How Late Should Teens Be Outside?

Weekday Curfew

• During the week, the curfew should be set earlier than on weekends, on nights before nonschool days and during summer. According to Kids Health, your teen needs at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep to function optimally in school. A late curfew and insufficient sleep can cause your teen to be groggy, fatigued and spacey, which may affect his academic performance. So if he has to be to school by 8 a.m. and it takes 30 minutes to get ready for school in the morning and half hour to fall asleep at night, his curfew should be no later than 11 p.m.

Weekend Curfew

• If your teenager doesn̵7;t have other responsibilities on the weekend mornings, such as a part-time job, you can set a later curfew if you want, like midnight. However, some cities have an established curfew time for teens, so you̵7;ll want to investigate your city̵7;s policies before setting your teen's weekend curfew. Every once in a while, your teen may want to stay out later than the normal curfew because of a special event or concert. If she has proven that she's responsible, you can reward her with a later curfew.

Expectations

• You must clearly define your expectations prior to her leaving the house so there̵7;s no confusion or room for argument. Set the curfew ahead of time and state the consequences for breaking curfew. Also list any other stipulations before she heads out. For instance, she must have her homework and daily chore done before she leaves for the evening and she must be back by 11 p.m. AAP suggests rolling back the curfew time for breaking curfew, such as 10:30 instead of 11 until she shows consistent responsibility. If she̵7;s delayed due to traffic or unforeseeable events, she should give you a call to update you.

Checking In

• Having your child check in when she gets back home has its advantages. First off, you̵7;ll know when she̵7;s actually home and you don̵7;t have to wonder or go look for her in the house -- she̵7;ll come to you. When she comes in to say goodnight, you can assess her state and take a visual assessment and even a smell check if you want. Let her know that she has to check in regardless of the time, even if she has to wake you up to do so.