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Leaving our teenagers at home for a few days without a sitter for the first time was scary. Our decision to travel was made and unmade at least a thousand times (or so it seemed).
Finally we decided to go. After all, they were almost adults. They had always acted responsibly and had never given us any serious concerns.
Before we left, we delivered the standard parental admonitions: Don’t allow friends in the house, lock all the doors, feed the pets—along with all the other details parents believe their children will automatically forget without the benefit of a lecture. Each child was also assigned household chores.
Our first night away was filled with anxiety as we imagined all the disasters that could happen while we were gone. The next day, we managed to enjoy ourselves, but as soon as we had settled in our hotel room after dinner, all the worries from the previous night returned.
We’ll Do It Tomorrow. The next morning, we headed home. We walked into the house to find two very…
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