Would you let you high schooler do this? At what age?

[momofkhm]

I knew about this but I had conveniently forgotten it. Now it's back to remind me.

 

My high schooler is going to summer camp next week. I just got an email with info for ACE campers as well. DD is spending all week up at camp. They only have one week for high school kids so to let more kids come to camp they have ACE campers. I don't remember what it stands for, but these kids don't spend the night. They have to check in between 8:30 and 9 each morning and then they check out at 10:30 each night.

 

ACE Campers: You will check in Sunday, June 13th in the original gym with our overnight campers. Monday morning – Friday morning, you will need to check in at the original gym between 8:30am & 9:00am. If you are driving yourself, you will turn your keys in to your counselor at this time. Check out is at 10:30pm each night unless your counselors tell you otherwise (you’ll be given as much notice as possible). Wednesday night is usually a late night as it is The Big Game! Again, if you are driving yourself, you will pick up your keys at this time.

 

I live 30 minutes from camp and my dd doesn't get her license for another several months so it's not an issue. If I lived 5 minutes from camp, I could see doing it, but this far away after a full day of camp activities, I just can't see driving home at 10:30.

 

What about you, would you let your high schooler drive home at 10:30 pm? So she's be getting up about 7, not getting home until 11 or so and then needing a shower so in bed maybe by 11:30/midnight. To me it's just asking for an accident on the road.

[Mouse]

Well, I might be one of the few, but it would not bother me as much. Of course, we all want our kids to be safe. I would prefer if they drove during the day, but really it's not much different than having a job and getting off work at 10pm and driving home as most do.

 

I think if I was a parent of one of the high schoolers going I might offer to drive every other day to give them a break or offer to take them on Wednesday which is the "late night" so they don't have to worry about it. I would also consider the child in question and how comfortable they feel with the schedule.

 

I know as a junior in High School, way back in the day, I held two jobs and went to school full time and the short sleeping hours never bothered me much. I was usually more awake at nighttime than in the afternoon hours right after school finished myself.

 

Only my two cents.

[Blue Hen]

The rule in our house is no driving alone until 18yo (and my 18yo still has not driven alone and won't until he has a job). So, no, my child wouldn't be driving but then I'm not in these other families shoes. Perhaps the parent is single, works full-time and this is the only means for the child to have a summer activity. I would not be comfortable with my child driving home at 10:30 pm after a full-day of activity and that's why I would be driving. Let's pray the kids stay safe.

 

Carole

[nchser]

As someone who has issues with sleepy driving, I would be very uncomfortable with that situation.

My dd does not get sleepy like I do, as far as I can tell. But even so, I think that would be pushing the limits - the first day might be fine, but as the week goes on, I would think the teens would be increasingly tired at the end of the day and the drive would become more dangerous.

[RENEEinVA]

I completely agree with Carole. My nephew had a terrible accident a couple of years ago, when he was 17. He had worked the early shift at his summer job, filled in for someone who called in sick, and then drove himself home late the same night. He said he fell asleep at the wheel and his car drove off the road and slammed into a tree. The car's airbags and my nephew's guardian angel were the only things that saved his life that night.

[DebbS]

I probably wouldn't. That's a really long day for a that long of trip home late at night. Even as an experienced driver, I wouldn't look forward to doing that for a whole week and would be concerned about being too tired to drive. I think I'd try to find other people to car pool with. If there is nobody near you, maybe you could still find a common meeting point that would be closer to all so that nobody would have to drive so far every day.

[ChrisN in NY]

To me it's just asking for an accident on the road.

 

:iagree:

 

My 18yo dd is involved in a special program @ Cornell Univ; she goes there about one weekend a month, Fri-Sat. On one Sat in the winter, the group went to a ski resort after their program ended. The woman who leads the program REQUIRED the kids to stay over Saturday night; no one was allowed to drive home until Sunday morning for this very reason.

[Jann in TX]

I drove myself to activities like this all the time when I was in high school---DH too...

If the parent approves then I'm not going to judge...

 

My middle dd is in the high school band. There are several weekends in the fall when the kids don't get back home from the Friday football game until 2am and then are expected back up at the school by 7am---gone again all day Saturday and return home after midnight...(at least 4 weeks in a row for competitions).

In this case VERY few students (even the Srs) are allowed to drive themselves. Parents take turns carpooling for safety reasons.

 

In the case of this camp they have 10 hrs 'down time' for driving home and sleeping... parents are clearly notified that Wednesday will probably be a later night... if my girls were attending (via the 'ACE' program) then I'd probably take them on Wednesday and DH would pick them up... our girls play HARD! They could drive themselves the other days.

[H0MEFree]

First of all, it completely depends of the child's countenance, maturity and amount of driving experience.

 

Then... no way would I allow my child to drive in a metro area under any condition until I know beyond knowing they have had a ton of driving experience. Especially during rush hour.

 

I know the situation you are speaking of is supposed to be in the country, though.

[TravelingChris]

My dd lives in a major metropolitan area. She drives at night, she drives in rush hour, she drives on highways, etc. She had more than 6 months practice with this and she is a much better driver than many, many of the adults over here, a number of whom are probably not licensed. She does drive at 10:30 or 11pm at times from her jobs. She has trouble falling asleep and is a late night person so no, I am not worried with her. I would rather she drive to her job at night than walk.

[2cents]

No way. I think the camp is creating a dangerous situation for those teens. Bad Bad Bad idea!

[Kendra]

Not a problem here, either. At 16 I had a job 30 minutes from home that ended at 11. My dad didn't want me on the road after 2 a.m. since that's when the bars closed and unsafe drivers more likely on the road.

 

My curfew on weeknights was after work got out (musical theater, in case you're curious what job for a teenager would be so late) and 2 a.m. on weekends. My responsibility and trustworthiness matched the privilege, though.

[LisaCA]

If she has never been to camp, I would drive her to and fro for the one week. Of course I live 20 minutes from town so I'm used to having to drive a lot. I would grin and bear it for the one week rather than have her drive it on her own.

[Murphy101]

I asked dh and he said he has a problem with them taking car keys.

 

Hmm. Hadn't thought about it much but I agree with him.

 

Either the teens want to be there or not.

 

If not by all means let them drive themselves elsewhere with the understanding that they can't come back and parent will be notified.

 

If they aren't mature enough to handle that, then their parents shouldn't let them drive.

 

Dh says that would be a deal breaker for him.

 

Go figure.