How do you know when it’s safe for your child to meet friends without an adult present?

Everyone has their own opinion on what age children should be allowed to go out with friends without parental supervision. This age range generally falls between the ages of eight and twelve, but it's very much down to the individual child and how ready the parents think they are before allowing them out without you.

Although your pre-teen might have been pushing for more freedom lately, there are a few telltale signs that you might have noticed that show that they aren't quite ready to meet friends without an adult present.

They aren’t sure what to do in the event something goes wrong

During the discussion with your child, you'll need to find out that they're mature enough to act appropriately should something go wrong, for example, if their friend wanders off or strangers approach them.

It's up to you to put a few likely scenarios in front of them to see if they've got the skills and knowledge of who to approach for help and who to call should something go wrong.

Do a trial run

Instead of immediately giving in to their demands of a full day out with a group of friends, do a smaller trial run to see if your child can keep to the rules you’ve put in place.

Allow them to go to a nearby friends house (checking with their parents first of course) and ask them to keep their phone on at all times, respond to calls or messages immediately and be back by a certain time.

If they can’t keep to these few basic rules, then they aren’t ready to be out alone for longer periods of time.

Understanding the risks

Your child probably already has a good idea of where they’d like to go to get their first taste of independence, but do they fully understand the risks?

Are they aware of the heavy traffic surrounding the local park? Are they aware that it's never a good idea to keep their mobile phone in sight in crowded areas? Do they know that pickpockets haunt shopping centres?

It's essential that your child understands any risks, so if they can't give you a list of the things that they'll need to be aware of when they're out alone it might be a good idea to visit the place together, so you can point out these risks beforehand.

Tags: independence for older children, going out alone, parental supervision