bluemonday Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Featured on BBC this morning Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone Clicky I can see her point but I'm not sure of the childs age - bit too young IMPO. Having said that I suppose he could be quite mature for his age. The child safety woman on the BBC seemed quite in favour - used a good phrase - hothouse kids. Opinions/views? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjDan Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Think it's okay. Not something I would be keen to do myself, but if the parent is confident in the child's ability... and has ensured that he is mature and capable enough - which clearly he is - then there is nothing wrong. To label her as 'america's worst mother' (as the media are doing) is ridiculous. We shouldn't all be paranoid about the safety of our children!! Imagine the scenario (quite a common one) where a child get's lost (trip to supermall etc.). I bet this the particular child is far more capable of finding home or his parents than those other children - who would panic, and be more vulnerable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Opinions/views? A modern day dilemma. Give your kids independance and let them get around themselves, and you're a slack parent raising uncontrollable ferral kids. Ferry them about everywhere and keep them in the house all other times and you're a cotten wool wrapping nanny. How do you win? I'm trying to let me kids have some independance, my 9 and 11 year old walk to and from school themselves, and the older one will go to town on her own or with mates, but it's definately not the easiest thing to do here in the iom, let alone in a huge place like New York. Where's the guidebook anyway? What age can you leave a kid home alone? What age can they use the bus system alone? What time should they go to bed? Nobody will tell you, but ever bugger will judge you on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Think it's okay. Not something I would be keen to do myself, but if the parent is confident in the child's ability... and has ensured that he is mature and capable enough - which clearly he is - then there is nothing wrong. To label her as 'america's worst mother' (as the media are doing) is ridiculous. What he said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 I'm trying to let me kids have some independance, my 9 and 11 year old walk to and from school themselves, and the older one will go to town on her own or with mates, but it's definately not the easiest thing to do here in the iom, let alone in a huge place like New York. Mine are far older but I'd say you're doing right. The only caveat being the stupid drivers here who have to rush everywhere because they won't get up a tad earlier to get to work. As for NY, never been there but I'd be hesitant to go on the subway myself based on the history although I understand they've got a grip on it now. Bad enough on London tubes as far as I'm concerned. Parents always have to balance between concern and letting kids be self reliant. Probably the hardest job going in a way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Mine are far older but I'd say you're doing right. The only caveat being the stupid drivers here who have to rush everywhere because they won't get up a tad earlier to get to work. Yep, it's a worry, though the lollypop blokes help most of the time, my kids do some after school stuff and the lollypoppers are gone by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monasqueen Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 When I was a child, my junior school was half a mile from home. Initially, this was going to be ok, because my brother was going to be able to walk with me for the first year i was there, but then he got moved out a year early. The dilemma then was - my mother was a lollipop lady at the infant school, and my father went to work early. Result I had to be allowed to walk to school on my own. I enjoyed it, I could deviate through a wood, and "talk" to lots of dogs on the way, which also took me through the village. I had a couple of wierd experiences on the way over the years I was there, but I was never knowingly in danger from strange people. Nowadays, I'd think twice about letting a child as young as 7 out on their own, depending on how street wise they have become, but by 9 they should have acquired a bit of nous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Nowadays, I'd think twice about letting a child as young as 7 out on their own, depending on how street wise they have become, but by 9 they should have acquired a bit of nous. Whats the basis of that? Do you think things are more dangerous now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Nowadays, I'd think twice about letting a child as young as 7 out on their own, depending on how street wise they have become, but by 9 they should have acquired a bit of nous. Whats the basis of that? Do you think things are more dangerous now? Sadly, I think that may be the case on the island - although I wouldn't want to exaggerate the dangers. There was a time when, with a much smaller population, it was possible to know most of the people that your kids were likely to meet when they were going to school or out playing. Striking the right balance between giving them a sense of independence and maintaining their safety is harder now than it was previously IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yehyehyeh Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 the little girl in spain? i assume she is talking about maddie, which was in portugal, so no you dont know the story do you......she seems a bit clueless to me..and not just about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minxie Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 the little girl in spain? i assume she is talking about maddie, which was in portugal, so no you dont know the story do you......she seems a bit clueless to me..and not just about that Wasn't there another little girl who vanished not long after Maddie (I think she was found again but not sure) in Spain - she went to the corner shop on her own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yehyehyeh Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 the little girl in spain? i assume she is talking about maddie, which was in portugal, so no you dont know the story do you......she seems a bit clueless to me..and not just about that Wasn't there another little girl who vanished not long after Maddie (I think she was found again but not sure) in Spain - she went to the corner shop on her own. could well have been, i just assumed she was talking about maddie, with it being a high profile case etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Sadly, I think that may be the case on the island - although I wouldn't want to exaggerate the dangers. There was a time when, with a much smaller population, it was possible to know most of the people that your kids were likely to meet when they were going to school or out playing. Striking the right balance between giving them a sense of independence and maintaining their safety is harder now than it was previously IMO. What I was trying to establish is if it actually is more dangerous for kids to be out alone now, or just percieved to be more dangerous. Thinking back to my own childhood, I had a few dangerous episodes that pretty much nobody knew about, and if it happened to my kids today it'd probably be all over the interweb and the press. Is it, statistically, more dangerious for a 10 year old to be walking down the street on his own now than 30 years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monasqueen Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Some of the kids start hunting in feral packs now, by the time they are 10 or 11. If anything, they re more dangerous to younger kids than adults - there was that case of the kid in Bootle that was kidnapped by kids and killed. And lots of stories of kids taking knives to school. Im sure things haven't always been that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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