's overreacting big time," one person commented.

Another took a more diplomatic approach, suggesting that the school's concern was understandable.

"I guess it's a good thing the school is looking out for their students, but maybe he should remind them his age!" they wrote.

An expert weighs in

Dr. Mirjam Quinn, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in parenting and parent-child relationships, told Newsweek that while there's no universal age for when a young adult can stay home alone, many factors come into play.

"I don't think there is a hard and fast answer here because there are so many factors in play, including your teen's individual level of emotional maturity, their personality…their ability to successfully complete activities of daily living. We all know a 25-year-old who probably shouldn't be on their own, as well as a 12-year-old who could probably get a mortgage and a full-time job tomorrow!"

She explained that learning to be independent is a critical part of growing up.

"These skills—taking care of your own physical needs, taking responsibility for getting up on time, navigating your emotions if the house is dark and you feel scared at night—can only develop if we practice them," Quinn said.

As for why the school reacted the way it did, Quinn suggested it may have simply been a case of incomplete information.

"The school likely doesn't have access to information like, has your teen practiced being home alone for some amount of time previously and did that go well, or how responsible is your teen generally," she said. "So, my guess is that they were just responding from a place of concern because they did not have all the information."

Ultimately, Quinn reassured the mother that there was nothing wrong with her decision.

"It really does sound like everyone was coming from a place of good intention. The parents did nothing wrong, and the school cares about the kiddo and got worried in a situation where there was actually nothing to worry about. Better this way than the other way around!" she concluded.

Newsweek reached out to u/nina41884 for comment via Reddit.