Tell us about the first time you let your child go somewhere on their own - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

It can be a big deal when your child first makes a trip on their own - whether it's to the corner shop, across the road to a friend or the playground, or maybe up to school without you for the first time. Churchill Insurance would like to hear about your experiences of the first time you let your child go somewhere on their own. Tell us where they went, how old they were and how you felt about letting them go. Did you set out any ground rules about road safety or perhaps sticking to an agreed route? Did it all go according to plan? With the school holidays coming up, your DC might be waiting to do their first solo trip then. Where are they planning to go and how do you feel about it?

Please share your stories with Churchill Insurance below. All MNers who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

[mumsnit]

Mine are 12 and 9 and their first solo outing has been to the village shop. Not far but far enough for me to have my heart in my mouth the first time they went alone!

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

DS1 (11) meets friends in town now. I figure he's starting high school in September so he's old enough for that bit of independence. He still needs a lift to town (10 miles away) though . Both he anf DS2 (now 9) have been wandering off over the fields near our house alone for a few years, though... Living in the very rural countryside makes a difference, I think

[shiplessocean]

I went to the post office the other day, leaving my 5 year old and 7 year old at home. Urgently needed to post something and post office is literally round the corner, less than 2 minutes away. However, huge queue...in all was away from house about 10 minutes, but in that 10 minutes I envisaged every single terrible scenario (incident happening in street and road being cordoned off; to lorry crashing into post office; children falling down stairs/choking on something etc etc). Will leave it a little longer before I feel confident leaving them again...for the sake of my nerves!

[SolidGoldBrass]

DS is 11. A few months ago, he asked if he could go on the tram by himself. He had been allowed to play out in the street for the previous couple of summers, but this was Actually Going Somewhere. So he went one stop on the tram, then crossed the tracks and came back. I had suggested he could go to Sainsburys (which is by the next stop down the line) and buy a bar of chocolate, but initially he didn't feel up to it.
So ten minutes after his first trip, he had another go and went two stops down the line and then came back. Big hugs, exhilarated child.

Half an hour after that, he said he did think he could manage a trip to Sainsburys, so I gave him a pound coin, off he went and back he came, grinning from ear to ear, clutching a Twirl.

About a fortnight after this, I had been out partying and not got in until 9am - his dad had taken him to theatre club on the understanding I would pick him up at midday. Of course, I slept through my alarm, was woken up by DS calling on his mobile - and I was able to tell him to cross carefully over the road and get on a tram home!

[Emmad1977]

My son made his first trip alone to the biggest town nearest to us during the Summer holidays last year. He'd just turned 13 and was going with a group of friends, all the same age, on a visit to the cinema about 15 miles away. They were using public transport alone for the first time, planning their journey and buying train tickets. I was confident that all would be OK as I completely trust him and his friends. He did exactly as asked and text when he arrived in Hereford. They grabbed some lunch before heading to the cinema in the town centre. Afterwards, they made their way back to the station in plenty of time, only to find out that their train had been delayed. He kept me posted by text before finally ringing, a little anxious that 'something was going on'. Unfortunately, there had been an incident on the line and all trains has been cancelled for at least two hours. Needless to say, I hopped in the car and drove to the station to pick him and his friends up. They'd all had a great time and loved the responsibility of their first outing but were disappointed that it hadn't gone to plan. I explained to my son that I was proud of how well he's managed and thanked him for keeping me up to date. It wasn't his fault that I had to come to the rescue but I think he was deflated that adult help was required. He hasn't been on public transport again since but I'm hoping that with the holidays coming up, he'll be confident enough to spread his wings again.

[Clareraff71]

The first time, I let my lovely children be independent, I sent my son aged 7 (almost 8 ) and daughter aged 5 to the convenience store, around the corner to buy seven stamps to post his birthday invitations .
( August birthday , summer holidays) . I watched them walk up the street, hand in hand and my heart soared ! They returned about ten minutes later, jaws chomping sweets and said 'The shop doesn't sell stamps , so we spent the money on sweets !'
'Oh dear,' I said , 'we will have to go to the Post Office!'
'Don't worry mum, we will go!' Came the reply !
I gave them some more money and watched them hand in hand ( heart still soaring) set off in the opposite direction ! Another ten minutes passed until they returned !
' We didn't have enough money for seven stamps !' They explained .
'So did you buy 6 stamps? '
'Er... No !' They said quite animatedly ! ' we just spent the money buying more sweets !'
They did redeem themselves when they went around the corner the week later for Fabric Conditioner. They arrived home saying that they had forgotten what they went for but asked the lady for 'Shampoo for sheets !'

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

DD is 6yo and she walked down the road to the postbox for me the other day. She goes out of sight briefly due to parked cars and I waited on the drive for her. Not that she wasn't capable, just that I wasn't quite ready not to watch her.

That's the first time. Other than that, she's run ahead into school from the school gates while I've followed at a more leisurely pace!

Working up to walking some of the way to school on her own.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Love it Clare

[cherrytree63]

My two were allowed to play out with their friends from about 6 years, and were allowed to the park if there were older kids with them.
When my son was about 8, I let him go to the shop for the first time with his school friend who was staying for the day.
I expected them to take around half an hour, and when an hour had passed I was starting to panic and went looking for them. Couldn't find them anywhere, the friend had a mobile but wasn't answering. After two hours I was on the verge of phoning for the police when they came in baying for his sister's blood...
They had come home but bumped into my neighbour's son who'd invited them over to see his new ferrets. My DD was playing in my front garden and followed them, but being meanie big boys they wouldn't let her in the ferret she'd. So while they were in the shed fussing over them DD decided to bolt the three boys in, then came home and calmly played with her dollies while I was having a meltdown....
The boys were yelling for help but no-one heard them , and had to smash the shed window ( which I was billed for).

[IonaAilidh11]

ds started coming home from school age 9, have had no problems and helps be more responsible

[NattyTile]

My dd was 8, she went to her grandparents (who live very nearby). I saw her over the road, then phoned gps to let them know she was on her way.

Would've worked absolutely fine except that some random stranger decided she was far too young to be out alone and insisted on escorting her to the door. This scared her, she she didn't want to do any solo trips for a year after that. And actually, if a kind stranger's actions had that effect, maybe she was a little young.

[RhodaBull]

Ds's first solo outing was when he was just 11 and started secondary school. The school is two roads away. I know, I know... but he's my baaaaaby!

Anyway, off he goes and we wave him off fondly. 30 seconds later dh has his shoes on and is following behind. The route passes through a copse and dh said he ran from tree to tree, hiding behind each one so ds wouldn't see him. I think he must have looked at best like the wolf in Red Riding Hood and at worst like a pervert and was lucky not to have been reported to the police.

[finova]

Aged 4 walking across a field to a campsite play park (had a big sandpit which seemed safe!)

[ouryve]

The furthest my 12yo has been able to go alone is the postbox at the end of our terrace. Got to love his SN.

[MakeTeaNotWar]

Mine are only 3 and 5 so not at all yet although they do play in the garden while I'm in the kitchen - I can mostly see them but not always. I can certainly hear them! DD's school is 5 minutes walk but needs to cross 2 roads - I really can't see myself being comfortable with doing that for quite some time, perhaps sooner if she could walk with some sensible friends.

[feathermucker]

My son was 9 and went round the corner to the shop on his own to get some sweets.

He felt proud.

[ChoudeBruxelles]

DS was about 8 when he went to the park (literally 50 yards) from our house with a friend. He was allowed to go for about 10 mins. I was actually fine with that. I'm more nervous now that he goes further and has to cross roads. I stalk him on find my phone to see where he is.

[LemonBreeland]

I was wrapped up in cotton wool by my Mother and as a consequence let my DC have much more freedom.

DS1 at 8.5 was allowed to take a 15 minute walk through a small town to meet his Dad after school. It meant crossing roads etc. and he has been fine. He knew that it was a privilege to be allowed to do so, and that I could watch him at any time, and also could be seen by other adults I knew. Any messing around and he would have had the privilege removed. He is now almost 13 and very independent. He will happily get the bus to the local town 10 miles away to meet his friends. In fact he also got the bus to another village 20 miles away to meet a high school friend.

[Natsku]

Saw the neighbour's 6 year old boy out with 3 other similar aged boys (6-8yrs) in town yesterday - seems that is the age they start going further afield here so I expect DD will be begging to do the same next year. Don't know how I'll feel about that!

[jonsnowswildlinglover]

We moved to Holland when my oldest son had just turned 4. Giving children their independence is a huge thing out here so it was only a matter of days after moving into our new house in a lovely neighborhood that my son was outside playing in the (very quiet residential) street. He has a time to be home (5pm for dinner then 7pm for bedtime) and if I want to know where he is playing I just look for the pile of bikes dumped outside the back gate of a neighbour's house. They don't do homework in primary school out here so it means as soon as he is home he's off out playing with friends, just as his childhood should be.

[bambooleaves]

I left my firstborn on her own in her Moses basket in an empty room for 15 minutes when she was 3 days old!!!! Felt so guilty!!!

She now walks into class on her own (is 6) which felt a bit odd the first time but it's a safe way to start cutting those apron strings

[Roseformeplease]

We moved house and they could walk 100 yards to a small, safe play park. They loved it and friends visiting loved offering their children the same independence.

[1stWorldProblems]

All depends on the child DD1 walked to school (about 100 yards away & I can see the gate from my window) aged 6 with our neighbour's daugher (aged 10 at the time) whilst I stayed at home with the sleeping new sister.

She's been going to dancing or the shops to buy something since she was 8 (almost 9) but that involves only crossing one quiet road, travelling on pavements & pedestrianised areas. She's still not allowed to just go & hang out in the small town where we live. A lot of her year group aren't allowed out on their own or even in a small gang.

DD2 is not as sensible & I wouldn't let her (nor do I think she'd want to) walk to school on her own / with big sis yet. She's more often off in a world of her own & I just don't see her road-sense as being as good as the older one's.

[winterpark]

My son was about 8 when he went to the park on his own but it was with friends and just across the road.

[mave]

My oldest is 11. I started letting her walk to and from school recently as she's in high school this September. I now let her walk to the shops and leisure centre to play netball. My heart was in my throat initially but you have to encourage them to be independent! Mobile phones are a godsend sometimes!