Is 10 & 11 too young to be alone around shops on their own

[Safarigiraffe]

Hi would you leave 10 & 11 year old girls on their own around a busy shopping centre outside while you have coffee at coffee shop? Or if not what age would you think it’s ok?

My DS started going to shopping centre in town when she was in year 7 (high school). I think 10 is probably a bit too young to be alone. I have taken my 9 year old and he friend shopping and just hung around several paces behind x

My dd and her friend regularly did this at 10. I waited in a cafe for them.

10 or 11 fine if you are nearby.

11 or 12 fine in their own.

I think fine if they are the sensible type. Risk seems minimal to me.

These threads are weird because it always depends on the children.

If they were sensible and confident, and I trusted them to phone me if they needed me then yes, of course.

If they weren't then obviously I wouldn't.

Depends on the child but if fairly sensible and responsible, then yes, fine.

They'll be walking themselves to school for secondary presumably? A short period in a safe environment (eg no traffic, fast cars) unsupervised with an adult near by is a good way to start building up to that

Depends on the area. I would allow in some places but not in others

Should be fine unless they are quite immature

It's fine!

I have 12 year old twins. One of them is happy to shop in the shopping centre on his own while I do other shopping, with an arranged time/meeting place. The other twin is absolutely not happy to do that alone, though would do it with her twin if encouraged.

It hasn't happened in a town centre rather than a shopping centre. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with it to be honest, as we don't have a town centre that the kids know their way around!

Absolutely fine. I was doing that from about 8-9 years old and see children of that age in the shops alone all the time around here.

I was just thinking this yesterday. I took my nearly 11yo and her friend out yesterday and they asked to go on ahead to a toy shop while I looked at something else. I did feel a bit eek as they walked off but they were fine, DD2 has a phone and she rang me and we arranged to meet somewhere. She'd love to go shopping with a friend, I'd have to hide in Costa though!

I think that's fine if you are nearby. Lots of children that age make their own way to/from school.

I leave my 10 (just turned 10) and 12 year old in the shops while I do some errands. They went to maccas and then the bookshop and then came and met me. My 12 year old went to the shops and then movies with his friends at 11 and both of them catch public transport home together, although the 10 year old hasn’t done it by himself yet.
Theyre both sensible boys though.

As long as they are sensible and have phones, time to be home etc then I think it’s fine.

My 12yo is allowed solo into our very safe market town. He goes and gets his own hair cut, has coffee out with friends etc. I'd let him shop on his own in the bigger town if I was nearby but I would not yet let him get a bus or the train to the bigger town or a city alone.

I would think twice tbh.maybe a small local town but a big city no . Maybe a couple of years older OK

I would worry, but my DD is 14 and not independent enough to do that so it is hard for me to imagine. There are so many untrustworthy, volatile people around though. It might be different where you live. Not sure we can judge because so many variables.

Absolutely fine unless they have special needs.

Yes I'd say it's perfectly fine