to send a nearly 9 year old 100 yards down the road to the chip shop

[workshy]

having left over roast beef and chips for tea but had no frozen chips in yes I know I'm a slattern but it is sunday so sent DD, who will be 9 next month down to the chippy which is on my road, to fetch a bag of chips

she was 'escorted' home by a woman who had happened to be in the chippy and though I was totally unreasonable to let her go to the chip shop by herself at that time of night (it was ten to six when she went)

have I totally lost it in my ability to make reasonable decisions about my child's safety or is she a nut job?

But chips do do you favours - they're tasty :o

YANBU

YANBU to send your dd but neither did the woman do anything wrong. She was trying to help.

Well said Bibbity.

I'd let a 6 year old do that - no probs with a 9yo Workshy.

I'd have taken the woman's name and address - then told her that I would be contacting the police.

My 7 and 8 year olds go to the newsagents a similar distance away. It's good for them to handle money and check their change.

bizarre behaviour on woman's part

bibbity - I think it was tongue in cheek.

OP - YANBU. But I remember the first time I let my DS out alone to the corner shop, across 2 roads (he was 8 ) - I watched him all the way there and all the way back, but he's quite small and I caught sight of a woman looking at him with great concern. It made me doubt myself for a nanosecond. I think that people just don't let their DCs out alone as much as they used to, which is a great shame

Agree with Bibbity on this one.
What a moronic comment to make tinker. For fuck's sake.

My seven year old reguarly goes to the shop at the end of the street for me. I have had a neighbour tell me to be careful 'he is not abducted'

I wouldn't get too annoyed with the woman.

Nothing involving chips could ever be unreasonable OP - unless they're eaten cold the next morning.

Lots of posters 'fucking hating MN' on this thread, I've got to ask why they're here spreading more misery?

Your DD is the ideal age to be making short trips like that my Ds does the same. It's a great first step in learning how to go out and about independently. The other lady was being unreasonable and shouldn't have interferred

There's a lot of anger on here tonight FFS this - FGS that.

I expect tinker will come on and tell us she forgot her emoticon

In my area there are lots f drug dealers, nasty teenagers and drunks around the chip shop and chinese shop so I really think it depends on where you leave, how you get own with people around you ...
but I would also worry about child abduction..what if someone kidnaps your child?

she is a nutter and i would have told her so, IF your child had been crying or upset in someway and she had then offered to help her, fine but escorting a 9yr old home at 6pm as they shouldnt be out, mine is currently out playing in the cul de sac, he goes to the shops and has been to the chip shop for me as well i dont know what its like with you but its glorious sunshine here and perfect for playing out and for eating a nice bag of chips for dinner, infact if its like this tomorrow we may have chips from the chippy with quiche and salad for dinner, is that acceptable?!

seriously its good that you are letting your dd do these things, the woman is clearly mad and as i said i woudl have told her that my child was perfectly fine, thankyou for her concern but i am the parents and i choose what is and isnt acceptable, and i dont care for intefering strangers.

Depends on whether you live in the UK or Beirut! Assuming that you are in the UK, then YANBU and I think the woman was out of order. Make sure that your 7 year old knows that if they see her again not to go anywhere except straight home. I'm sure she was trying to help but better to be safe than sorry. My kids have always been encouraged to walk themselves to school, go to the shops, to post a letter etc as I feel it encourages self esteem and self confidence, taking into account roads to cross and the area you live in.

If the woman genuinely was worried Sonaten, say if the OPs DD looks younger than her 9 years, it's not necessarily a bad thing that she actually did something constructive.

I'd be more concerned about someone who was worried about a child but let them wander off regardless.

I don't understand the ire against the woman. She was showing (misguided) concern. It's never welcome to have someone crticise your jusgment, but I would have just smiled sweetly and begged to differ.

I wouldn't let my daughters out alone until they were secondary school age - just my choice.

Do you live near busy pubs that had been showing the football perhaps? Maybe there were a lot of drunk football fans around and the woman was a bit concerned. Other than that, YANBU as a 9yo should be more than capable of going to the shop at 6pm.

I wouldn't let my daughters out alone until they were secondary school age - just my choice.

Weird choice .

I wouldn't have sent my DS down to the chippy because if they were anything like me at that age they would have eaten half the chips before they got home - I can still remember my Mother saying commenting on the small portion size when they were unwrapped .

Of course YANBU !

YANBU. She is a nutty stickybeak if you ask me. Apart from anything else who does she think she is approaching a child, who obviously wasn't distressed (was she?), in this day and age? She should be reported not you x

If your DD is doing things that complete strangers ask her to do, she needs a bit more guidance on being out on her own. Fortunately it was a well-meaning busybody and not some pervert (And to be fair, I suspect that she was much more likely to encounter a random well-meaning busybody than a paedophile).

Look upon it as a useful lesson for her.

Secondary school age is only 11 so not ott to keep them with someone until then.