Kids going to the movies alone

[aggieamy]

Would you let your (very responsible, sensible, never caused any trouble) 10 year old go to the movies (G-rated, small theater, you would drop off/pick up, she would have a phone) alone?  What about with a friend?

 

I know that there will be all sorts of opinions on this and I look forward to hearing them all.

 

[SKL]

It would depend on the child.  Is she a responsible person who will advocate for herself / get up and report to an adult if something uncomfortable happens?  Then yes.

[Just Kate]

Nope! My ds is 10 and he is fairly responsible. But I wouldn't let him go to the movies alone (or with a friend yet). I'm just not comfortable with it.

[momto10blessings]

Maybe with a friend but not alone. I'm a fan of the buddy system

[MooCow]

No.

[bettyandbob]

with a friend, yes.

[Laura Corin]

Yes.

 

ETA: at eleven I was taking two public buses across the city to school.  At ten, Hobbes was roaming the public access woods on his own.

 

L

[Slartibartfast]

Probably not at 10. I wouldn't mind if she and a friend wanted to sit apart from an adult in the same theater but I wouldn't do a drop off situation at that age.

 

 

[Butter]

Not alone, but with a friend, and not until they are 12.

[8circles]

Yes, if I thought both kids were responsible enough.  I'd be OK with dropping off my oldest with some of his friends, not others - he's 10.  I can't imagine letting him see a movie alone - he would never want to so I just can't imagine it.

[BlessedMom]

No

[marbel]

 With a friend, and if they were both pretty mature.  One of my children would have been fine at 10, the other not so much.   

 

 

[Wilma]

Sure! As long as I knew and and thought well of the friend.

[katilac]

With a friend, yes. Actually, I should qualify that to yes, at some theaters. We have quite a few around here. Some I would be fine with, others are rowdier and magnets for trouble. I wouldn't want them hanging out in the lobby of those if their ride was delayed for some reason. 

 

A 10-yr-old wanting to go completely alone would probably make me slightly suspicious, lol. That probably wouldn't happen. 

[In The Great White North]

Nope.  I didn't take them with me either.  They were 14 before we went to a movie and had only seen a few select videos at home..

[mirth]

No to either

[Camelfeet]

Yes, with a friend.  

[kewb]

No.  At 10 my kids could sit away from the adults with their friends in the same theatre.  I think they were 13 before I started letting them go by themselves.

[East Coast Sue]

Not in the area where I live currently.  

[MinivanMom]

No, not alone.

 

I think my 10-yr-old is responsible enough to be left with a friend (I attended the movies with friends at that age), but I still wouldn't do it. Unfortunately, I have to take into consideration our local laws and attitudes about leaving elementary age kids on their own in public places, and I think it could be a potentially sticky situation if a busy-body were to notify CPS. Your state or county may have different laws and attitudes about this issue.

[Heatherwith4]

Maybe, with a friend. Depends on lots of variables.

[aggieamy]

No, not alone.

 

I think my 10-yr-old is responsible enough to be left with a friend (I attended the movies with friends at that age), but I still wouldn't do it. Unfortunately, I have to take into consideration our local laws and attitudes about leaving elementary age kids on their own in public places, and I think it could be a potentially sticky situation if a busy-body were to notify CPS. Your state or county may have different laws and attitudes about this issue.

 

Interesting point.  My 10 year old is 5 foot tall and could pass for an older kid.  Her friend that she would go with is actually older but looks younger because she is little.  She's probably 60 pounds and maybe 4' 6".

[Melissa B]

With a friend or sibling - yes.  

Alone - no.

[*Lulu*]

No.

 

The only two theaters in town that are stand alone are in less secure areas. The other theaters are part of mall/shopping structures and 10 year olds are not allowed to be on the premises unsupervised.

[Tangerine]

With a friend, yes.  Alone, no.

[zoobie]

Maybe with a friend depending on the theater...

 

BUT I know I've seen a few signs in theaters with an age limit for unattended minors.

[catz]

Also a fan of the buddy system.  My newly 10 year old just got a phone.  That would help.  Would depend on the theater, but there are circumstances I would allow it with a friend if the theater didn't have rules against it.

[elegantlion]

With a friend, yes. Alone, no. One of them would need a phone. 

[OneStepAtATime]

As others have said, check local regs.  And check theater regs.  And really be certain you consider the theater safe.  No matter how responsible kids are, they may find themselves in a situation they are unprepared to handle.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I let mine. She prefers to go with a friend/sib though.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Friend(s) - yes

Alone - no but then I tend to think of going to the movies as a social activity even though you are in the dark.  So I wouldn't go to a movie all by myself and would think of it as a very lonely thing to have a child do.  (And yes, I know there are people who prefer it.)

[Katy]

It would probably depend on what part of the country I lived in and how safe it was for kids to be out alone.  If I felt it was a safe area then probably yes, with a friend.

[Night Elf]

No, and I'm the parent who rarely says no to my children. My kids were 14 before I started dropping them off at a theater or mall with lots of friends. I would need at least 3 people to go, more would be preferable.

[In2why]

Yes with a friend.  I don't think any of mine would have wanted to go alone.  

[Tap]

Nope. To many gangs and stupid teens looking for someone to harass.

 

I didn't allow it until they were teens and had a bit more street smarts.

[aggieamy]

I think the problem is if a stranger were to try to kidnap them before you ever arrived to pick them up. Or sat by them, harassed them, etc. My concerns would be more about adults they come into contact than anything else. Dh likes to remind me that we live in a very dangerous area as far as sex trafficking goes so I cannot shake those thoughts.

 

That's a good point.  I live in the capital of Boring McBoring Boringville.  The population at the theater the kids would go to would be yuppie moms with little kids and older people.  It's an interesting situation because about 40 years ago this area used to be new families and those people have slowly grown older and it's just recently that young families have started moving back in.  Half of the population are couples in their 70's and the other half care couples in their 30's with one child under the age of 5.  

[regentrude]

yes.

[Guest]

I think I started letting my sibling pair go to the movies without me when they were 13 and 10. The 13 year old could go alone or with friends but the 10 year old needed to go with his older sister.

[Ivey]

Yes, with a friend. 

[Freckles]

no

[Χά�ων]

Yes. I would drop off no more than 20 minutes before start time unless I expect a large crowd at the ticket window and I would be waiting to pick up. Many theaters have had problems with teens and have a strictly enforced no loitering policy.

 

My son went to a professional hockey game at 9 with a friend and a major league basebal game with same friend thouh the other boys father was at the ball park but not on the same level.

[MiMi 4under3]

I wouldn't leave a 10 year old girl anywhere in public.

A boy (especially a strong/tall one) maybe....

[Χά�ων]

Added note: Movie theaters seem to be stricter than other venues. The hockey game required kids to be 8 but one theater we were at required them to be 12 on afternoons without an adult or 17 without an adult after 8 Friday and Saturday nights wih bo one under the age of 8 even with a parent. The policy was needed as people were bringing their toddlers to the late late showings of R rated violent movies and the screaming child disturbed the rest of the movie goers.

[BigMamaBird]

With what you've described I'd say No to going alone, but if they were with a friend and understood that they were never to be separated, even to use the restroom, I'd allow it.

[Catwoman]

That's a good point.  I live in the capital of Boring McBoring Boringville.  The population at the theater the kids would go to would be yuppie moms with little kids and older people.  It's an interesting situation because about 40 years ago this area used to be new families and those people have slowly grown older and it's just recently that young families have started moving back in.  Half of the population are couples in their 70's and the other half care couples in their 30's with one child under the age of 5.

 

I don't want to sound paranoid, but there are plenty of sweet-looking "little old grandpas" who turn out to be child molesters.

 

Obviously, the vast majority of people of any age would never harm a child, but of the small minority that would, there aren't any age restrictions on the behavior. It's not like people reach a certain age and stop abusing kids. In reality, it probably makes it easier for them to get away with it when they look old and harmless.

[Caroline]

With a friend, yes. In fact, I have with my sons.

[idnib]

 Yes, I would also let him go also. Caveat: friend has to be as responsible as my child.

[LucyStoner]

With a friend, assuming the child was eager and generally good at self regulating, sure. When I was 9 I was taking my brother to the movies. We didn't even get a ride, we walked over.

[Outdoorsy Type]

I would not because I feel that the movie theater shouldn't be a babysitter/responsible for my child. I would wait until my child was the legal age to be left alone at home before I left him/her at a public place.

[LLMom]

Yes,  I would.  I am a "free-range" parent.  I did all sorts of things at that age.