To let nearly 8 year old walk to shop alone?

[ClaireH26]

DH and I in disagreement about this. DD1 very sensible, trustworthy girl who will be 8 in April, oldest of 4 kids, very responsible. She's desperate to be allowed to walk to the corner shop alone. We live in London, in Hackney but in a reasonably quiet, nice residential street with lots of families; the shop is at the end of the road, not quite visible from our house but close, no roads to cross- maybe 30 houses away.

I think going to the shop in broad daylight at her age is fine. My DH says no way, she should be at least 10!! That seems ridiculous to me, when I was her age I was off on my own all day playing although I grew up in the countryside. He grew up in London so I guess he knows more about kids in the city. I just think she's ready to take some small steps of independence but he says she might get abducted. I think he's being overprotective. AIBU? When is it ok to let a child do short errands alone?

I live in London. Both mine were going to the shop at about 8/9. This was 10 years ago so cant remember exactly. They had one road to cross with a zebra crossing. Nothing bad ever happened. You know your child if you think its ok let her go. I don't know why people think London is worse than a small village. Personally l think its safer to be around loads of people

I was molested at that age, two blocks away from my parents house. I wouldn't.

For me nearly 8 is rather on the borderline between 'too young' and 'right time to start'. I think I'd ask her to wait until after her birthday and have her go with a friend the first time or two - more for the easing-into-it factor than anything else.

My dc2 started walking part of the way home from school alone at 8 - just across a quiet road with a zebra crossing and up a straight road, at the end of which I would wait for him. We then moved house when he was 8 and a half and he started coming by himself - no roads to cross but about 7 mins' walk round a corner. A year on, he goes to local shops by himself and cycles to an activity in another part of our small town with friends (on pavements and using crossings).

FGS.A 7'/ 8 yo too young to go to the corner shop!

No wonder thee are so many young people unable to manage risk, growing up fearful and and anxious and with low self-esteem

I live near you, and my son did this at about8. He had to cross 2 quiet roads. I watched him from the corner. My heart was in my mouth when he disappeared into the shop, but that was that. Al fine and he was very prud of himself.He wanted to do it, he was capable of doing it, and I'd worked up to it by giving him increasing responsibility for deciding when was safe to cross the road.

Sounds fine to me, especially as there's no road to cross. Its good to let them slowly expand their independence. I fondly remember being sent to the corner shop when I was 7 or 8 and revelling in my independence.

DD has free rein on our estate with limits set at the forest and the big (main) road at 6 years old. The nearest shop is about 10 minutes walk up along the main road (separate pedestrian path) and I think I'll start letting her go there alone next year, she'll just have to walk down our road, go onto the foot path and walk along it until the shop so little traffic risk which is my main concern.

I think that's just fine, my 8 year old walks to school on odd occasions and that's crossing four side roads, no major ones. We are semi rural

Sounds fine to me. But I am a random stranger on the Internet.

Could you compromise by starting off with one of you waiting outside while she goes in on her own? Or walking her part of the way there?

I had a similar thing when my Dad was that age. Desperate to be all grown up and independent. I let her walk part the way home from school... She hated it and never asked again until a few years older.

DD not dad. He was capable of going to the shop all but himself

My daughter is 8 and goes to our corner shop. We started by her going in to buy bread, milk etc whilst I waited outside. She now walks there herself. Our shop sounds a similar distance to yours but we have one quiet road that she crosses.
It has actually helped her confidence a lot and I've been pleased at how sensible she is being.

I don't think risk factors have changed particularly but I think society has become, rightly or wrongly, very cautious with regard to children. I actually think having some controlled independence at a fairly young age is good and helps lay the foundations for dealing well with more difficult things and choices as they get older.

Yes, of course I would. An 8 year old should be able to walk 30 houses along a road! FGS we are going to run out of cotton wool.