Are they safe on their own?

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Schools out and so are our children. They can't be with us all times, so how do we give them freedom and keep them safe?

Even if it's just for a minute, is it save to leave children alone? When should they be allowed to venture to the local shops, go out to play or travel by bus alone? These are difficult questions to answer in a world apparently full of fear and danger.

Most parents readily admit to allowing their children to pop out for short periods even if it is just to the corner café for a loaf of bread. However, when we read in the newspapers of something terrible that has happened, we wonder how the parents could ever have left those children alone.

Today's children have less liberty than generations before them. The freedom we enjoyed at nine or 10 is now held over for safety reasons until our children are 11 or 12. But if children are to move towards independence, they need to explore new situations. We need to work out rules, which balance our parental instinct to protect against our children's need to grow and develop. Unfortunately there is no magical recipe as to when your child is ready to go out without you or can safely be left at home.

The maturity of the child and the type of area you live in are two key factors to consider. It also helps if you know what children are capable of doing and understanding at different ages, such as whether they can use the telephone if necessary, or are confident enough to seek help from appropriate adults in emergencies.

While seven or eight years olds may be capable of going to the shop alone, main roads should be avoided as children this young are unable to judge car speeds accurately. Safe traveling will depend on your child's safety consciousness, capabilities and the hazards en route.

If your child really needs to venture out unaccompanied and you feel that the environment isn't appropriate opt for half-measures like dropping a group of friends in town to visit the shops or take in a movie and collecting them later. We can't keep our kids beside us forever, it's not healthy, but we can ensure that we make sensible rules, appropriate for their age and understanding, which will help keep them safe. Slightly older children will need greater freedom and will want to make longer journeys on their own, by bike, bus or foot. It's hard you let them go out, knowing that they face many potential dangers, but it can be more acceptable if you prepare them, by informing them. Knowledge and understanding will be the best equipment you can give them, to keep them safe.

What they need to know

When on their own at home, children should have the numbers of the following people next to the phone:

A relative or neighbour who they trust and can call if they are worried.

A contact number for their parents.

They should have a list of do's and don'ts, which include:

Not opening the door to anyone for any reason (in an emergency, police or fire services will break in)

Going Out

When unaccompanied by adults, children should follow these guidelines:

Always say where they are going, with whom and when they will return

Inform their parents if their plans change.

If they intend to meet or visit friends, the friends should be informed as to when they can expect them.

They should keep to safe, familiar, well-lit routes.

Carry money and emergency telephone numbers for emergency phone calls.

Stay away from overgrown places, parking lots, empty buildings, public toilets, and strangers- especially in cars, at movies, swimming pools and parks.

Never hitch-hike or accept lifts from anyone.

Never accept sweets, drinks, or anything from strangers.

Never play with old machinery, on building sites, in pipes, caves or sandbanks.

Never pick up strange objects or parcels.

You can't personally protect them from all the dangers, but in this manner you can help them to protect themselves.

Source: Essentials Magazine