Ten year old boy biking alone

Lizajen

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 12:15 pm

My ten year old son wants to bike around the neighborhood on his own. On the one hand, biking is a great activity and he has a good sense of direction. On the other hand, I find him to not have good street smarts. He can be spacey and I'm concerned about his safety going alone. I always felt that there was safety in numbers and encouraged him to invite a friend to go with him. He's not interested. He says that he's not a baby and wants to be adventurous without a friend. What would u do?

little_mage

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 1:24 pm

I assume you're talking about a residential area, not a lot of traffic, where you know at least some of the neighbors? I would. I'd also set very specific boundaries of where he can go. As time goes on, and he proves responsible, you can widen the boundaries. Conversely, if he proves he can't handle it, you can always reduce the space he's allowed. I think there's no real way to know if he can handle it with out at least letting him try in some way. Who knows, it may help him become less spacey...

morah

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 2:39 pm

I think the average 10 year old can safely bike around the neighborhood alone. You say he's spacey and can't be trusted to follow safety rules. Then you tell him he has to prove to you he can stay alert and keep himself safe in order to be allowed.

SRS

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 3:07 pm

First, have him ride around in a cul-de-sac with siblings if that is the case. Then, while you are outside, let him ride around the nearest block or up and down the nearest street. You are outside and nearby. Then let him ride around the block while you are inside. After that, you should be able to send him out on a short errand or to a destination and send along a flip cell phone if you have one. He can go to shul for a minyan or to a local camp or a closeby store. Give him boundaries and let him know it is a trust relationship. He must wear a helmet and he must follow the rules of the road and he can only cross at certain lights. He should understand that if you get . He should avoid riding during rush hours.

I think you will find that a spacey kid will pay more attention when given some responsibility. Another thing you can do is go somewhere yourself and have him start riding a few minutes ahead of time on a set path and you follow him as you and he get the hang of this. I sometime follow behind one of my kids on his bike randomly just to make sure he is paying attention and that we have a trust relationship, like on his way back from a program. I know he is leaving around a certain time and if I'm coming back, I just follow behind slowly and then roll down my window and say hello. If he is with a group of other kids, he might be embarrassed, but I also get to see who he is hanging with.