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How old should your children be before you let them go to the shops/playground on their own?
HelenMFM
admin
in General chat
Hello
We've just heard about some parents in Maryland, US, who are apparently under investigation for child neglect after allowing their two children, aged 6 and 10, to walk together, without an adult, to the local playground.
And that's really made us think.
Is it irresponsible parenting to let children that age walk somewhere local on their own?
Or is it a perfectly normal way to help them to learn independence?
What age do you think is old enough for a child to take short trips outside without an adult?
We'd love to know what you think. Please let us know by posting on this thread – whether you have children of your own or not.
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Replies
As we lived so close to our local park (it was overlooked by our house) i could go on my own at 10 as my mum could keep an eye on me..otherwise I wasn't allowed to really go anywhere on my own until i started secondary school (11 years old) and then it wasn't until i was 12/13 that i was allowed to go on the bus into town with my friends on my own! Living in London, I think it will be the same kind of age for my little ones, before they do the same things independently.