Would you let your children do this?

[Mellowmallow201]

Children aged 10 and 7. Walk to the shops on their own. They have to cross 3 main roads with heavy traffic. Once in the main village they have to cross one of these roads where heavy duty vehicles eg big lorries have to fit around a small tight corner. Often these lorries bump the kerb to try fit round the bend.

These aren't my children, just wondered if it was unreasonable to let them do it?

And I think crossings are a red herring - I’d actually rather there was no crossing on one busy road I know, because so many drivers run the red light or, on one memorable occasion, reverse their lorry through the crossing on the wrong side of the road through a red light. My children don’t anticipate driver behaviour, they take the green man to mean it’s safe to go, whereas if there was no crossing I think they would be more likely to assess the situation properly. It’s hard though for a non driving ten year old to assess road position, speed, hazards etc and the likely impact on what a car might do.

Primary aged children cannot accurately judge vehicles travelling over 20mph, regardless of their overall maturity I would say no on the grounds of their physical development.

Unless the kids were really, really daft then yes. My 10 year old is more than capable of crossing the road safely and provided the 7 year could be trusted to follow the elder kids lead then they'd be fine.

No because of how you describe the roads, far too busy & as single & proud just said, they don't have the ability to judge speed.

so whoever you're dissing, deserves it.

@ArniaI think most parents are protective not just SAHMs - are those that work any less concerned about their child's safety in your book?

Agreed!

A friend was knocked down on a zebra crossing when we were around 13. The car had slowed down so my friend assumed they were going to stop and started to cross. However the (pervy) driver had slowed down to leer and beep his horn at me and my other 13yo friend who were parting ways walking away from the crossing. He didn’t notice my other friend in the road and she went over the bonnet.

Absolutely not.

No - the large work vehicles would just freak me out as would the lack of crossings/lights. I don’t think I’m over protective. Kids find it hard to judge cars moving ect…. They need a bit more brain development to deal with the situation you describe.

A previous thread about someone leaving their 5 year old in the house for 15 minutes got loads of 'I would never do that' but some people on here are perfectly accepting that its ok for a 10 year old to supervise a 7 year old in heavy traffic??? Crazy place this mumsnet!!!

Nope

100% no.

@Mellowmallow201 nope, Sarah payne

Not the seven year old, maybe the ten year old dependant on the route/reason/how sensible they were etc.

This is one of those things that I could never just answer. Like when dc7 asks how old they need to be to have a phone. I don't know. It depends a lot on the children, on the roads etc.

My dc7 goes to the shop alone. He needs to cross a v quiet street (which actually scares me as it is so quiet, one might be very careless about checking for cars as it is unlikely) then walk to the end of the street to the shop. So not that big a deal. Enough that it still makes me a bit nervous though!

You know all these roads better than us. The speed of traffic. The number of pedestrians. The crossing points. You know all this. We do not.

It depends on the 10yo and 7yo.

My DD is 10 and yes absolutely, she already does walk to the shops, school and her friend’s houses and has since she started year 6.

7yo is a total plonker, can’t walk in a straight line sensibly and still needs reminding to look before crossing, and if he’s ready to do the same by age 10 I’d be surprised.

I have to say I read comments from people with seemingly sensible 10yo’s when they won’t let them do perfectly safe things or claim non-terrifying things are terrifying (of course your kid will be terrified if you tell them it’s terrifying!!)… I want to ask them what on Earth they’re going to do once their kids very soon start secondary school and the game changes massively in terms of what they’re exposed to. DD is in Year 6 and kids who live very close to school still aren’t allowed to walk home, and I wonder how the hell they think their child will manage come September.

I wonder too.

Our house backed onto a nature reserve and me and my siblings were hoofed out the house from 9-5 in the summer. Mum would ring a school bell when yea was ready - this was the 90’s when we were 9, 10 and 11. In fact the fact we weren’t allowed to do this until age 9 was considered very precious. How has it turned a 180 in less than 3 decades?

No absolutely not. Anyone saying it's fine is talking absolute crap.

Because there’s a world of difference between a 5yo and a 10yo?

If you raise your children on the assumption a VERY rare and horrific occurrence will happen again, you will raise very damaged chidlren who probably won’t think a great deal about you as an adult.

Don’t be ridiculous.

Sarah Payne might be unlikely but as someone who has seen first hand a teenager gets hit by a car and fly through the air and then be air lifted due to their misjudgement and impulsiveness I'm still going to say no to two young children being near such a busy road.

I don't believe there isn't a closer shop; 3 main roads all heavy traffic and than once in the village another road with heavy good vehicles? Not even a petrol station or shop closer with so much traffic passing through?

Have I got this right?
From the op

They have to cross 3 main roads with heavy traffic.

That would be a "hell no" from me.
I'm a deputy DSL, and would consider this a safeguarding issue

Lmao rare is not impossible and dead children don't think anything of their parents do they. It won't be my child raped and murdered because I've let her wander the streets.