How much 'freedom' does your 10 year old have?

[2kidsintow]

My DD is ten, nearly 11. She is usually happy mooching around with me and her younger sister. Recently, she has seen other friends of hers wandering around the town we live in after schools and at the weekends and wants to know when she can wander about.

My OH is not at all keen to let her. She's been allowed to go to town on the odd occasion when a friend has called for her, but not really out on her own. Unfortunately, most of all she likes her own company. Today she came down with a shopping list for the ingredients we were missing for the choc chip cookies she wanted to make and asked if she could go shopping. We let her as it is only a short walk from us to the local small supermarket.

Just wondering if anyone will share what they allow their 10 year olds up to? The only friends of mine that have children this age have boys, and boys seem to be allowed more freedom earlier than girls, or is that just my perception?

I live in a large village, think the population is about 4000. Dd is ten and is allowed to go to her friends the other side of the village on her own, she can go with a friend to the park if she has her mobile with her and checks in at regular intervals. She can go to the mini supermarket in the village and get stuff for me. She can take the dog for a walk on her own.

Next step will be being allowed shopping in the city on her own. It's a small city, with a pedestrianised centre. When I was eleven I'd be taken there and then let loose and had to meet my mum at a certain time. I'm planning on allowing dd the same when she's in yr 7.

My daughter started going to the local shops on errands from age 9 , at which age she was
also allowed to go out herself to meetup with friends who live about 15 min walk away.
We always gave her a time to come home, and she always stuck to it.

We live in a small busy town

My dd will be ten in a few weeks, we live in a large village of 3000. She walks the dog on her own, can go to the shop on her own and the local park with a friend.

Have DD who is 11 in December. She is allowed out to play for short periods on a small private cul-de-sac behind us (1/2 - 1 hour). Has just started walking to school alone but small village, quiet road and only 1/4 mile! And I go to school anyway with others. Have not let her in town alone but will start allowing more freedom over next year in readiness for secondary school when she will need to be able to do more things. It's a scary world letting go of them....

Ds is 10 and in last couple of months has just been allowed to walk (10 mins) to shop and library. There is a busy road to cross so I try to send him when it's fairly quiet. When we go into town he is allowed to wander to a few shops (he has my spare mobile just in case I need him or he needs me - not always reliable though as he doesn't hear it or feel it vibrate at times!!!). Also, when we go out for days (if I think the place is ok) he is allowed to wander a bit too. We always go round together first and find suitable land marks to meet at etc. (even though he has the phone too!)

I have put a few emergency contact numbers in the phone in case he can't get me or his dad and made sure the adults whose numbers they are have saved the number as him so they know - I have some nice friends and family :o

Yr 6 in Septmber so I expect to have to let him do more and more over the coming year in preparation for seconday school!!

We recently moved to England and DD is for the second time, getting on a bus and meeting me at the bus station on her own. I wouldn't let her get the bus to the venue, she would end up missing her stop and find herself in Liverpool.
she is a bit scatterbrained, but does love the responsibility. She offered to come all the way home alone, but I think start small and build up.
The bus station is the last stop on the route, so unless she stays on and goes round again, we should be OK.

My 10 yo dd walks herself to and from school which is less than a ten minute walk from our house. If an after school arrangement goes on until after dark I send her older brother to walk back with her.

She is allowed to play in our road and at friends houses who live in our road as long as she tells me whose house she is at.

We have a recreation field at the end of our road and she is allowed to play there.

She is a confident child and would like more freedom, but she is exceptionally pretty (not my genes) and also sometimes confident beyond her abilities so I keep her on a tightish leash.