Children have longer wait to be given same freedoms as their parents, study shows

28 April 2010 1 min read Ross Watson Early Years

Children can expect to wait almost two years longer before experiencing the same levels of freedom that their parents had, according to new research.

The findings were based on a survey of more than 6,000 adults and around a 1,000 children, by accident prevention charity LV=Streetwise.

According the survey, on average, children today can look forward to walking to school on their own by the age of 11, use public transport on their own at 12, and babysit their brother or sister by the time they're 14.

In contrast, parents say they were allowed to walk to school unaccompanied at the age of 9, use public transport alone by the time they were 11, and babysit a sibling by the time of their 12th birthday.

The survey also showed that a quarter of children aged 15 and under are not allowed to sleep over at a friend's house while 60 per cent are forbidden to use public transport without a parent present.

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