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?

Those roads - two ten year olds yes, but having the ten year old in charge of a seven year old and probably not. Walking to the village shop is fine if there weren't the roads to contend with.

I have a 10 and 7 year old, I would let the 10 year old (she walks herself to school and crosses a main road) but not the 7 year old yet. He’s just not focussed enough, but perhaps if I’d been a bit more on it from when he was younger he’d be doing it now too. I wouldn’t leave a 10 year old in charge of a 7 year old though.

It really all depends on the roads and the specific kids. Given you say there are no crossing points, it's a no. But I'd start a canpaign to the council for some zebra crossings. With good road crossings most kids at 10 should be fine and the 7yo would need to be willing to do what the 10yo says.

Not that you can trust all drivers at zebra crossings, kids need to learn to check the driver has actively seen them and intends to stop.

No way. Kids that age get distracted and forget to focus on the road, and aren’t able to anticipate traffic behaviour.

Also it is very unfair for the ten year old to be responsible for a seven year old when crossing mainroads of heavy traffic. If anything happens to the seven year old the ten year old will be broken for life.

If the roads were side streets I might answer differently.

Sounds like some adult is being lazy.

I know everyone loves a diagram so I've drawn one. Might be a bit outting but just trying to give context to the area

Not your kids, not your decision.

All depends on the kids I'd say.

Some 10 yr old you wouldn't trust to tie their own shoelaces, some would be fine.

Depends on the other kid as well, do they behave, do they do as the 10yr old says, or are they belligerent and argumentative, likely to fly off the handle when told to not step in front of a bus?

Too many criteria to assess to just say yes/no

No. No way.

My eldest has a summer birthday and had to start secondary school at 11y1m, including crossing a busy road to get there. I don't think anything magic happens on their 11th birthday to improve road awareness so the 10yo may or may not be safe enough. Assuming a 30mph limit (which is adhered to) and a 7yo who is sensible and would stay with the 10yo I would consider it but I think it would depend on the specifics of the route and with the update about the lorry knocking a wall down it sounds like this specific route may be too dangerous. In general I don't think it's black and white though.

No this sounds really dangerous - especially with a river and the main roads

We are also supposed to be protectors!

That doesn’t just mean protecting them from the (highly unlikely) chance of death it means protecting them from OUR anxieties, which children feed off

OUTSTANDING diagram OP (I ruddy love a MN diagram done properly!)

From your picture I'm not sure it matters if it's a 7 year old child or a 43 year old grown ass woman - surely they'd both be mown down by the lorry that took out that wall?!

That was my thought!

Its a shame we all have to live in fear because of traffic

blushing Thanks haha

True, it's carnage in the village. Further up the road, there has been many stand offs with two lorries either way not being able to pass and one having to bump the path. So many people locally have complained and the response to this each time was well there has been no serious accidents or incidents therefore its not a big concern. Therefore they are saying a awful incident needs to happen before they will do anything even though this could have been prevented

We don't have to. Ots a choice.
I choose not to live in fear.

I like my daughter in one piece soooo no 😅

@YaMuvva - did you not read the thread?? Did you not see the picture of the wall?? It is a dangerous route with dangerous road so yes death of a pedestrian could be likely!! Nothing to do with anxiety - just good parenting and a heap of common sense!!

Well it would seem most people in the poll think I'm unreasonable but most people in the comments think I'm unreasonable 🤷🏻‍♀️

No I wouldn't. There's a study that says that children under eleven can't judge the speed of traffic to be able to cross the road safely. Given that there are three main roads to cross without pedestrian crossings and a blind corner, I would be very against letting them go this route without an adult.