Am I being over protective?

[alwaysaskingquestions]

Would you allow a 15 year old girl to take their 7 year old brother to the end of the road to play on the beach alone?

Would you allow the same two children to go to the park at the end of the road alone?

If not why not? Age of girl, age of boy, or the two? If not when would you?

Just goes to prove that she should have been doing much more, much sooner and then the beach wouldn't be a first outing.

"no sorry but i wouldn't, 15, yes shes old enough but imo its unfair for her to have the responsibility"

I would agree with this unless she is happy to be responsible for her brother & if he will do as she tells him-if necessary.

My 15yo sister babysits for my 2yo DS!! I would also trust her to take him to the beach/park/whatever.

You have to gradually give freedom. I would be scared stiff if I sent mine off to university 200 miles away from home (I think mine is over 200 miles) into a strange city to cope alone and he hadn't had the experience of taking responsibility for anything or anyone before that. Of course your 15yr old will be irresponsible if you expect her to be!
OP isn't proposing that the beach is a train ride away and that they are going surfing! It is at the end of the road and they are going to play on the beach NOT in the sea.
I grew up with Enid Blyton and the Famous Five went camping, rowed to an island and went swimming without supervision. I thought they were lucky but I don't ever remember thinking that it was far fetched and that SS would prosecute Uncle Quentin for neglect!
Most children's literature wouldn't have happened with MNetters as parents! Swallows and Amazons would have been a non starter!

I would agree with this unless she is happy to be responsible for her brother

I think that she is, OP is merely worried about the curtain twitchers!

My 16yr old did go surfing alone (for a week) with friends after his GCSE's. They didn't have younger DCs to be responsible for, but it means that I would certainly have let him take a 7 yr old down the road to sand.

Well the sun is shining here, and they have gone down to play.

It was very entertaining listening to them packing their stuff

DD - 'Have you got your spade?'
DS - 'Yes and my bucket'
DD - 'Have you got your suncream on?
DS - 'Yes'
DD - 'Go and put your sandals on then.'
DS - 'Ok mum I mean x'

I let my ds 13 take his brother 4.9yrs to the park 10 mins walk away and onto the beach where I can see them from the window. I would not let my 15 ds year old take him out of the driveway - it depends on the children.

I'm a bit shocked if I'm honest that you'd take decisions that would be to the detriment of your children due to this highly unlikely consequence. I really can't believe anyone would even consider reporting this, surely?

Well they've come back tanned, sandy and still friends. So was a success.

Good!

Let them do it again and again.

Pleased to know they didn't go into the sea and drown as the scaremongers predicted! It appears they did exactly as intended.