When do you let a child out alone??

RoxieW

Hi all
I have 2 sons age 5 and 4 and wanted to pick the brains of you with older children.
At what age did you let your children play out/go to the corner shop/walk to and from school etc?
There are children from my eldest class who play out on our culdesac and the surrounding streets and he asks if he can play with them but I think he's too young. He does have good road safety and is as sensible as they come but 5 is too young to me to be out unsupervised.
Also, a similar issue, I remember being sent to the corner shop/fish and chip shop etc from about his age, and walking myself to school from when i started and I wouldn't dream of doing that with my own but I'm at a loss as to when is the age generally when they should be ok. Quite a few children at his infants/juniors school walk themselves but to my eyes they could be anything from age 7-9, its difficult to tell.
BTW the school is 5 mins/2 streets walk away with one road to cross (not a 'main' road).

Katyag

Im not sure, my DS is 6 and on the walk home from school we often see friends from his class or the other P1 class zooming about on bikes (and we live on a bus route) and they sometimes as if DS wants to join in but its always a no.

Id rather take him to a park and be able to watch him.

RoxieW

Thanks for that. DS1's teachers wont release them from class unless an adult is there to collect - not sure when this stops being the case. However, I remember walking myself to and from school - my mum took me on my first day and that was my lot!! I guess times have changed since then and I cant imagine my 5 year old walking himself!

On a similar note - at what age do you leave them home alone? IE while you go to the shop or in the time between when they get home from school and you get home from work?? Are there legal guideline on this sort of thing?

Katyag

Ive never left my DS alone in the house, except for putting out or taking in washing. Im not sure there are legal guidlines.

My DS's school is the same, they come out the door with the teacher but they arent allowed down the stairs til they see someone that is collecting them.

DeeDee74

i think he's too young to be out on his own, but maybe thats just me ( bit of an overprotective mum)

but mine are 10 and eleven i i don't even let them walk by themselves now....

mind you our's is a twenty minute walk to school.
mine are begging to be allowed to go by themselves.. but since there a lot older most of the kids go by themselves anyway..

i am tring to be good though and letting them go a little on there own but it's so hardd:( ..

Katyag

Im the same DeeDee, im not sure when i will ever let him out alone! lol

Even over at my mums when hes out in the garden i like to be able to see him!

oliver2008

My son is 7 and I wouldnt let him walk home from school alone (and its only 200 yards) although my daughters 11 and 12 I do allow to walk home from school. In saying that the girls are and always have been more independant.
After school DS is allowed to play in the front street with a number of other boys of a similar age but is not allowed to leave the street. The girls tend to go a bit further (not too far though) and they have been to the chippy/shop on their own.

RoxieW

Me too. Although other half is far more easy going and thinks we should be thinking about letting him play on the playing field opp our house.I think I'd be glued to the window watching them!

belfastgirl23

Are there older kids around who would keep an eye? I remember being allowed to walk home *alone* but I had to walk with the girl next door (who was a really big girl, all of ten probably now that I look back on it ) I think she enjoyed the thing of being the big girl and I enjoyed the fake freedom it offered

squibbs25

My ds is 10 and in year 5, he has been walking home from school by himself since the last term in year 3,he started walking by himself to school in the first term back in year 4, we live approx 200 yrds from the school, but he does have to cross a main road. There is a zebra crossing and a lollipop man outside the school.
My dd started in reception as ds went into year 5, some mornings he will walk with us, others by himself or meet a friend. Same for coming home, tonight he will HAVE to wait for me as he has had keyboard lesson and i have to pick his keyboard up! Its heavy and he would struggle bringing it home.

I think it is a personal choice as to how much freedom you give, while i can trust him to go to the local shops, i would be dubious letting him go to town with his friends. (What do 10yr olds need to do in town wothout parents?)
But saying that, the secondary school he wants to attend is about 6 miles away and he will have to get the bus as i will be taking dd to school then on to work. Luckily my best mate is a TA at that particular school and will be on the same bus along with her son (who will be in the same year - they've grown up together) so he will only be alone for the first 10 mins of the journey.

Squibbs

specialK

I only let DD out alone when you was ready to go to senior school! OK, a few months before!
My DS is 7 and he will be waiting till about the same time.

I think these days, it does not matter how much you teach your children, there is always going to be some lunatic out there. I might be a bit extreme to some, but I can sleep soundly at night.