Kids going to the park/shop alone etc - when?

[EldonAve]

Interested in when yours started doing this
Particularly if you are in a city as I'm in London

I worry that my kids are growing up in a MC cotton wool bubble where secondary school is going to be a big shock!

I guess it depends how far away the shop / park is, how many roads / type of road, how sensible the child is etc etc.

8/9/10 ish depending on child, distance and locality.

I was walking to school in year 5 crossing many roads. I'm pretty sure I was going around small quiet town to the shops at the same age. This was 25 years ago now and I think it is safer now than it was then because everyone was so blasé about everything. The papers make out we are living in a world of dangers but statistically that is untrue.

School allow kids to walk themselves to and from school in KS2, so before that I'd start allowing small quick errands to build up skills etc - the roads are worse at school run time.

I've allowed simple playing out in the ginnel from 4, on the pavement in sight if the front door with no crossing roads etc in our terraced street from about 4.5, and dd1 was going out if sight but within sight if other parents of her 'gang' on a very quiet cul de sac from 5. I allow her to the shop on a specific errand now she's 7 - it's the same distance and only one road, in view of the front door, as school. We are on the outskirts of a small northern city.

I should add that other kids play out too, which makes it safer.

Iirc from other threads, I live quite near to you. My lot were allowed to the Common with friends from around 10/11. As it's somewhere that we went to most nice days, they knew where to cross and where they could go. They also had watches and strict returning times which they stuck to. I'd also let them walk to their friends houses to play and vice versa.

From 11 they were allowed a little further down to our main shopping road (N/Cote). Also from 11 they could get the bus (direct from pretty much end of road) to the arndale to shop, have a Nando's or similar and watch a film. All their friends did it, and there were generally 4 or 5 going together.

They took themselves to school from towards the end of year 5 and by secondary not one of them/their friends had a parent take them. Schools ranged from local to Hammersmith, City and Dulwich etc. they would've been mortified if a parent took them!

I plan to allow the local park at about 9 or 10, the city centre at about 11 or 12 and trips to Manchester etc (which would be about an hour journey in total) at about 14/15 with friends (if the friends weren't idiots)

It all depends on the child really, how sensibly their friends are, the area, all sorts.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone

Skina - yes you live near me

I'm hoping that at 10 going to the park alone or to football class will be a reality
My main concern is crossing the road