Road and carpark safety/age questions?

[Cranky Kitten]

DD was about 7 or 8 when she started being allowed to walk to/from school or down to the park on her own. She's 9 and we're now gradually letting her start riding her bike on the road with minimal supervision, but only in quiet areas - when she's riding with us we get her to make the decisions about when to cross and what's safe to get her used to it in controlled circumstances.

She would've been 5 or 6 when I no longer insisted on holding hands in carparks etc. I think it's important to teach kids road safety by giving them the chance to make decisions about what's safe and what's not, to give them confidence in themselves when they get it right - but you're right there to keep them safe if needs be.

[Artechim]

Does everyone else seriously hold hands every time?? Surely I am not the only person that lets their 3 year old walk down the street without holding on to them? What do other people do when they are carrying a smaller kid and shopping?

What about riding bikes along the road? How do you get across the road when everyone is on a bike? DS has been riding his bike on the footpath with us on our bikes since Christmas, so 3y 4m. He stops at the road, checks if it is clear and then rides across. I now let him ride on the side of the road where there is a 3-4m wide gravel strip because it has puddles he likes to ride through.

[AnyDream]

Does everyone else seriously hold hands every time?? Surely I am not the only person that lets their 3 year old walk down the street without holding on to them? What do other people do when they are carrying a smaller kid and shopping?

What about riding bikes along the road? How do you get across the road when everyone is on a bike? DS has been riding his bike on the footpath with us on our bikes since Christmas, so 3y 4m. He stops at the road, checks if it is clear and then rides across. I now let him ride on the side of the road where there is a 3-4m wide gravel strip because it has puddles he likes to ride through.

Arte, I'm thinking there's less traffic where you are than most of us! LOL

[Gigi]

this is an interesting thread. i see lots of unaccompanied kids walking to school (from my window) each morning.

At bike safety school a few years ago, i thought i remembered the instructors saying kids need to be 12, before they ride to school alone, something to do with when peripheral vision kicks in. Maybe i remembered the wrong age.

We're near a busy main road, takes ages for me to get across in a car, and it's often a hairy experience for ME, as an adult in a car. Cannot imagine bilby navigating that, i think she'd need to walk her bike across a pedestrian crossing. So many hoons, stolen car activity around here, broken glass - punctures etc - keeping her safe is constantly on my mind (more than anywhere i've ever lived before). I drive her (and her bike) to safer neighbourhoods, just so she can ride her bike in parks and playgrounds. God, i will only be able to do that for a short time, the bigger she gets, i won't be able to put her bike in the carboot when she gets bigger. hmmm.

[Cranky Kitten]

I drive her (and her bike) to safer neighbourhoods, just so she can ride her bike in parks and playgrounds. God, i will only be able to do that for a short time, the bigger she gets, i won't be able to put her bike in the carboot when she gets bigger. hmmm.

We often do that with the 3 of us, not because our local area is unsafe (quite the opposite actually) but to go to different places to ride that are a bit more interesting, such as national parks or around the river etc. We have a strap on bike carrier that doesn't need a tow-ball that comfortably takes 3 adult sized bikes - wasn't particularly expensive either at a decent bike shop. Ebay might have them cheaper too

[DANNIIM]

DS1 started walking to school only this yr so 8.5 yrs he turned 9 in April. I just couldn't trust him to cross the road as he was unpredictable at times and we only live 400metres from the school. Both my boys have been lunatic darters as soon as you aren't holding there hands.