The psychologist named the age for a child's solitary walks
The age at which a child can walk alone depends on many factors. First of all, it depends on the place where the family lives. Alexandra Anykina, a child psychologist for parents, told Izvestia on July 25 when it is optimal to let children go for walks alone and how to protect them from danger.
"Young children are often released in the company of older brothers or sisters. And it also seems safer this way. Of course, this is much better than alone, but nevertheless, even teenagers cannot fully take responsibility for the kids. They are easily distracted, they don't always adequately assess the danger," she explained.
According to her, it is difficult to give an exact age when walking without adults is already safe. The lobes of the brain responsible for planning and control are not yet mature, and it is often impossible to predict a child's behavior even at the age of 13.
"It seems that he already understands everything, but then it turns out that he doesn't, he doesn't assess the risks yet," the psychologist added.
It is important to make sure that the child knows the safety rules. For example, that it is forbidden to leave with strangers, get into other people's cars, communicate and report any information about yourself. Now there are many safety trainings where children are taught this, and they are also checked by sending a "stranger". Unfortunately, according to the Lisa Alert experiment, 80-90% of children leave with strangers even after completing their studies.
"It is important to explain to the child that a "stranger" is not necessarily a scary bearded uncle. It can be either a teenager or a woman. Or maybe a family friend, a neighbor. Up to a certain age, a child is unable to monitor his cell phone and answer calls, as well as return home on time. If you are not ready, then you are not ready to walk on your own either. Of course, a child should be well—versed in where he walks, know his address and names, and the phone numbers of his parents," the specialist added.
If you plan to let your child go to school alone, it is better to study the route in advance in detail: where to cross the road, where the street is busier and it is better to walk along it. Which store can I go to if I need help, and who should I contact there? It is important that the child knows how to ask for help, and it is better to rehearse this in advance. It is better to walk this route with the child first, and then following him.
"If we are talking about walks outside the city, at the cottage or in the village, it is important to remember that before the age of 12 the risk of drowning is extremely high, therefore, if a child has ever been caught swimming on his own, it is better to cancel such walks. Even if a child swims well, it is not safe. In this age of technology, it's great that there are devices that allow you to track the movements of a child. These are both air tag tags and smart watches. It is important not to hide from the child that you see his geolocation, but to explain that this is for safety, for peace of mind," the psychologist pointed out.
She noted that if there is an open, trusting relationship between a parent and a child, and after their walks they tell where they have been, what they have seen, and who they have talked to, this greatly increases the chance that they will be able to recognize a possible disturbing situation and help the child figure it out before he gets bogged down in it and hides it from others. parents.
On July 20, Victoria Boeva, founder and co-owner of the Discovery network of bilingual kindergartens and schools, told Izvestia at what age to give minors phones and how to establish rules for their use. According to her, children should be introduced to mobile devices no earlier than two or three years old, while watching cartoons should be limited to 15 minutes a day.
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