YOUR CHILD FREQUENTLY COMES HOME LATE AT NIGHT
SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED?
If a child frequently comes home late at night, it is best to find out where he has been going, what he has been up to. Most classes don’t stretch late into the evenings. Spurious activities do.
While a child can thrive under trust and freedom, too much of it too soon could prove to be less than ideal.
Computer addiction
Suppose your child doesn’t appear to be the mischievous type, his late nights could be due to computer addiction. There are LAN gaming shops that open till late and he’s probably playing computer games. Although he is not doing anything legally wrong, LAN gaming shops are frequented by all kinds of characters. He may end up making friends with the wrong company.
Know his whereabouts
If your child prefers studying at the library, know which one. If possible pick up him up at the end of the day. Libraries usually close at about 9 -10pm.
Street gang
Most street gangs frequent void decks, shopping malls, coffeeshops and drinking places late into the night. If your child frequently comes home late at night there is always a possibility he might be mixing with the wrong crowd.
Nightclubs and drinking places
Legally a teen needs to be 18 years old to enter nightclubs. However, not all nightclubs enforce it. Some nightspots may not stringently check for ID before admitting customers. Mostly, they might just let anyone in, as long as they look the age. Nightclubs usually open only late at night and this could be why your teen comes home late at night. Underaged drinking Is an offense. Being young, a child may be oblivious to the fact that drinking too much can lead to fatal alcohol poisoning.
Keep tabs on your children, know their whereabouts. On the other hand, trying to restrict them at every turn simply won’t work. More critical would be to build up trust between parent and child. That way, a parent would be less worried if the child happens to come home later than usual.