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.

I don’t understand people who won’t let their kids out until they have to walk to secondary school like it’s some kind of tipping point, if they’ve had no independence or experience up until then it’s anything but safe.

Also I would only trust the 10 year old with their own safety. A teenager would be ok to have responsibility to watch the 7 year old.

@Fembot123

I don’t understand people who won’t let their kids out until they have to walk to secondary school like it’s some kind of tipping point, if they’ve had no independence or experience up until then it’s anything but safe.

I will let DS out to go to the shop or walk to a friend's house locally before he starts secondary, but I won't let him go to our local park alone due to the unsavoury people that hang around there.

That makes sense @Waxonwaxoff0 everyone has to judge each area on its own merits but I’m referring to people who won’t let them out at all until at least that age.

It’s been said before but it really boils down to what your children are like, what the area is like and what road sense have they got.

Sounds similar to the park near me, just over a dead end road (so very little traffic) to a big grassy area -- and yes, I let my children of similar ages go without me. During warmer months, I've seen many children around those ages at the park.

Not a 7 year old no.
My oldest is 8 but asd so definitely won't be happening for him. I think in normal circumstances 10+ if sensible.

I think about 10 is reasonable. 7 is too young.

Possibly the 10 year with a friend the same age (depending on the area, time of day, etc). Absolutely not with a 7 year old, I'm shocked anyone would consider it to be honest Definitely too young and unfair on a 10 year old to be responsible for a younger sibling.

Mine are 11 and 9 and go to the beach 5 minute walk away on their own. Narrow lanes with a slow road to cross. I can’t see it from the house. They usually have an hour time limit before checking in, but are quite often back and forth fetching and bringing things. It helps that people in the area know them and know they belong to me so would question if they were with anybody else. This has actually only been since this time last year, so 10 and 8 when I let them go alone. Be interesting to see how I/they feel when it starts getting busy with tourists next week.

Perhaps when they are 21&23 round here.

Yes. Mine are now 10 + 12 and started to go to the park together 2/3 years ago. They know to stay together and be back on time. Now they're a bit older they go off much further together on their bikes. I think it's great they have each other to rely on and are gaining independence together.

My city centre park is often full of drunk people. I'd tell my DD to avoid it forever.

I wouldnt but I am a self confessed helicopter mum. I think it's good for children to be independent. It just terrifies me! If you trust your children, make sure they have a phone and stick together, it should be ok... I still wouldn't lol!

I get that it comes down to the local area etc but do some of you live in really rough places? So much fear. Such a shame.

@GintyMcGinty

I get that it comes down to the local area etc but do some of you live in really rough places? So much fear. Such a shame.

Yes.

The entire town isn't rough, but it is a large town and there are rough parts. The local park is huge, it's right in the centre of town so people from all the areas use it, including the rough areas. Bike thieves deliberately target younger teens and children alone. Women out jogging alone in the evenings have been followed and sexually assaulted. Bullying happens and I've seen a fight on the skate park where a 17 year old had a bottle smashed over his head.

There are other places I'd allow DS to go to on his own when he is a bit older but not the local park.

My area is not but if I still lived in the area I did as a child I wouldn’t be keen for them to go to be fair.

@GintyMcGinty

I get that it comes down to the local area etc but do some of you live in really rough places? So much fear. Such a shame.

No, the area being lovely here still wouldn’t entice me to me a seven year old go out unsupervised.

Yes, in the scenario you describe OP as long as I thought both were reliable to stay where they should be.

I would think almost all 10 year olds would be fine, some 7 year olds might not be.

@Thislittlefinger123

Possibly the 10 year with a friend the same age (depending on the area, time of day, etc). Absolutely not with a 7 year old, I'm shocked anyone would consider it to be honest Definitely too young and unfair on a 10 year old to be responsible for a younger sibling.

Seven year olds in many places walk or take the bus or subway to school alone. I walked four blocks to school at five.

The OP lives in a safe area where she isn't worried about crime or traffic.

But you can’t know it’s a safe area.

@SmokedDuck that doesn't mean it's right though. Allowing a 5 year old to walk to school unsupervised would be classed as neglect in this day and age. Times change.

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@SmokedDuck that doesn't mean it's right though. Allowing a 5 year old to walk to school unsupervised would be classed as neglect in this day and age. Times change.[/quote]
No, it doesn't mean it's right, but similarly that it is not done now does not mean it's wrong, does it?

But it's something to think about that parental assumptions now may be skewed. A lot of parents have very infantilised views of the capability of children. In many non-English speaking societies they have far more freedom and agency, and they did here not that many years ago. Parents that come from places like Germany are often shocked and appalled.

There are consequences to this kind of treatment of children - it's not chance that it has produced teens and young adults with high levels of anxiety.

@daffodilsandprimroses

But you can’t know it’s a safe area.

She said it was, both in terms of crime and traffic.

I suppose she could be fibbing.

I didn’t mean she was fibbing - sorry. I just meant that you can’t know somewhere is safe. It only takes one person with horrible intentions passing through and then the safe area isn’t safe any more.