letting kids go to store alone
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Anonymous
| Parents, this weekend we went to a park and then stopped by a 7 eleven. MY DH went in to grab a few slushies for my kids. I then noticed groups of elem children and a lone child go into this 7 -11 by herself. My kids are still in elementary school but would you allow them to go in a gas station by themselves? It also got me wondering, what age do you start letting your kids go to stores alone? I can't even imagine at this point!! |
Anonymous
| Depends on the kid, the neighborhood, if I’m in the car or if they’re walking from home, etc. I was going to the corner store by age 8 in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. With my DD and her maturity/“street smarts” level, I’m guessing 12. |
Anonymous
| There’s a 7-11 on the outskirts of my neighborhood that groups of older elementary-aged kids regularly go into. I think we let my kid bike up there with friends for a slurpee for the first time when he was 9. |
Anonymous
I was prepared to let me 10 year old bike to the Safeway close to our house (1/2 mile). We’ve biked there before together. He wanted one ingredient for making cookies and I was working. After hung around for a while clearly nervous, so I drove him. Sat in the car while he shopped and paid. I am hoping this is the start of more independence. |
Anonymous
| As long as they can get there safely, I say 10yo. And only the oldest needs to be 10. A younger sibling in the 7yo range tagging along completely fine. |
Anonymous
| Summer before middle I started letting DD go alone (well, with friends). I would have allowed her to go a little younger (probably age 10) but there is a street she has to cross. It’s very low traffic and there is a stop sign but still. |
Anonymous
|
Oh no not a 10 year old getting a slurpee alone! Gasp!
I think under the age of 8, it's pretty rare. Over the age of 8, I'd say it depends on the child but that certainly most children are capable of buying a slurpee without help at that age. The walking to and from the store could be an issue, but again, kids over the age of 8 are certainly capable of this. It doesn't mean they have all been given the tools to do it, but they can definitely learn with practice. |
Anonymous
This sounds like the ideal thing to help your kid learn independence. Did you expect a country road with no stop signs?! Goodness we coddle our children. |
Anonymous
| I let my kid go into a small corner store alone while i stand outside. He is 5. I give him almost exact amount of cash to buy one treat. |
Anonymous
| I'm fine with my 10 year old doing this (2 blocks away, no major streets to cross, urban neighborhood in a small city). |
Anonymous
|
If I am outside, someplace like a 7 11 where I can see most of the store? One of my kids at 6 and one at 7. We’d stop on a dog walk and I’d stay outside with the dog, or my older kid would go in when little one was asleep with me in car, or if I was pumping gas.
Walking across streets? 10? My unvaccinated kid hasn’t been in a store since covid though, because we have a high risk kid. |
Anonymous
| Make sure you’ve taught your kids how to fill their own slurpee cup before you let them go alone! |
Anonymous
I see your point. Two things: first, I just didn’t really feel like going and making sure she was doing it right. She only asked once so it wasn’t like it was a big priority. I just went with her. Second, notice that when she was 12 I did let her. |
Anonymous
And I realize now that I would have let her even earlier but it was quarantine time so nobody was going anywhere. |
Anonymous
| 9 |