To let 11 year old walk to shops

[Dfgmaj]

I let my 11 year old go to the local shop to buy milk, kitchen roll etc.
Our neighbour bumped into him there and then told me she’s surprised I allow him to do that!

Sounds fine to me. How far away is your local shop?

I used to do tthat from about 8!

It depends on the roads they have to cross, but in terms of independence 11 years is pretty normal IMO. They have to go to secondary by themseves at 11 anyway.

If it was 2 miles or less ( approximately) and with pavements/not along a 60 mph road without verges then it f course it is completely fine. Those are the criteria for school transport, thus government sanctioned. Otherwise only you know your own child and is not your neighbour's business!!

Once they hit 11 they're often at secondary school and walk all over the place. Your neighbour is being ridiculous.

@lizzy8230 10 min walk

11 year olds travel by public transport for an hour to get to secondary school round my way. Popping to the shops is not an issue unless they have to go through stab alley to get there!

You need to tell us more about the journey but many 11 year olds go to school without an adult so it doesn't sound weird to me.

Huh? When I was 11 I got a public bus 8 miles to school and had to walk 15 mins from school to the town centre bus station to get the same bus back home again. Frequently calling at the shops on the way (to spend my dinner money on Wham bars Smash Hits).

Those in the next village along had to walk 30 mins across the town cente to get a train.

Of course it’s fine!!
Neighbour maybe thought he was a bit younger.

How is this even a question? At 11, my friends and I were taking the train to the city half an hour away to go shopping and to the cinema.
Pretty sure yours can walk to the local shop.

No wonder so many teens cannot function, they’re not allowed to grow up or have any responsibility as older children and then they fall apart when they have to go to uni.

@Thewizardbinbag bit harsh!

There was an adorable group of lads at a London train station I was waiting at yesterday lunch time.

I reckon they were between 8 and 11 years old. They were getting the train three stops to go to the cinema and the eldest was handing out jobs (check the number of stops, buy snacks, collect the tickets, check the route to the cinema) with military precision. They were all nodding very seriously.

Your neighbour really said that?

I don't know what's stranger.

Your neighbour saying that or you (as the parent) asking the internet if it's ok?

@Ginmonkeyagain 😃

Your neighbour is being ridiculous ( unless you live near a dangerous rd).

@Redwinestillfine not really

I did that from age 9.

@bakewellbride i think that’s too young!

Are you in England? I’ve learned from mumsnet that school in England won’t let kids walk home by themselves for most of primary school, whereas in Scotland, they won’t let primary 1 kids walk home alone but after P1, the kids are just let out and it’s up to you if you meet them at the school or they walk home themselves.

By age 8/9, loads of the kids go down the high street first to get something from the bakery before they head home from school. Totally normal.

Aww, they sound a bit like my boy and his mates (11/12) recently - they took the bus to the main shopping area, I met them a bit later to take them to lunch (I sat separately so as not to spoil the vibe) then after they were going to a festival at school and were taking the logistics very seriously - which bus to take, which stop to get off at, who would ring the bell, local landmarks that would alert them that the stop was coming up, did everyone have their zip cards handy....

And then they left the restaurant and confidently turned in exactly the opposite direction to the bus stop. I was quite tempted to let them go and see how far they'd get before one of them looked at a map. I think they'd have figured it out!

I’d be surprised if an 11 year old wasn’t walking 10 mins to the shops sometimes.

Your neighbour is bonkers.

I was walking to the shop and back from about 8-9 years of age and that's what I see where I live nowadays too. They walk to school (and back) on their own, pop to the shops and go to the park unacommpanied.

I'd say 11 was actually a bit old to be starting stuff like this.

Fairly common where I live for even younger kids. Admittedly it is not busy with traffic . They also walk to school and to sports training

My year 7 has come home reporting that most of her new Friends have lunchboxes packed by mum. I do think we sometimes baby kids too much and they don't get the rewards of independence ass result

Its fine. Its perfectly normal for kids ro pop to the shop id be more worried if an NT 11 year old was not able to take a hort walk to the local store. Providing the route wasn't a mine field or crossing a motorway or using crocodiles as stepping stones or something