How much freedom does your 10yr old have ???

[IllegallyBrunette]

Wrt to going out alone, staying in house alone, walking to school, things like that ?? Oh chosing clothes too.

Illegal - they have to learn themselves about money and they can do this if you let them fail if you control the money then she will never learn that she needs to save and not fritter then money away. If she can't go to the cinema when all her friends go cos she hasn't got enough pocket money then perhpas this will make her think twice next time. You just need to bite your lip and let her work it out for herself.

Illegally, perhaps you could let her go to the play area but put a time on it? Say if she goes at 10.30am on a Sat, ask her to be back by 11.15.

This is how it started with DS1 (last year in the summer). Now, I am just so used to him going out, he says I am going so and so back later and he is - I think this is something you have to let her have control over, she will realise it is based on trust.

I think it is nice to see mates hanging around together.

By the way - DS2 is 8.7 and he is already going to the park and calling on friends. Funny how you treat your second compared to your pfb! We are stricter on times with him though as this has just started.

I suspect in winter, I will have a house full of children rather than them being out in the dark. But as I said DS1 is going to secondary school in Sept, so he might just find that through the week he has too much homework to be getting on with rather than socialising.

Illegally - has your dd got a watch? I set dd's watch so the alarm goes of 5 mins before she is due back home.