What age is reasonable to let your children go off on a holiday campsite alone?

[S2023]

Is it reasonable to let a child of 11 with asd walk a holiday park alone and go to certain areas?

and is it ok to send an 8 and 10 year old who don’t get on off on their own to go on the boats on park site?

11 year old isn’t very good with strangers and if put in a situation will become less aware of road safety etc.

8 year old does not feel safe or happy going alone without an adult anyway?

Mine are older now but when we had a mobile home in France they went to the site shop / playground / on their bikes from around age 6. Small site though, enforced 5mp speed limit and you had to have a pass to get in.

Here on the bigger haven sites depending on the location of the van. Near the park / shop fine. Further away from age 9, I remember because they had their birthdays there.

Oh and a hard no to the pool / beach.

16/17? Maybe 14/15 depending on where we are.
I despair, 16/17 🙄

My 9yr old would be allowed to go to a play area or shop but not to water without an adult. He goes to toilets and shower on his own usually.

16/17? Dear God.......

It's going to vary so much is impossible to have a general rule.

We go to one campsite where I'm happy for my 5yo to go and play with the other kids, but it's a small field with literally 10 tents, usually all occupied by young families and facing a central small park, no water, and the entirety of the site is visible from every pitch. My rule is to stay on the field (ie not go upto the car park etc) and not to go in anyone's tent without checking with us.. Most other parents are the same, and come about 4pm, there's usually about a dozen of them all playing together whist the parents cook and have a sit down.

In a haven style campsite, they'd be staying close until about 9-10, though may be able to go to nearby things sooner. Water is an additional risk so they'd have to be older before going without supervision.

Sounds like the children were on holiday with the other parent who allowed these things and OP isn't happy with it. Not an easy situation, I would definitely talk to the other parent about the risks of the boats, and about the 8 year old not being comfortable with it yet but they still have the right to make their own decision.

I remember my mum letting me and my friend go on the boats at a campsite without her when we were around 11 or so, one of my best holiday memories but no way would I let my children at that age. Water is far too risky.

16?!

Literally the age they can legally live alone, have a child etc? Surely earlier than that...

It depends on the child and the campsite.

I would have let my children do this from about age 8 but without knowing your children or the campsite its completely impossible to know whether this is ok or not.

But I would suggest letting a child who doesn't feel safe or happy going it alone is not a good idea.

Unless there are special needs involved this would be a complete parenting failure to wait until this age.

Boats no.

Time by themselves once they are secondary school age as they are going to be spending time by themselves in everyday life most likely.

I could see me telling my DD17 she needs mummy to accompany her 🤣🤣

It's impossible to say with such little information in your post.

How big is the campsite?

What's the situation with the boats? Is this a monitored activity? The depth of the water? Life jackets?

You've answered your own questions

Agree with the others who say it depends on the kid, and the campsite..
Some kids age 9-11 are so mature and streetwise, others just aren't. Mine isn't so I wouldn't let her just yet. Not an age thing but more a personality/maturity thing really. Also I've been to some lovely quiet campsites with decent, respectful campers... And I've been to some horrendous ones where I didn't even like wandering to the shop myself as a fully grown adult 🤣

We got 4 walkie talkies, one each for children and one each for parents. Kids always contactable and piece of mind for us.

Lol my upbringing was crazy. We used to row out to sea on a rubber dinghy with nothing but a 5l bottle of sand and about 6ft of rope as an "anchor" in a different country. no phones. Went out on the campsite and beaches, climbed rocks from about the age of 6 and 10. We Gone all day 😂 this was normal. Does make me smile. I'd never let my daughter do what we did as kids. How we are still here not dead or abducted I don't know lol.

I let my 7 year old go off to the playground without me on a small, friendly campsite in France last year. There were also boats (on a river), which were strictly interdite without my supervision. (He errs on the timid side, so I was confident he wouldn't disobey).