Sending an 8 year old into Starbucks alone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live 1/2 mile from Dunkin Donuts. Once a month at 8:00 a.m., I'll drive there to buy coffee, and have my 11 and 8 year old lock up the house and walk there to meet me. They will then buy their own donuts and come sit with me, and I'll drive them to school. So far, no helicopter parents have interfered.

Good for you! I hope more people will take steps like you’ve described to give their children a modicum of independence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I wouldn't if I could not see directly inside the Starbucks. Side and back exits as other posters have brought up are very real. I absolutely want to teach my children guide lines but at that age line of sight is still important. Why test the lines so far and then something happens? I'd never forgive myself.[i][u]

That's putting your own emotional needs ahead of your child's. 8 year olds need to start learning independence and confidence.

+1

So a lot of us are saying "of course," but it's clear a few people have anxieties and would not.
I can only encourage the worriers to take a deep breath and let their kids stretch themselves because it is one greatest things you can do as a parent.
And it's not just about self sufficiency, it's that happiness and confidence kids get from DOING, from exploration and from engaging in new experiences.
And going into a Starbucks alone is a very simple, safe thing for a child to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was eight I rode my bike to school a couple of miles away when the weather was nice. This involved navigating crosswalks, waiting for lights to change, and keeping track of the time to make sure I got to school on time.

As another poster said, land the helicopters. Your kids are capable of a lot more than you realize. And rarely is a perv hanging in Starbucks waiting to snatch unattended 8 year olds.

I used to ride my bike from my house to the 7-11 to buy a snack or to the Blockbuster-type store to rent a movie (remember those?), about a mile away, or to my grandmother's house (a couple of miles), which included crossing a busy arterial and riding on a bridge over the freeway. My parents made me demonstrate that I knew the way and knew proper bike safety. Frankly, there were almost certainly sketchier people in the KOA along the way than there would be in a suburban Starbucks during the day, but no one thought twice. Eight-year-olds are capable of much more than we generally allow them, and its good for them to experience that. If you want your kid to be confident, teach them to be competent.

+1
As a society, we have collectively lost our freaking mind. If you won’t let an 8 year-old walk into a Starbucks while you sit in the car out front to pick up an order you’ve already placed, you are part of the problem.

+2

For the people that wouldn't do this, what age do you think you would let your kid pick up an order?

[Anonymous]

Yes. I would.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Just sent my 8yo into panera to pick up our takeout while I wait with other kids in the car.

[Anonymous]

The summer I was 8, I regularly sat with my 5 year old sister for an hour in a college library while my mom took a class. Sometimes she would give us some money so that we could go buy a treat at the bookstore. So yes, I think an 8 year old should be able to run into a Starbucks to pick up a mobile order. Straight in and out, no interactions even required - easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

The more independent my kids are, the easier it is to parent them. If you never let them do anything, you're crippling them. They won't even know how to purchase books when they get to college. (I am certainly not going to be there with mine to hold their hands).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The summer I was 8, I regularly sat with my 5 year old sister for an hour in a college library while my mom took a class. Sometimes she would give us some money so that we could go buy a treat at the bookstore. So yes, I think an 8 year old should be able to run into a Starbucks to pick up a mobile order. Straight in and out, no interactions even required - easy peasy.

I did the same with my little sister! I had totally forgotten that. My mom would pack us snacks and we’d pretend like we were on our own (like the boxcar children) and had to ration our food. Fun memory!

[Anonymous]

Definitely, although I have also been known to let my DD go into (gasp) Rite Aid unattended.