DC out alone

[Inmydaywe]

If in the last few years: At what age did your children/grand children first go out alone. I mean local shop or friends house a few minutes away but out of sight?
Having a dilemma with DD who is 8. I don't want to hold her back but don't see many children her size out alone. I was going to the shops alone at her age, but that was 40 years ago. What do you think is appropriate these days? She's fairly mature and responsible.

we started in Year 5 at the age of 10

My 6 year old plays in the park by herself, it is directly outside my front door! She is also allowed to call for her friend at the top end of the playing field.

At our old house which had a square they could walk all the way round without crossing the road my older 2 played out from aged 5.

Going to local shops or calling for friends further away from about 8/9

Walking to school on own 8/9 (no main roads to cross and not regularly)

When my eldest was on year 6 and next eldest in year 4 I allowed them to go round town together while I shopped elsewhere.

Eldest now 12 gets bus to school (since year 7) and is allowed in town in her own.

Depends where you live I guess.

I see kids round my way wandering around the steets alone around the same age as my DC (6 and 4) but I wouldn't feel comfortable with mine out alone.

I was playing out in the street at 6YO but this was in the 80s. There was a large group of kids similar ages in the road, my, older brother (9 at the time) was usually with me and we lived in a cul de sac so not a lot of through traffic. I do think looking back I was allowed a lot more independence because of my brother and that carried on throughout our childhood and teens. I was allowed to do things at an earlier because he was then allowed to do them.

We have just moved to a quiet dead end street and I am thinking when it gets nicer, I will let the kids play out in the street on their own. We do back onto the local shop, but it is very busy with cars and then on a main road. I don't quite trust my DC to have the road sense for going there alone just yet.

I see a lot of local kids playing out and going to the local park - round the bend of the street so you can't see them from the houses. The littlest are probably 7/8ish but they are not by themselves, there's usually a few older kids with them in year 7 or 8 (secondary uniform anyway)

Are there any other similar age/late primary kids on your street for her to play with?

I really think it all depends on where you live, how many cars there are etc.
Probably no younger than 8 and certainly by 10.
I live in a lovely small town / large village but would worry about traffic.

Lived in a quiet cul de sac, my kids called for their friends in our road from 6 or 7, played out on their bikes within the cul de sac. The shop was in a different, busier, street, with a road to cross, they were allowed to go in groups from about 8, but not alone, really until 10 or so.

I grew up in the 70s and was alone whenever it was school holidays and after school until my parents got in from about 5 or 6. There were no restrictions that I recall other than “be in to set the table for dinner”.

Ooof 6 and under seems ever so little to me to be out and about alone. I am sure I was but don't think it is appropriate generally.

I would say between 8 and 10 depending on the maturity of the child and also the location. But my oldest is 4 so I don't have first hand experience of this.

I know relatives who would let their kids play outside and out of sight far earlier than I ever would but that's their call.

My dc were going to the swings out of sight of the house since about 5 or 6 in a group with friends. We are in a very rural and safe area though.

I would say not under 9 or 10 unless it was a group in a safe area in terms of traffic.

My 7&8 year old play out on the street and go down to the playing field if there is a few of them. The 8 year old goes to the shop by himself, 2 minute walk away.

My 8 year old isn’t allowed out on his yet, but more to do with having autism than his age. Some people by me though I’ve seen there 3/4 year olds playing out alone.

Mine was 7, with friends though not alone and not far, was walking to school with friends then too but it's only a 5 minute walk. Now 11 and he has a radius of about a mile, friends houses, park, Mcdonalds, football pitches and swimming pool where he is right now with his friends. He's always been pretty sensible and trustworthy though, so far anyway!

I used to go swimming alone at 8 😂 but must say I would not feel comfortable with that now.
9/10 maybe? As by the start of high school they need to be semi independent to be able to walk to school bus stop etc, so maybe start with very short trips, and gradually extend?

If your worried about maturity, maybe do some practice walks where you walk quite far behind to ensure they are safe around roads etc

I run a Brownie group. There's only 1-2 of the 8 year olds who I think are sensible enough to be out alone. My daughter is not one of them!

By the time they're 10 they're a bit better.

Dd1 was out playing at 4/5. She was probably about 7/8 when she could go to the park herself. My parents lived 10mins from us I would put her across the road and she could walk there by herself.
This was nearly 28 yrs ago.

Dd2 is 4. We live on a quiet cul de sac. She has only started to be allowed out the front of the house, still on the driveway. She knows NOT to go out the driveway.

I think at 8, I would allow her to go to the shop's or a friend's house.

8/9 they were playing out (in immediate area, to local friends house and local park). Also went to local shop at this age (few minutes walk, no busy roads).
We set clear boundaries, which gradually increased with age.

In Year 5 (so age 9 and a bit) they started cycling to school (1.25 miles) on their own/with friends.

My DD is 6, v sensible and I’m sure would be fine - but bloody hell... no way out alone.

DS 9 - park alone for 1 hour (he wears a watch, agreement that if late once and no valid reason, then no more playing in park with friends for two weeks. He’s not let me down).
And in last month I’ve allowed him down to Corner shop (very useful!)

We’ve only started allowing it this year aged 10. I tell myself it’s because she’s more at risk because of her disability (e.g she could fall and be unable to get back up) but I’m not sure I would have allowed it younger if she didn’t have a disability.

I was playing out in the street at 6YO but this was in the 80s

I don’t understand this comment. If it was ok in the 80s, it’s ok now.

9 year old has been to shop with very sensible 12 year old sibling a couple of times. But will probably be waiting until aged 10 for any lone trips, which will be year 6. Nice area, but suburban with quite a bit of traffic and a few undesirable looking yoofs that hang around, smoking weed etc. I was out all over the countryside on my own before 9 years old, but doesn't feel right in our situation. Go with your gut.

From what I remember of the 90s, I was allowed out to play in immediate area / green belt land and to call round for friends from 8 or possibly 7. At 10 / 11 I was allowed down to the village centre (around a mile or so away).
By 12/13 I was allowed into the nearest city by train (6 miles away) and would spend nearly the whole of a Saturday with friends browsing shops etc. At that age I was also doing things like going swimming with friends after school (walking the couple of miles there and back) and calling in for friends over a mile away.

There's a lot more traffic these days than there was when I was a child unfortunately. 2 or 3 cars per household here and people seem reluctant to actually walk anywhere.

Even in the 70s I was at least 8 before my mum sent me to the corner shop to get a pack of Dr Whites and a quarter of sherbert lemons.

My ds is only a baby but I'm 30 and remember my first ever trip to the shop all on my own! I was 9 and I went to wool worths!

Mine were walking to Primary School alone crossing 3 busy main roads at the lights and a zebra crossing from year 5 so about age 9. We live in a city so always lots of people and cars around.

I'd worry more if they were alone in the countryside tbh.

We recently moved and now live at the end of a very quiet cul-de-sac. My DD is almost 6 and has been allowed to play in front of the house with the little girl next door who is 8. She has very clear boundaries of where she can go and I can always either see or hear her while out there from my sofa so it's very supervised still.

There's a park a few minutes away just outside her school, will be a couple of years I think before she can go there with friends alone.