S/O at what age

[momin2013]

Hmm...my first instinct is 12, although I'm guessing some people might think that's too old...

And not alone, either, I'm saying 12 with at least one friend.

[abs]

I don't know. I started doing this at 7 but that was 1984. 9? 10? A mile seems far though.

[hocus2]

1 mile walk? At least 10, but probably older in our area which has a lot of high traffic roads. Our school lets kid walk home in 4th grade which would 9 and 10 for most kids. Most kids are within a half mile of school. By 6th grade kids are given a lot more autonomy in our area. They usually walk or ride mass transit to school

[cinco]

I'm not there yet with my 10 yo. She does walk about 3/4 mile to her friends house, but that is in our neighborhood. Maybe another year for crossing the street out of the neighborhood (ours is busy and the crosswalk gets ignored by cars. I hate crossing it myself!) and even then I'd say she needs a friend with her.

[Deleted]

our old neighborhood had a similar time to the park...and it's not so much the traveling TO the park..but that long in a public place unsupervised? junior high probably?

[penguingrrl]

A mile on residential streets? Probably 10-11. A mile is pretty far IMO. Also depends on whether they're alone or with a friend or sibling.

[nicolewi]

I don't know. It's hard to predict up to future ages we haven't hit yet, and hard to say without your knowing your exact set-up. A mile does seem really far, though. Maybe 11?? 12?

In the '80s we went all over by ourselves all the time, but most places we were going were really close. We had two schools and several parks all within less than a mile.

I know that my 8 year old is nowhere near being ready to walk a mile through a four-way stop and several quiet streets on her own yet.

[scorpio72]

Middle school.  And they would have to have a phone to be in contact with me (and I can track them).  

My older kids are 12 and 14 and we started letting them walk places in 6th/7th grade.   Everywhere they walk is less than a mile away but we live in a very densely populated area.  

[expectantsteelerfan]

That's tough...we have a school with a playground that is about .2 miles away, but unless you cut through back yards, you have to cross 2 streets to get to. Last summer I let my ds go with our next door neighbor who is his age and neighbor's big brother who was 11 and had a phone. It went fine, but honestly if there were more 11/12 year olds going I would have felt even more nervous because a group of kids that age are more likely to show off and get in trouble that way.

[dizzycooks]

I'd probably let our kids walk to the park nearby around 10, but only if I've seen them consistently demonstrate good judgement when we are out together. Even now we ask them if it's safe to cross and wait until they check all directions. I'm hoping by 10 they will have it memorized and it'll be automatic.

[imojoebunny]

DD is 11. The park is 3 blocks away. I would not let her go without me, because there are a lot of teens/older kids who hang out there, and a lot going on that draws people from outside of the immediate neighborhood.

I do let her, with a friend, go to the smaller public garden 2 blocks away, where it tends to be more people her age on their own, or younger kids with their parents. There generally is a staff person working in the garden office. I also let her go to the local market, about 4 blocks away, also with a friend. She is very cautious with street crossings, and there are stop signs and stop lights at all intersections, and it is a pedestrian heavy neighborhood, so people usually follow them. She has a gizmo phone, so I can track her, and call her, if needed.

[mamaalysson]

That one makes me way more nervous than staying home alone. We have two parks less than a mile away, but you have to cross at least one busy street to get there. Plus our parks have a homeless camping issue. Middle school, maybe?

[MDmomof2]

My daughter is 9 and just this year we allowed her to go to our park alone. It's not the walk (it's super close through a neighborhood) but being at the park alone. It's a very safe park, I don't know why I was nervous about it but you never see kids there, of any age, alone. If my 6 year old wants to go we go with him.

[gastro]

Our closest park is not really within walking distance and the walk back home is a steep uphill climb. We also live in a tourist town so there are often out of towners at the park so not somewhere I would want my kids unsupervised. I guess they would have to be at least 13.