Anonymous wrote:A guy at my local Starbucks approached an eight grader and asked her whether she could hold the leash of his puppy, and then later to walk the puppy to his car. Luckily she was smart enough to decline. So no.

That's not an argument against ever letting your kid out of sight. It's an argument for planning to give your kids independence by teaching them the skills necessary to manage it. This 8th grader knew what to do because her parents had started teaching and preparing her at a younger age.

Yes, of course. And younger than that as well.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I would. Land the helicopters, parents!

Agree.

No. But I live in a big city and there are too many creeps hanging around.

A guy at my local Starbucks approached an eight grader and asked her whether she could hold the leash of his puppy, and then later to walk the puppy to his car. Luckily she was smart enough to decline. So no.

Anonymous wrote:No.

There are back exits to restaurants btw.

And at all the Starbucks in my area, using one would require going into the drink prep area with all of the baristas, navigating past them, and then going into the back room with even more employees. That’s a heck of a lot of navigating with a kid through other people.

Of course. What were you doing at 8? I lived down the street from a grocery store and my mom would,send me up the block to get milk. I walked to school with a bunch of other kids, and I was the oldest. This wasn’t in outer BFE, either. It was on Long Island, two blocks from the city line.

Anonymous wrote:No.

There are back exits to restaurants btw.

Do you ever let your 8 year old out of your sight?

My daughter at 8 was like a mini adult. I did send her in to pick up take out. My son at 8 is like a 4 yr old and would get distracted by the color of the floor tile. He doesn’t get to go anywhere alone.

Yeah.

I let mine run in Chick fil a at the age to order her own food. A Starbucks mobile order is much faster than that. Under age 8? Probably not.

Yes. If I knew the Starbucks well. For those that say no, do you watch your 8 year like a hawk at the playground? At soccer games? Do they not run over to the neighbors yard to play?
My 8 year old is all over the place while I watch his brothers soccer games - usually playing with friends, warming up for his game, etc. Taking 3 minutes to grab a bag from Starbucks while I watch from the car? No problem.

Yes, I would. Land the helicopters, parents!

No.

There are back exits to restaurants btw.

Not crap I mean grab!

Would you send your 8 year old into Starbucks to get a mobile order - you would be parked near Starbucks and could see her go in and come out but not see them while they are inside. I let my DD go in and crap the munchies she wanted that I mobile ordered. My sis in law was horrified and said she would never let her kid at that age go alone. The Starbucks is in a strip area not on a busy street.