My son had just turned 11 when he asked if he could go trick-or-treating on his own.
Hummmmm.
I had to think about it.
I contemplated my decision:
1. He was planning on going with a group of friends I knew well.
2. He'd been walking to and from school on his own for over a year.
3. He was very familiar with the neighbourhood (ohhhh, the cycling adventures).
4. He seemed responsible enough.
I felt confident he was ready.
There was only thing that had me feeling a little uneasy... he'd never been out after dark on his own.
Going that extra step in allowing our kids to roam the streets after dark can be a daunting one.
But sometimes, I think we are our own worst enemy.
We envision all that could go wrong and we want to protect our children from the evils of the world. We're afraid to just let them be and in the process are not allowing them to be their free-thinking, carefree selves.
I'm not saying that we should just send them out there and hope for the best.
They need to be prepared.
We need to talk to them about looking both ways before crossing the street, to beware of strangers, to always walk with a buddy and to trust in their own instincts.
But eventually we have to have faith in our children, hope that our words did not go unheard and let them go out there and experience it for themselves.
We have to allow them the opportunity to be able to make their own decisions (right or wrong) and to problem solve on the fly. We have to hope that we've done our job well and that they can handle themselves and situations with confidence.
And what better night to test the waters than on Halloween.
The streets are filled with little ghosts and goblins. There are parents on every corner. The porch lights are on, the candy is overflowing and the neighbourhood has never been more inviting.
So, very confidently, I let him go.
I had nothing to fear.
What do you feel is the right age to let your child trick-or-treat on their own?
