Parents - When did you first let your kids out on their own?
Discussion
Our eldest was six in January. She doesn't have a mobile phone, and she doesn't go out on her own. Looking at all our friends and everyone else at her school, this seems to be the norm, but then you get things like the "my daughter's phone has been stolen" thread on here where a 7yr old apparently goes out on her own on a regular basis which makes me wonder if we're unusual in this respect.
General browsing around on the web doesn't seem to be much use either, as that seems to throw up places like this which recommend that you shouldn't even be leaving kids at home alone until they're 13, so God only knows what age they'd recommend letting them out of the house at!
So, PH parents, how old were your kids when you first let them out alone?
General browsing around on the web doesn't seem to be much use either, as that seems to throw up places like this which recommend that you shouldn't even be leaving kids at home alone until they're 13, so God only knows what age they'd recommend letting them out of the house at!
So, PH parents, how old were your kids when you first let them out alone?
So many variables... Depends on the area, the traffic, the proximity of friends, how much you trust the neighbours to keep an eye on them, how mature your kid is.
Mine were about the age yours is now when they started venturing out to friends houses etc. Now the eldest is eleven and she's probably got a mile radius where she plays. Two years and I expect she'll be taking the bus up town on a Saturday with her friends.
Mine were about the age yours is now when they started venturing out to friends houses etc. Now the eldest is eleven and she's probably got a mile radius where she plays. Two years and I expect she'll be taking the bus up town on a Saturday with her friends.
We did in stages, around the age of six they were allowed to cycle up and down the road, in sight of the house this was gradually increased to cycling around the block.
Youngest who is now 10, doesn't have a mobile and walks with a friend to school and walks home alone, there is one busy road to cross which has a lolipop man. She is also allowed to walk to friends houses who live nearby.
Come the age of 11 and transferring to secondary school, she will be able to go into the local town with friends, and visit the local park.
Youngest who is now 10, doesn't have a mobile and walks with a friend to school and walks home alone, there is one busy road to cross which has a lolipop man. She is also allowed to walk to friends houses who live nearby.
Come the age of 11 and transferring to secondary school, she will be able to go into the local town with friends, and visit the local park.
Zen. said:
We did in stages, around the age of six they were allowed to cycle up and down the road, in sight of the house this was gradually increased to cycling around the block.
Youngest who is now 10, doesn't have a mobile and walks with a friend to school and walks home alone, there is one busy road to cross which has a lolipop man. She is also allowed to walk to friends houses who live nearby.
Come the age of 11 and transferring to secondary school, she will be able to go into the local town with friends, and visit the local park.
spot on...and how I see my daughter progressing...she's 7 and cycles up and down the cul-de-sac alone, no mobile...walks to friends house at other end of road.... but I am keen on her exploring responsibly...I did .....and I refuse to lock her up due to the fear spread by inaccurate media...Youngest who is now 10, doesn't have a mobile and walks with a friend to school and walks home alone, there is one busy road to cross which has a lolipop man. She is also allowed to walk to friends houses who live nearby.
Come the age of 11 and transferring to secondary school, she will be able to go into the local town with friends, and visit the local park.
Mine is 9, is allowed to go to the shop at the end of the road to buy fags and booze and thats about it.
ok, orange squash and sweets.
Having said that I do live in the centre of basingstoke which isnt the nicest place on the planet and there are a couple of very busy roads nearby.
IF I lived somewhere more rural I'm sure I'd be happy with him playing out a bit more on this own. as it is I think he'll have to wait until he 11 or so before I let him loose in town.
Of course a lot depends on the child, some are more mature and responsible at an earlier age.
ok, orange squash and sweets.
Having said that I do live in the centre of basingstoke which isnt the nicest place on the planet and there are a couple of very busy roads nearby.
IF I lived somewhere more rural I'm sure I'd be happy with him playing out a bit more on this own. as it is I think he'll have to wait until he 11 or so before I let him loose in town.
Of course a lot depends on the child, some are more mature and responsible at an earlier age.
Eldest was 3 when we first let him out albeit accompanied by one of the older kids next door to go 'round the corner' to play. Fortunately we live in a reasonably quiet area. He's now 9 and can go pretty much anywhere aslong as there's a few of them and no he doesn't have a mobile. Daughter is 5 and for the last year has been off round the same corner on her bike to see her mates although she has to report back if she's going in their house to play etc.
In the good ole days we were hanging from trees, riding bikes with no helmets, getting into all sorts of bother by the same age. Shame how times have changed.
In the good ole days we were hanging from trees, riding bikes with no helmets, getting into all sorts of bother by the same age. Shame how times have changed.
magic torch said:
MoonMonkey said:
Shame how times have changed.
How have they?In reality I think there arent really any greater risks when letting the kids expore a bit than there were when I was a little'un (31 now).
Roads are busier, and thats about all I can think of..
There isnt a peado' on every street corner, or a pshyco child waiting to stab up your young'uns, certainly no more of them than there were 20, 40 or 100 years ago, you just hear about it 20 times a day now because of the omnipresent media.
magic torch said:
MoonMonkey said:
Shame how times have changed.
How have they?MoonMonkey said:
magic torch said:
MoonMonkey said:
Shame how times have changed.
How have they?I'd go further with in car-DVD but I'm annoying myself....and you probabaly..before you say it...
I was 5/6ish when I was first allowed to play out the front in the cul-de-sac where we lived, but that was with the older kids
By the age of 8 we were off up the park (1/4 mile away) all day
By 12 we were allowed to cycle to play at the Ford - 3/4 miles away
At 14 I was going into the City by train on Saturdays - shopping.
We didn't have mobile phones
We didn't have helments or elbow/knee pads for our bikes either
I think the worst that happened was someone grazed a knee when their chain came off their bike - we rang their Dad from the phone box at the end of the lane, he came out and fixed the bike, then we cycled home after he'd driven off
By the age of 8 we were off up the park (1/4 mile away) all day
By 12 we were allowed to cycle to play at the Ford - 3/4 miles away
At 14 I was going into the City by train on Saturdays - shopping.
We didn't have mobile phones
We didn't have helments or elbow/knee pads for our bikes either
I think the worst that happened was someone grazed a knee when their chain came off their bike - we rang their Dad from the phone box at the end of the lane, he came out and fixed the bike, then we cycled home after he'd driven off
SBaby is 6, he doesn't go out on his own as yet. I've told him he can go and play out on his own if he wants (with me watching - we live on a quiet cul-de-sac with a big green outside), but he doesn't want to. He'd rather have my company than go and play with the local kids. If we go to a playground or something, he's happy to play with other kids but doesn't like me suggesting I'll go home and pick him up a short while later. He's quite a shy boy though, so I'm not overly concerned about his reluctance to go out and play with friends. None of his proper friends live near us anyway. If he goes to parties or to play at friends' houses, I'm happy to leave him there and he doesn't mind being left. Usually, anyway.
He doesn't have a mobile phone either. Although he'd like one. But not just any old phone - it's apparently got to be my G1! So if he continues with that theory, I don't suppose he'll have a phone any time between now and the age of 28 or so.
By contrast, the token social housing people next to us let their child out completely unsupervised from the age of 3. Nothing wrong with that if that's what they want to do, but he pelts up and down the road on his bike and unfortunately hasn't been taught even basic road sense. So cars can drive round the close and suddenly this small brat will shoot out from behind a parked car on his bike. Luckily nobody has hit him yet, but it's surely only a matter of time. Last time he did that to me, I was less than 2 foot away, but fortunately crawling along so I could stop in time.
He doesn't have a mobile phone either. Although he'd like one. But not just any old phone - it's apparently got to be my G1! So if he continues with that theory, I don't suppose he'll have a phone any time between now and the age of 28 or so.
By contrast, the token social housing people next to us let their child out completely unsupervised from the age of 3. Nothing wrong with that if that's what they want to do, but he pelts up and down the road on his bike and unfortunately hasn't been taught even basic road sense. So cars can drive round the close and suddenly this small brat will shoot out from behind a parked car on his bike. Luckily nobody has hit him yet, but it's surely only a matter of time. Last time he did that to me, I was less than 2 foot away, but fortunately crawling along so I could stop in time.
ker over on purpose. 
MoonMonkey said:
magic torch said:
MoonMonkey said:
Shame how times have changed.
How have they?I live by the sea, with large common areas, so busy roads aren't that big an issue. I see loads of kids playing out, from flying a kite to skateboarding.
Maybe it's different where I live, but I pretty much grew up outside, and I don't see why my two shouldn't be offered the same opportunity.
I was allowed in the park behind my house with friends when I was around 8/9, but wasn't allowed back out after dinner.
When I was 11 I was allowed to cycle down the road with friends to the local garage to buy sweets and ice cream.
But then we do live in a small village so everyone knew either me or one of the children I was playing with, so if someone that was a stranger had tried to talk to us there would have been another adult stepping outside to see what they wanted, like wise if there had been an accident then parents would have been informed very quickly. Luckily we never met strangers nor did we get hit by lorries or anything like that.
When I was 11 I was allowed to cycle down the road with friends to the local garage to buy sweets and ice cream.
But then we do live in a small village so everyone knew either me or one of the children I was playing with, so if someone that was a stranger had tried to talk to us there would have been another adult stepping outside to see what they wanted, like wise if there had been an accident then parents would have been informed very quickly. Luckily we never met strangers nor did we get hit by lorries or anything like that.
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