To allow my 10 year old son out by himself?

[MischievousNaughty]

I have one child and he recently turned 10. He has friends who he regularly plays with outside in the street (that sounds bad - I mean they play football on the grassy area by our houses and ride their bikes around the block) but I've never let him go off anywhere further than earshot.

However, he wants to go to the park which is approx a five minute walk up the road with a friend of the same age. I have said I'll think about it. He has a mobile phone so he can call or text if he needs me and vice versa. He's asthmatic but would have his inhaler in his rucksack.

I'm really nervous of the idea but remember that at his age I was always out and about with my mates and had no mobile phone or anything.

He's my only child and I am not experienced with children so could do with opinions - is 10 a reasonable age to allow a child out on their own?

I have been letting DS out since he was 8, but only up and down the road and round the corner: he's not allowed to cross roads (he's 10 now). I think it's a reasonable age but it's a bit dependent on how safe your local area it is and on your particular child as well - is s/he vulnerable (SN of some kind) or scatty enough to forget about things like road safety and stranger danger? The reason I won't let DS cross roads is because his road sense is not great yet but we are working on it.

I think it's fine too. I liked to have their friends mobile numbers too and for them to have mine. They never seemed to mind. I thought it might come in useful.

I used to pretend to be laid back with the proviso they always came back on time. They weren't allowed to be a minute late.

Even though I had lots of freedom at that age it didn't make me more relaxed as I can remember the stupid things I used to get up to such playing on building sites and sneaking into farm building. We were forever stealing matches and lighting fires too.