Dear Amy: At what age can I let my 7-year-old son ride his bike to his best friends’ house (two blocks away) on his own? The other family is fine with it. I’m not afraid of traffic or crime (quiet, safe area), but of being reported. I’ve heard about parents being arrested for allowing unsupervised play. Is there a law or a rule-of-thumb regarding when it is safe to let kids be on their own?
— K
Dear K: Yes, there are stories about adults reporting parents for letting their children play unsupervised in public.
I think seven is a little young to responsibly ride a bike solo across intersections, but then again, I was riding pretty far and wide at that age (and other farm kids I knew were basically operating heavy equipment at that age).
But I’m not your son’s parent — you are. You should have the right to make choices regarding your own comfort — and to gauge your son’s competency — out in the world.
You might not be able to prevent concerned (or nosy) neighbors from calling CPS or law enforcement over seeing a young child riding solo, so you should check your local and state laws to see if you are violating any statutes.
Free Range Kids supports parents and children who want to exercise their rights to roam and play, free of interference. Their website offers a list of state laws affecting these rights. Check Freerangekids.com/laws to see what the laws are where you live.
