After some genuine advice/opinions...
At which age do you think children would be safe and capable to walk alone to the nearest grocery store in NSW?
Say the local store is a 7 minute walk from your home. The road the child would have to cross is a busy, wide, semi- industrial area. There are no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights.
What makes you trust the child is capable of achieving this safely and at what age do you think a child could do this freely?
EDIT:
“Queensland is the only state that explicitly says that children under the age of 12 cannot be left unsupervised. The law states:
A person who, having the lawful care or charge of a child under 12 years, leaves the child for an unreasonable time without making reasonable provision for the supervision and care of the child during that time commits a misdemeanour. Maximum penalty — 3 years imprisonment. “
According to Bill Potts, of Potts Lawyers, “Leaving a child unattended can include the trip to and from school – particularly with a child walking by themselves to school for an unreasonable distance, or if no before- or after-school care is provided for and the child is left at home until a parent comes home. Whether the time is classed as unreasonable depends on the circumstances.”
9 Replies
This really depends on the individual child and if they've done that trip many times supervised already and you haven't needed to guide them they have been able to cross without you telling them to stop, look etc. I was walking to school from 6 and that was through a bush track, culdesac, a not so busy road but fast speed limit, then a busy single carriage Rd, through a shopping centre then to school. No crossings or anything. Kids are very capable at a young age it's just the other factors that need to be considered like the area, will there be lots of other kids walking to school, are they stranger aware etc etc.
Qld law states 'unreasonable time'. They only lay charges where there is actual negligence. NSW has no age specific laws because negligence can be charged at any time if it applies.
Legality isn't the issue though. The issue is safety. Can your child manage if something goes wrong? Are they smart and strong enough to stand up for themselves if someone tries to hurt them?
Depends on the child, and what steps you’ve taken to check they are capable. Do you let them walk ahead when out and about? Do they stop at roads, without being told, do they look both ways without being told? Do you need to remind them to push the button to cross at the crossing?
What prerequisites do they need?
There is no set age/answer, because all kids are different.
I also think if you need validation from an online forum, you know in your heart of hearts, they are too young to be doing it.
It says ‘unreasonable’ that doesn’t say never. Unreasonable is determined on a case by case, child by child basis.
Just as you said - busy roads, industrial areas, crossing guards, distance, time of day. Trustworthiness and confidence of child.
It depends on the kid. My daughter could have safely done this at 8 because she was very switched on and street smart and very capable of doing it but I wouldn’t allow it. My son can’t do this at 14 because he is in his own world, so I worry he will get hit by a car. I get my 2 kids 13 and 14 to walk together and I make sure 13 doesn’t cross roads and sticks the path along the park.
I would say if the kids is very Street wise and capable maybe min age 12 but not any less. It only takes that one thing to go wrong and you’d live with regret for life.
This is very tricky because each kids is so different and we all know which kids of ours are capable and which ones aren’t. for me though 12
I personally wouldn't allow my kids to make this trip alone before they were high school aged (or aged 12 to 13), even then it would depend on their maturity, street smarts and whether or not they felt comfortable with it.
7 minutes might as well be a lifetime away to a kid who needs help.
My mum used to send me to the local woolies that was a 2 to 3 minute walk from our house, I also used to walk myself to school from there as well, which was also a 2 to 3 minute walk just in the opposite direction. This started when I was aged 11 which I was more than capable of, I knew where I was going, how to safely cross the road etc.
But what i wasnt capable of dealing with was repeatedly sexually harassed/intimidated by a gang of local teenaged boys. Being bailed up by a neighbour of ours who would say some quite disturbing things to me (looking back now I recognise that he was mentally ill but it was terrifying at the time) and my absolute favourite, the man who persistently tried to get me into his car. He kept telling me he had alcohol, smokes and money in the car that he'd share with me. The more I politely declined, the less pleasant and more forceful he became. Had my house been another minute or so away, I'm not convinced I'd be here to tell the story...
So just keep in mind your child's capability is only half of what needs to be considered.
I reckon if they are by themselves not till 12 if they aren’t alone 10ish? Like others have said though depends on the kid. Have. Have they got a phone or can you chuck an apple tag in their shoe?