A mom asked me the other day about when to allow her kids to walk somewhere by themselves. Her kids are eight and ten years old and they want to walk to a shop in town for a game club after school twice a week. The kids are both motivated to do it, but mom worries they still may be too young. This is what I told her:
First thing to consider: it depends on the kids. There isn’t a magical age when kids are ready to walk to the store by themselves. It depends on how responsible they are and whether they are emotionally and intellectually ready to handle it. Also, how do they do together? Are they likely to stick together and to follow the rules or might they argue and go separate ways?
Then walk the route with them. Talk about looking for cars, watching for landmarks to know you’re going the right way, being aware of your surroundings, and have them draw a map of the route that they can carry with them. Make sure they know the way without any trouble before letting them attempt it on their own.
Thirdly, talk about the rules and all of the things that could come up. Make a list of potential snags and how to handle each and post it in the house somewhere. For example:
What to do if…
Stranger approaches
Animal encounters
Weather issues: rain, lightening, wind, sirens
The club is closed upon arrival
Also: give your contact information to the club leader and ask that you be texted when they arrive (just a smiley face is enough) and to call you if they do not arrive by a set time.
Finally, reassess how things are going periodically and review the list above (and add to it if necessary) often.
If both children are equally interested, mature enough, and ready to give it a try, I say go for it. It’s empowering for kids to be responsible and mature. They will likely benefit quite a lot. However, make sure that they are BOTH eager. If one is more interested than the other and the other is nervous or scared about it, it’s a no-go. No one should be forced into anything that feels unsafe. I would not, however, let one do it alone until at least eleven or twelve years of age and even then I much prefer the safety in numbers concept.