Am I that out of touch with life in Britain?

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

DD and I are returning to England in August. Last week we went to visit her new school. She was passed herself with how much she loved it which is great.
Here's the thing. She told me that her new BF had told her that they go straight from school to the shops. She is only 10. Is that normal? Do 10 YO girls really go trawling round shops after school with no adult supervision?
Am I really an old trout who thinks this odd?

[bigTillyMint]

Well, they sometimes go to the newsagents round the corner on the way home, but not on some massive shopping spree!

DD is nearly 12 and at secondary school and she only very occasionally goes to a local shopping centre with her friends. They quite often go to the park / fair / meet at the cafe / cinema, etc though.

DS who is 10 and in Y5 is allowed to go to the park with friends (just over the road), the local shops, swimming pool, etc. I'm not sure I would leave him in the cinema on his own yet incase they annoyed everyone else in there with silly antics!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

That's a relief. I honestly had visions of a horde of 10 YOs investigating what Tammy girl (DDs best shop ever seen) had to offer.

[cory]

kreecher, are you saying that 10yos 30 years ago were so supervised that they could not go to a shop on their own? My memories are of playing out all the time without adult supervision, and going to the shops if I wanted to- and I know those of my friends who grew up in the UK have similar memories. Children are far more supervised these days, but not unusual ime for a 10yo to walk home from school alone and stop off at local newsagents/supermarket for a quick shop.

[mummytime]

My son frequently stops off at Tandy pretty much like his Dad used to ....a long time ago. If you are close to shops they may do, however it may just have been new BF trying to seem sophisticated.
Which year is DD going into? 6 or 7? Now DD is in year 7 I have learnt of two milkshake places I didn't even know existed in town before. They also love Primark (much better than Jack Wills for my wallet).

[MoreBeta]

kreecher - yes you are an out of touch old trout just like me!

DS1 is 11 and some of his frends are already doing this. I hate it. I do not want him hanging about the high street.

Friends visiting at the weekend told us about the battles they are having with their DS1 age 12. Wanting to hang about in town, constantly on Skype and texting and Facebooking.

I REALLY do not want this. I went to boarding school and were not allowed to go into town until age 16, one phone call and leter home per week and no internet or mobiles. We did wholesome things. Now children just seem to be allowed to wander into town during the school day so its hard for parents to ban it after school.

[thaigreencurry]

I used to catch the bus into town on my own from the age of 9 and saturdays were always spent traipsing around Tammy Girl with friends. Summer holidays I never saw my mum from 9 in the morning until 9 at night as I was off having picnics in the woods.

Times have changed but in the opposite way, I don't know anyone who would let their child have so much freedom and I don't allow my children to do half the things that we were allowed to.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

DD is going into Y6. I know I am out of touch. When I was her age I was going to Leicester Square on the bus with my friends.
I think, my problem is this. We've not lived in England for 12 years and I am not used to seeing children unsupervised.
MoreBeta DH did consider applying for a job which had housemastering as one of the duties. I said not to as it was an all boys school.

[bigTillyMint]

I think it depends on where you live and your DC's social circle.

We livel in London, but DD's school is kind of in the middle of nowhere, so just newsagents, etc en route. Lots of lovely (expensive) gift shops and cafes where we live, so good for a bit of browsing / meet-up, but not generally after the bus hopping home and homework to do. She did sometimes do it towards the end of Y6.
There is no way we would let her go to Leicester Square on her own yet But nor would any of her friends' parents. I know this will probably change next year!

DS in Y5 only wants to play footy with his friends, so no shopping worries there, apart from the cans of KA and those blue licky deoderant sweets

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

big, WTF is KA and deoderant licky sweets? yet more stuff for me to know about if DD is not going to be a social pariah.

[mummytime]

Oh you'll learn soon enough - no need to educate her into things....worse than "greggs sausage rolls and fruit shoots" before you have to.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

she is hoping that I get a job in Greggs, she loves a steak bake or cheese and onion slice. She drank about 10 fruit shoots while we were in England last week too.

[bigTillyMint]

KA is a vile cheap fizzy drink in a can, the deoderant style sweets are called brain lickers

She'll fit in well if she likes Greggs and Fruit Shoots

[MoreBeta]

kreecher - don't despair. I have no idea what these posters are talking about either - and I already live here.