Telling a 11 year old to be home at 7

Ask anyone who is involved with safe guarding where they think an 11yo should be after school.

My 11 yo is straight home from school by 4! 7pm is unreasonable.

Wow, this thread is eye opening. My 6 year old gets home at 5 from After School Club, has dinner and rushes out to play. He has to be home at 7 for bath and bed by 7:30.
I would much prefer he was out riding his bike, playing etc than sat in house on some kind of screen.

For me, it would depend on who she is with. Bear in mind that she could be hanging out with a larger group, including older kids who may or may not be the best influence ( I speak from experience). All of which is cool when you're 11, but perhaps keep an eye on it all, it's a vulnerable age.

I'd want them back "by Neighbours" (I know nobody watches Neighbours anymore) so 5.35. I'd tolerate until 6. 7 is inconveniencing everyone else.

I’m with you, I’m also surprised at some of these answers.

My DS is 10 (nearly 11) and over the summer he has been allowed to play out until 8:30/8:45 with his friends, playing football or riding bikes on the field behind our house or on the green on the next street. He also pops in and out all the time and knows to be home by 5 whatever he’s doing for dinner. Now it is starting to get dark early and they are back at school the time to come in will be getting earlier, eg I had him back at 7:45 tonight and he was trading football cards with his friends in our garden until 8:15. He came in had a glass of milk, a shower and now he’s reading in bed.

It might be different if he’s out and about next year at high school.

Sorry what?! No. Straight home after school unless there is a club. I would sometimes let my dd go to the local
shopping centre after school on a Friday but even then she would be home before 6.

In my circle the parents have exactly the same rules.

Each to their own.

I don't think going to the park with friends while the nights are still light qualifies as running round wild on the streets to be honest.

Obviously you parent how you see fit but in my circle that is unheard of for a 14 year old

You need to know where she is and who she's with all the time.

11 year olds get groomed fur sex.

Isn’t madness. Take a look at my updated post.

madness is parents who let their children run wild on the streets and don’t know what they are up to or who they are mixing with.

Some posts on this thread are bonkers. 7pm is fine and just tell her that's that.

My 2yo goes to bed at 8 so I don't think it's too bad. I probably wouldn't let them out when it starts getting dark earlier though.

I think it’s a bit much personally. I was out while it was light at that age, playing over the park or out with friends. If you know where they are I think it’s okay to be out til 8/9.

Madness!

Hello.

Maybe see my updated post.

My 14 year old child is perfectly happy as are all his friends who have the same rules in place.
They have many out of school activities every week night which are all sport related which goes on most nights and end at gone 6pm. They then return home for homework and dinner. So they are not stuck in the house all evening.

There is no need for them to be hanging around the streets especially at this moment in time when the streets are so unsafe.

They have had a brilliant summer holiday where they were able to stay out later and the same goes for their weekends.

Thats terrible.

Wouldn't many 11 year olds be out past 7 doing clubs anyway? Can't see this is any different.

My 10 year old is allowed at the park until 7 (although this will change as it gets darker). It depends on the area doesn't it? We live in a small town where everything is local.

I'm surprised at most of the answers here, as generally we'd be considered to be on the stricter side when it comes to parenting. My 10yo plays out on the street, or in the park at the end of the road, most evenings, and she'd come in at 9pm over the summer. We've brought that back now to 8:30 as she's back at school and it's getting dark earlier. She pops in and out all evening, comes in for dinner around 6pm and then goes out again for another couple of hours. I'm delighted for her to spend so much time physically active with other kids, I think it's really important. We're in Ireland, though - maybe the tradition of kids playing outside in suburban areas is just more common here?

My 8 year old can play out til 7/7.30 🤷🏻‍♀️

Granted they're all just playing on the estate but considering we get home between 5.45 and 6 and her shower/bed/reading starts around 8 I can't get worked up about it.

Talking to other parents and reading on here it seems really unusual that we let the kids roam like we used to back in the day round here.

On a weekend or holiday when it's light outside then 7 or even 8 is completely fine.

My 9 year old goes to bed around 8.30pm on a school night. 13 year old around 10-10.30pm so I think 9pm bedtime is fine at 11

A 14 year old who can't go out on a warm light evening ?? Is that for real ?

Op ...this whole thread shows me why kids nowadays are so unhappy. They are constricted all day at school...barely any breaktime in the secondary school day. Then they are expected to sit about in the house from 5 or 6 when it's light until 8.

This is madness. I literally make my 12 year old go to the park. He only gets gaming time if he goes out after ...or before...to run about.