teachermom2834 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My 12 yo ds wants to start running (not as a sport in itself, just conditioning for other sports). I can't go with him and we don't have a treadmill. I just allowed him to go for a run alone. He is going just a half a mile down our street and then turning around to come home. He has a cell phone in his pocket. Our neighborhood is relatively safe and quiet. There are incidents of crime in our area from time to time but it SHOULD be safe. We do not have many neighbors we know up and down the street. It is very quiet, probably not many people even home. I really feel like this should be okay. I'm not a free range parent, obviously, but I try not to be overprotective. I have no issues with trusting ds. It's the ever present boogy man snatching him scenario that has me uncomfortable. Silly, right? WWYD? I did let him go...I'm just anxious for him to return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I sure would! And, I do. My older two boys run around our neighborhood quite often. Just make sure he knows what to do in case of an emergency. He'll be fine. I'm impressed with your ds wanting to run for conditioning for other sports. Good for him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I'd let him. He's 12, he'll be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Is he back yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I sure would! And, I do. My older two boys run around our neighborhood quite often. Just make sure he knows what to do in case of an emergency. He'll be fine. I'm impressed with your ds wanting to run for conditioning for other sports. Good for him! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Is he back yet? Yes! Thanks to all. Learning to let go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes, absolutely. I'm probably pretty loose about this, though, as I let my 10 yr old DD walk the dog (a golden) a mile around the neighborhood alone every day! Small town, safe neighborhood, some conditions, but I let her do it. I do worry, though! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 (edited) Yes. Edited July 23, 2010 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My older 2 gone "alone" with the dog. Our dog is very friendly and wouldn't hurt a fly, well maybe a fly but certainly not a person. He also tends to be the first to cower to a person. But friendly - he'll jump on you to say hi. Other people don't know these things about our dog. He's 70/80 pounds, and black. Other people just see a big black dog coming down the street and get out of the way. He's my insurance against the boogie man. Oh and the girls carry a cell phone. Sometimes my oldest (15) goes around the lake for a 2 mile run- same stuff, dog and cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Good for you, Mom! It's hard to let go, isn't it? FWIW, my 10yo runs with my dh on Saturdays and we let him run alone during the week when he wants to. Safe neighborhood and he knows his way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 12, with a cell phone, in a reasonably good neighborhood? Yes, absolutely. And I'm not a "free-range" parent either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 You did well, Mom :) Yes, I would allow it. And I'd be anxious about it regularly. But it's good for him and you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Definitely. Hobbes is out playing in nearby woods at the moment (the woods belong to a local farmer and are legally open to anyone who wants to use them). Both the boys go running in our quiet neighbourhood. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My 13 and 11yr olds each go on runs on their own. The 8yr old often goes alone as well. All just here within the neighborhood, 15-30 minutes at a time. Yeah, it's hard to let go, even when things feel 'safe'. But you can do it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 If it was in a neighborhood or in the country, yes. We live in a little neighborhood of 100 homes or so, off of a busy road that has had some odd crimes on it (like a girl who was shot/murdered in her car 0.5 miles away). It is a 3 lane road that is out of city limits and is headed to a more rural area. If dd wanted to go around our neighborhood, no problem. There are 3 moms in our neighborhood who walk/run alone our loop but never leave the loop for the same reason. A group would be fine, alone...no. It just isn't a safe feeling for walking or running on the busy road (even though there are side walks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 We are not in a neighborhood here; quite rural, which makes me more nervous than living in a small town would. My 11 and 12 year old can walk a mile away if they are together (the 'ol buddy system). My 12 year old dd can do the mile walk with the dog, who I am very confident would defend dd to the death. After some terrible murders not too far from here, we decided it was time to invest in a "portable security system" aka the Dog. Despite the fact that I went all over the place as a kid, I am pretty conservative in this area. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouzel Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My sons are runners and the younger one (12 YO) is serious about it. He's always wanting to take a run and I decide yes or no depending on circumstances. I prefer the buddy system, but the older one doesn't always want to go along. He runs on a network of rural dirt roads and sometimes in town. The town is pretty safe. Besides running, my younger son is often out in the meadows and woods alone and I have him take a FRS radio in case he needs help. He must check in periodically. We live in an area with rattlesnakes, mountain lions, black bears, etc. Sometimes he takes our dog, which I like. If he doesn't take the dog and I can't reach him, the dog goes out and tracks him down in a matter of minutes. I am definitely not a free range parent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Oh and the girls carry a cell phone. Sometimes my oldest (15) goes around the lake for a 2 mile run- same stuff, dog and cell. :iagree: this is the rule we used for our older dds when they were younger. now the younger ones follow the same thing.... but we are rural, with neighbours every 10 acres of so.... they can go on the mountain any time together with the dog and the cell; they can run down the road with the dog and the cell only in daylight, and only together.... we have all girls, and it just makes more sense to me that way. right now, we are all out on the road each morning, working on conditioning for hiking. they are running, i am walking the dog... my running days are long gone. what a cool thing that he wants to run! fwiw, ann eta: when they go for longer runs with dh, they also carry an air horn, more for wildlife and stray dogs than anything else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 :iagree: eta: when they go for longer runs with dh, they also carry an air horn, more for wildlife and stray dogs than anything else... What a brilliant idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouzel Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 : eta: when they go for longer runs with dh, they also carry an air horn, more for wildlife and stray dogs than anything else... I used to carry an air horn, but the one time I used it on a dog, the dog just got more excited. It seemed to be a dog attractant, which is probably an oddball situation. They are light, yet loud and will at least summon someone to come help. I should revisit this option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I'm paranoid, so I wouldn't...but, maybe I've got some issues to resolve before mine get that age...;) I had a PAL alarm that I carried in college. I felt sort of silly until one of my friends was attacked and almost abducted. I also had a keychain of pepperspray, although I wouldn't recommend that. I would certainly get a PAL for my kids. They are really cheap now. Worth the cost imo.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Okay, just ordered a pal for my kids and my dad who lives by himself...see, I told you I was paranoid. Oh, well, if it makes me feel a little safer, it's worth the $20 I spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes. My ds isn't a runner, but he likes to go for walks around the neighborhood, or take his scooter to the park. He just turned 13 a month ago. It made me a tad bit nervous at first, but so far, so good. I figure he's got to have some experience of independence - it's not that many years before he'll be out on his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Ds13 has run that distance in our neighborhood since he was 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I had a PAL alarm that I carried in college. Never heard of it - is it this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Just ordered a PAL for my DD...thanks for the suggestion! In our neighborhood full of nosy folks (in a good way!), any alarm like that would bring everyone to their front door immediately. I'll feel better about her walking with this...between the alarm, the neighborhood and the dog, she'll be as safe as I can make her without keeping her home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Yes! Thanks to all. Learning to let go... It's hard!! I have a 17 yr old that has been running everyday for about 4 yrs. I still worry about him when he is gone!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I would, but my husband wouldn't. This has been the debate here for a year. How can I pitch this to DH? We live backed up to a 2mi trail around a private property the owner has allowed us access to. DH thinks it's not safe for our 12yo daughter to ride her bike around since people drive 4-wheelers on it a few times per week, it's surrounded by large properties most owners don't live on (there are a few houses), and it's hunted sporadically. Is this a far more dangerous situation than the OPs? To me, it seems safer in many respects, but more dangerous in the seclusion. It would just be an awesome ride for her to take (with a friend?) and she loves riding her bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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