LIFESTYLE | parenting Womanthismonth.com February 2024 85 Contact Next, you’ll want to clarify how often you expect to hear from your child when they’re out by themselves. This is a rule that shouldn’t be left with any questions because it’s important that you hear from them regularly to ensure they’re safe. Keep Your Word This goes for both you and your child. Once you start allowing them to go out by themselves, you both need to be held accountable for keeping your word. Yes, your child needs to be honest with you about whatever they’re doing to be safe, but it’s also important for you to be honest about your expectations of them. Who They See One important rule that you should put in place is who your child should see when they start going out alone, just in case you can’t reach them. Something as simple as their phone dying can cause a lot of unneeded stress. Transportation Options You should set clear boundaries with your child about how they can get to places. Be sure to let them know what methods of transportation are off-limits. For example, be clear on whether or not public transportation or riding in cars with older friends is allowed. Or you can ask your child to inform you before they get in the car with someone then again once they’re safely at their destination. Overall, your child should be allowed to go out alone at around 13 years old or so — as per the experts. Keep in mind this isn’t going to work for every child. So, you may need to adjust the age based on your child’s maturity Happy parenting!
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