When do you let a child out alone??

Paparika

There isn't a set law of how old can your child be before you leave them home alone.

I started leaving mine about 30 mins... at around year 4, this is also depending on how mature you think your child is.

mine is now 13 and i can leave him 4 hours a day in school hols for me to go to work.
He has my number to call me, he knows i can come home any time if he needs me to.

i allowed my son out to play with his mates outside from about 7 years old, my living room faces the green they all play on, and i would always be the parent looking out the window watching all of them, they didn't mind, it was always a peace of mind for them to have a grown up watching over them.

itzmee

My 12 year old son was allowed out to play on his own in our quiet cul-de-sac from about the age of 7 but he was only allowed to stay near our house. He started to go to school on his own at about 9, I would take him so far and then watch him go the rest of the way on his own. After a short while he went by himself (only 6/7 minutes walk) and at around the same time he was allowed to go to the local shop by himself. As for leaving him on his own we have recently started doing that when we go shopping as he never wants to come and is annoying if he does come :rolleyes:. The longest he has been left on his own is 4 hours when I had to go to work and the school was closed for some reason, though I was on the phone to him every half hour to check everything was ok!

kr15snw

When I was 5/6 I was allowed to play in the street as long as I could see the house. When I was about 8 I was allowed to play in the street, but had to tell if I was going into someones house (lots of friends in the street).

At the age of about 10/11 I was allowed out of the street with friends, but had to tell where I was going. Then at the age of 12 ish I was allowed to wander but told to keep my mobile on me and not take the mick (and not be home late).

shirlgirl2004

I have DSs aged 21 and 18. They didn't walk to school or play out until secondary school although I did sometimes let them go to the park with friends and I would just happen to be there walking the dog . I now have 2 DDs aged 3 1/2 and 1 and they will be at least the same age. I have that cotton wool ready to go . At least my "children" are safe and well adjusted. They manage to get to work and Uni each day so I can't have done too bad a job :rotfl:

VK-2008

ok touchy subject becoz of the horrible world that we now live in

k im not that old (21) so i remember being young, i was allowed out in the culdesac/ cresent when i was about 6ish and we had to let parents no exactly where we were going, and had strict curfews and check in points. then when i was 10 i was allowed to go up the street with my friend yet again phoning at certain times and strict time to be home then as u get older and the ability to give kids mobile helps to be able to allow them to go out more often

hope this helps

its good to care for your children but still need to give them some independence

blitz

When mine were in yr 5 i use let them walk ahead of me to get use to crossing roads on their own but with me still able to keep an eye on them, in yr 6 they would walk to school on their own. My 10 yr old goes to the local shop with his friend on a Friday straight from school,& it may sound daft but even though he walks to school on his own, I just cant allow him to go off to the shops on his own, or play out in the street.

foreversomeday

I will probably get some stick for this but hey

People keep saying what a horrible world we live in, how dangerous it is and what nutters are around... well, I hate to say it, but there were paedophiles and murderers and child abducters and bullies in the 1970s, the 1960s, the 1950s too. The only reason we hear more about it now is that for some reason people seem to like being scared witless - it sells papers, so they will report it.

All that has changed is that there is more traffic on the roads now, and we seem to have developed a culture of non-responsibility. I don't even know the names of most of my neighbours, which I think is quite sad. Children haven't changed, our world hasn't changed (much), it is our attitudes that have changed.

BillScarab

poe.tuesday wrote: »

In 2004/5 there were 1028 child abductions in England and Wales, 60/70 of those were by strangers

Over 170 children are killed each year when walking or cycling and 4800 children are seriously injured each year whilst walking or cycling

I think that those stats are enough of a reason for parents to keep their children company, no matter what age their child may be

Do you have figures for any other years as one year on it's own doesn't prove a lot. There were far more traffic accidents involving children in the sixties and there were less cars then. The figrues were in the Telegraph recently I'll try and find them if we still have the paper.

tiamai_d

We live in a really quiet village and the playpark is at the end of our street. About 50 yards away. I can see most of it from my window, more from the upstairs open window, most from my back garden and all from my front steps.

My eldest was allowed out to play there at 5. There are no roads to cross but there is an access road to the back of the houses. He is also allowed to one friends house which is at the other end of the street, 40 yards away (if that, its a small street). He does have to tell me if he is going to the park or the friends house. There are children playing there from 3 years old unsupervised or with an elder sibling though my 3 year old is not nearly ready to be left alone or in the care of an older child, not for a long time.

Before he was allowed unsupervised we went over the rules. Park only. Only leave the park to come home. The first few times I sat on the step watching, then I left him for 10mins and checked etc etc.

I know where he is at all times and I do check regulary.

In teh mornings he is dropped off by car at the school gates and walks in himself or I will walk him to the school gates at his request, he is now 6 and most of his class are the same. After school he is collected and taken home. His school will let P3's walk home alone and the only P3's that are collected are childminder children or those who stay further away.

He won't be left alone at home untill he is atleast 13.

Again, his little brother is a different story.... that one will be needing supervision till the day he is married!

lady_stardust

Also we teach our kids about stranger danger to the point of obsession but the people who commit the worst crimes against children are those who they trust - family, teachers etc.