How do you decide curfew? Are the rules any different for single parents? I get up before 5am to go to work so I’m in bed by 10pm on weeknights and on weekends I struggle to stay up any later because my body is used to sleeping at certain times.
I have used my work/sleep schedule to determine Hailey’s curfew. During the week she has to be in the house by 10, on the weekend it’s midnight. She always tells me that none of her friends have curfews that early but I just shrug and say “ These are the rules in our house.” I wonder if I wasn’t single if she would have a later curfew because I would not be solely responsible for her.
So many times I have worried what would I do if she didn’t come home by curfew, luckily for me, Hailey is pretty responsible and is always home on time. I think about how much harder it would be if she weren’t so responsible. If you are home alone and your child doesn’t come home, do you drive around and look for her or wait at home?
I think even if I were still married I wouldn’t want Hailey out until all hours of the night. I always tell her it’s not that I don’t trust her but you never know what can happen. Someone else could do something, even unintentionally, that can cause you harm.
A lot of people I know say their kids don’t obey curfew, I think it’s because I’m inflexible when it comes to that. Hailey broke curfew once, by two minutes so I grounded her for two weeks. I stressed to her that when I expect you in the house and you are not, then in my mind it’s because something is wrong. It’s very disrespectful to worry your parent because you are irresponsible. I won’t tolerate it, not for a second.
As a single parent it is even more important that our children understand that rules are rules. They are set in stone; they are in place for your protection and you parent’s sanity. If you want to have a happy home, learn to follow the rules. It shows that you can be trusted and then your parents are more willing to allow you more freedom.