How late is your 11 year old DD allowed out in town?

[InterferingOutsider]

DD has an activity that finishes at 6pm. Allowing 10 mins to change, walk to bus stop, bus at 615. 15 mins to main station, wait at station until 650 when bus home leaves (although bus usually there by 645).

Would you be happy to let your 11 year old DD do this alone each week?

Alone? No.

No

No, and especially not when it’s going dark early.

No i wouldn't be happy , i would not let an 11 year old do that alone especially during winter.

I would let my 12yo do the journey, but only after much checking he's OK with it. He has an hour long bus ride after school every day anyway so he's used to dealing with it.

I would be a bit concerned he's doing it by himself though. There are friends about on the bus which helps.

On balance I would probably be more OK in the summer when it's light out and warm and less keen when it's dark and wet in the winter.

Ds is a confident and quite mature kid though and familiar with bus stops in the rain. If your child is the least bit unsure I would be reluctant.

Dgd is 11.
Never alone.

No

No, I would not allow this, because of the lateness and the fact that she has to change buses

No, at 11 he can only do activities if one of us is able to drop off/collect him.

What age would be ok?

Because next year she'd be in the later group so need to do the same journey after finishing at 730pm. I don't think many parents bring or collect once they're in the 12+ group.

I feel like there's too much margin for error here.

Absolutely not

@Bemyclementine what do you mean?

My 11 year old doesn't go out to town alone

I wouldn't much care what other parents are doing.

I'd do my own risk assessment based on that particular journey and my own/dc's comfort level.
It's a no at 11 and in my area and with my journey from town, she'd need collecting for another couple of years at least.

I would. I respect the intelligence and ability of young people.

@InterferingOutsider what I mean us there are several stages to this which could potentially go wrong. Activity overruns by 2 minutes, chikdchats while changing, misses 1st bus. Has to get off 1 bus, wait, not wander off to look for a toilet or whatever, get on 2nd bus. The correct 2nd bus going in the right direction. Hang around the bus station for 20minutes (ours is a meeting g place for various street drinkers/drug users...)

I suppose it depends how sensible your dc is.

I think she means there's too many what-ifs.
What if the class runs late, what if the kids pratt around getting changed and she misses the bus, what if the bus breaks down and doesn't turn up, or is late getting to the station, what if the second bus breaks down or doesn't turn up, and that's if you live in an area where everybody is kind, good, honest and helpful. Do you live in an area like that?

I have a much older teen too, he is always collected from his sport and I see all the other parents doing the same (despite bus availability).

It doesn’t matter what other parents do. You base your decision on how mature and confident your 11 year old is. For me it’s a no. Despite my DS11 being left at home occasionally for up to 3 hours while I have to work.

@Bemyclementine are you my sister?

No. My ds is a mature 11 but I wouldn’t be comfortable with this

God no! My kids are ND, but still, too rapid a turn around to get to the bus and waiting at the bus station afterwards is not ideal - just no - I'd do this when they're 15-16

Are you assuming all those in the 12+ make their own way home or do you know for certain?

Though 12 is different from 11 given that 12 yo will be at secondary and making their one way too and from school. Could you pick up from the activity for half a term, then pick up from the bus station?

@trulyunruly01 I'm usually the laud back one about this sort of thing , although my DC are younger.

I just think it sounds like a bad idea. I can imagine not a week going g by where there isn't a "muuuum.....ive mussed the bus, bus went early, dudnt cone at all" phonecall.