Reply to gut check -- age to go to park alone with friend

Forum Index » General Parenting Discussion

Reply to "gut check -- age to go to park alone with friend"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm really curious what you all are imagining might happen to your eight-year-old on her way to/from the park or while she was there. I don't mean this to sound snide -- is she not good at looking both ways when crossing the street? takes dumb risks at the playground? can't be trusted to stay where she's supposed to be? Help me understand the threat model.[/quote]

OP here.  My particular concern is stranger danger, which yes I know is actually rare.  But as I said in the initial post, this park is sort of isolated / off the beaten path and often empty.  It's also a cut through from a metro station, and we have (although rarely) had an occasional odd person wandering through the neighborhood that gets your radar up.  That's the background that's leading to uncertainty.  As I said, she plays unsupervised plenty, and if the park were teeming with school aged kids and families I'd be fine with it.  There are other places I'd also be concerned to let her go alone due to crossing certain roads because people drive like maniacs around here.[/quote]

I think the real question is when you and your kid are prepared to tell them the things that will actually help vis a vis “stranger danger”. Like:

-Trust your gut, if someone is acting in a way that makes you feel weird, get away and choose another adult to ask for help (ideally a woman with children). 
-There are people who are abnormally obsessed with kids; they are dangerous and if you encounter someone who gives you special attention who you do not know, get away.
-Adults never need the help of kids.
-No matter what, I will never get angry with you if you follow these rules and I will back you up; there will never be punishment for trusting your gut.
-If followed in a car, turn and run the other way, leaving bike/scooter/backpack behind if needed.

And practicing that street crossing, and a sandboxed watch that you practice using.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics