To ask what age you would let your kids go to the park alone?

[hellofrommetoyou]

Would you let a 7 year old girl and 10 year old boy to go to the park alone? Park is a two minute walk round the corner but cannot be seen from my house. No roads to cross on the way, just a huge big grassy area.

No way!

No. If the youngest was a boy, perhaps. But the risk to little girls is higher sadly.

I first went to the park when I was eight and my brother was 10. We were fine, except he bowled a fast cricket ball at me, hit my finger and it bled everywhere. I still have a scar!

Y5-6 round here so 9-11 depending on the birth month. DS is 12 (Y8 summer birthday) and he goes to the park, football pitches, beach, where ever now but always has to have a well charged phone and we need to know his plans

Yes. Tell them to come straight back if there's any trouble. Kids need to learn to be independent.

No.

I would say 11 minimum.

*I just don't know about this. I would think a 10yo and 7yo could handle stranger danger at a park round the corner. I think one would have to be explicit about rules: stay in the main park with other people, stick together, home at X time, don't go off with strangers, etc.

But the scenario I imagine is creepy adult comes up to them and asks them to come with them, they say no. If creepy adult continues, they are instructed to either scream and kick up a fuss that a stranger is trying to abduct them or find an adult with young children and ask them to escort them home*

If you search Youtube there are many videos that show no matter how much parents talk, in staged experiments, many kids will leave with a stranger.

My 11 year old went last summer with a child up the road. I'm very over protective. I'm.on edge now as my youngest aged 6 is on the front with her sister aged 11 and other children on her scooter.

No way would my 11 year old have my permission to take her sister to the park without me

I think it’s a bit naive expecting a stranger with sinister intentions to politely trot away because a seven year old said no.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Depends on you area. Where I live, absolutely not. I won't be allowing DS out on his own until he is at secondary school.

Hopefully you’ll let him go out before secondary school to get used to it rather than just letting him out with no street smarts or awareness as that IS dangerous

@Ilovegreentomatoes

No I think 13+ tbh.

😱 They’ll have outgrown the park by the time you let them go.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Year 6, wouldn’t expect the eldest to have to supervise either as not their job or responsibility.

Presumably they’ve asked to go and it’s not mum forcing the older child to take their kid brother/sister out.

My ds was 7.
But we lived in a quiet village and he was always with a group of friends

So many of the kids do it around here.

My DDs aren't allowed (8 and 5) but DD1s friends all seem to do I'm a meanie.

@C152

No. They're not old enough to get out of tricky situations (with creepy adults) on their own.

Is this a park where no one else goes except creeps 🙄

11 & 8 when she asks to take her younger brother. I would have been more shocked at people saying 13/14 has I not seen a previous thread of this ilk where one poster wouldn’t let their 18 year old meet friends 🤯

@daffodilsandprimroses

I think it’s a bit naive expecting a stranger with sinister intentions to politely trot away because a seven year old said no.

And it’s pretty odd to assume no other adults would be at said park in broad daylight

@daffodilsandprimroses I don't think it's about a stranger politely trotting away because a child said no, if a child shouts no very loudly nearby adults can intervene and call the police. Also it's important to teach children to run away as well as shouting no.

There have been numerous studies showing that children don’t tend to do that but anyway, I think the OP said the park tended to be fairly empty.

I don’t know about ‘numerous studies’ but they need to be taught these behaviours even down to being told it’s ok not to simply be polite because they are dealing with an adult.

No

No isn’t an answer to ‘At what age would you let your child go to the park alone’ 🤪

@daffodilsandprimroses

I think it’s a bit naive expecting a stranger with sinister intentions to politely trot away because a seven year old said no.

Which is why I also said they should then kick up a fuss or find someone to help. There's always someone with their little kids in the playground at our local, and that for me would be a big factor in whether I'd let them go or not.

I expect my children to follow my instructions, especially if it involves giving them a privilege. I have managed to teach my toddler to do all sorts of things that are allegedly impossible, like stop in the street when I shout stop. That's why he gets to walk on ahead rather than holding the buggy if he wants to. If I didn't think they understood my stranger danger instructions or took them seriously I wouldn't let them go.

10 year old yes. 7 year old I'd wait another year.