Let my child go out by herself today

[purpleme12]

I let my child go to the corner shop by herself today!
For the first time!

When was the first time you let you child do this?
Just curious

Towards the end of year 5, to the park with friends for 30 mins

Mine is in year 5 too

Erm year 5 the shop was directly across from her school anyway and she walked to school alone.

Start building up independence ready for secondary school.

Year 4. Because they encourage walking to and from school on their own at our primary from September year 5, and the shop is closer, so to get ready for that. Secondary is a 2 mile walk from our house, which everyone does, so need to be by year 5 latest to be ready.

This year (yr 5) we've been letting her go to the shop just round the corner.

Funny - today my y5 DD went to the park with a friend for the first time! They were fine but it’s a bit nerve-wracking. Her friend only lives a minutes walk away so very much hoping that she will soon pluck up the courage to go calling for her instead of me having to arrange playdates all the the time.

Year 4. To the corner shop which involves crossing 2 roads. He was 9 though. We ran it through with him several times in preparation to make sure he understood how to cross road safely etc.

Mine was 7. She walked 300 metres (straight line) to the postbox, no roads to cross.
By 8 she was popping to the very small local shop for milk or bread (I had to send her with the empty milk carton the first time). One quiet road to cross. She walked to and from School from year 5. Large town but we lived in a quiet estate, all she had to do was walk to the end of our cul de sac, turn left, walk 300 metres, cross one road (with an island) and then another 500 metres straight road.

DD was 7. Only one cul de sac road to cross, rest of the way is a separate footpath.

Haven't let my 6 year old by himself to the shop yet but he's just been in the men's changing rooms at the pool by himself and did a good job except coming out with suspiciously dry hair!

Year 6 but he's summer born, so young and we're in London. There's a big road to cross to go to shop, which is on the same road as school but they're also only allowed walk home from school alone in year 6 here.

Summer holidays between year 6 and 7. But we don't have a "corner shop" the nearest place to buy things is the big supermarket or the town centre and quite honestly it's not a great area.

Dd is 7 and I can’t imagine her going anywhere on her own for ages yet! I know I’ll have to get her ready to go to high school on her own, but seems like so far away at this point.

I just asked her if she would want to go to the corner shop on her own and she said absolutely not 😂

My 7 year old won't go upstairs on his own let alone out on his own!

Age 11 in final year of primary school.

That sounds like a great place to start. My youngest 2 now walk home from school together (7&10). When we go to the park, my 10yr old will often see his friends there and stay an extra hour or so after I've left, then walk home by himself. School & Park are both around 10 minutes' walk.

I feel it'll be still quite a while till she walks to school by herself.
It's a mile to school and along a main road. I guess it's not too bad to cross but very different to going to the shop.

Let my 8 year old go to the chippy which is approximately one minute away from our house! He was delighted with his little self ! He also has asd so this was a huge step for his self confidence!

Small rural village here. We release our crotchgoblins into the wild soon after toddlerhood.

But Seriously, it's crazy how it's the norm here to see very small kids out on the streets round the houses. I came from a big town and it would never have occured to me to be okay with seeing a 6 year old walking to school alone or with their mates. The school didn't even check parents were there when releasing their Primary 1's (Scottish Reception class equivalent so 5ish years old) when school was finished. A teacher does watch now but it's only 8 years ago that mine were there.

I used to let DD go to the corner shop for a slushy or a sweetie on her own about age 7. I could see the door of the shop from my front window though and she's a very sensible child.

Cute!

Walking to grandparents house age 5/6 but only because we live 10 doors away on the same side of a quiet road and there are no driveways and grandparents would know she's coming.

Year 6 (lockdown year5-6) she didn't go anywhere else solo) for walking to school and going to the corner shop. If she had friends on our street I probably would have let her go earlier.