What should my 16-year-old boy's curfew be?

My son's curfew if 10 on weekends, because I work on Saturday's 7-3 and cannot sleep until he is in the house. I he has difinitve plans the curfew is extended, but I dislike when plans continually change thru the nite, I want to where he is, is a parent...

present, etc. Of course he says I don't like his friends, don't trust him...

10pm is a great time for a 14-15 year old, but at 16, you could allow him out later for one night of the week, assuming you dont live in a really dangerous neighbourhood !

As you have to get up early on Saturdays, perhaps he can stay out till 12.00 on Saturday night? provided he's done his weeks homework and has gotten home by 8pm on school nights.

I believe that a minors whereabouts should always be known by a responsible adult;

Insist he calls you at home (at about 11pm?) to let you know he is ok - if he fails to do this, you should ground him the next weekend.
This will ensure he doesnt repeatedly ''forget' to call you.
For my kids, they were only allowed out till 9pm if I didnt now where they were.
For safety reasons, If they wanted to be out later, then they would have to tell me where they were going to be and who with. They also had to give me phone numbers of any houses they were at. I didnt ever tell them where they could and couldnt go, because I didnt want them to lie to me. If I would ever had found them not to be where they said they were gonna be, they would have got a talking to and got grounded for a week.
It may help yout son to know that this has nothing to do with you not trusting him- its a common courtesy to keep family members informed as to your whereabouts- particularly at night time. Imagine if he never knew where you were - imagine if you fled out the door at 6 without a word to anyone, and didnt come back till midnight!!

you should trust your son because if you dont trust him hes proberbly gonna do bad things try letting him out a bit longer graduily let him out for longer it will get easier

Dear marionshannon,
He can't do anything at night that he can't do during the day. So if he is going to get in trouble he can at anytime. Since he is 16 he is unable to go to bars and usually the latest movie lets out around 11pm. Visiting friends later than this would probably be a problem with parents who are in bed by this time. So unless there is a party or some special event there is no need for a curfew to exceed 11pm.
Knowing where your child is, is very important and as a parent you are responsible to know his wear abouts at all times. You need to trust him to follow these rules...if he doesn't then you need to put consequences in place. Penalizing your son because you can't sleep just isn't fair. So if he's a good kid and follows the rules you need to examine your own insecurities.
Sue...good luck

i say midnight...
that's my curfew... and i've never been out past then...
trust him.. im sure he deserves it.

hmm im 16 i get til 10ish on weekdays then on a friday and saturday night i get til about 11.30 x

I'm 16,
my curfew is midnight,
My mom learned from my sister, if you Try to hold you kids back and shelter them all there life they are going to rebel,
My mom allows me to be out untill 1:30, I get home before then, Im a partyer And Love to hang with my friend's,
My mom is a nurse and works odd hours,
I don't Rebel on her, or smoke weed and cause trouble,
I think You should tell Him doors Are locked before so and so, as my mother does often,
nothing happens by 10 come on!!,

im 16 my curfew is between 8 and 9 oclock and im juss sicc of it

aww poor bloodwayne =(

midnight

My grandson is only 12 years old and has a 9-10pm curfew. Is that to late? This is only on the weekends and is home during the week when school is in session. 12 years old compared to 16 is a big difference. what do you think?

I say he should be in bed by 8 pm kids are too young to stay out late.. the drunkies come out at 9 or later...I make sure my 17 yr old son is home by dusk which is around 730 where I live...When I was 17 yr I had the same curfew and I had plenty of fun playing bored games and such

my big brother is 15 and he comes in at 11:15pm on sunday to thursday and on friday and saturday nights he is allowed out until midnight.

if he is at a party he is allowed out until 1 hr after the party is due to finish.

IM 16 AND I HAVE TO COME IN AT 10 CLOCK, I CAME IN 20 MINS LATE AN GOT GROUNDED IS THAT FAIR ?

Guess what my curfew is? well I dont have one! that souns great doesnt it? its really bad I am 16 and a junior and I dont get to hang out and if I do I have to be home by 6. and on school days theres no hanging out at all. I get invited from 20-30 parties a year and from all of thos ei get to go to one if I am lucky.

Well, I'm 14 and I have to be home for 9:30 !
I find it really unfair even if I'm at a friends house 9:30, the latest I've been out till was like 10:30 and that was an exeption, my mom said she'd give exeptions sometimes, but I havent seen one since ! My friends are alloud out till 10:30-11:00. They aren't out getting drunk or smoking weed. They' re going to watch movies or hang out at the mall or hang at a friends house. The next day I have to hear how fun it was, while I was home watching a movie by myself or watching TV -.-

Im 13 my curfew is 10:00.. I thought this was unfair because all my friends got to stay out untill 11:00, WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Im 15, 16 in 2months.
I Have To be in at 8.30 on school nights
and 9.00 at weekends, it really annoys me because all my friends are allowed out til like 11.
it stresses me out, my parents dont trust me.

I'm 16 and I'm told that I've to be in for 1am if I don't have school the next day but only if I'm at a party/someones house.
It's about 11/midnight if I'm in town or just out and about.
But I always have to wake my Mum up when I get in if she has went to bed, but she trusts me as I know I don't drink/smoke/etc.

When I was 16 my mom used to tell me be home by eleven or don't come back until the morning. At the time I loved it but thinking back now being out all night wasn't the best thing for me.