Kids and The Shopping Mall

Each week we ask local moms a question about anything from what they feed their kids at snack time to how they deal with temper tantrums. 

We hope you'll read the question and the answers of some local moms and add your own answers about what has or hasn't worked for you.

Grab a cup of coffee, take a break and weigh in on this week's Mom Talk question:

What age is it appropriate for your children to go to the mall (North Shore Mall, Liberty Tree Mall) with friends and without a parent following closely behind? How did you make that decision? What factors did you consider?

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Trudy Reid: 

My daughter is 13 and I’m just now starting to let her go to the mall with friends…and without me.  However…I think it all depends on the child and their friends.  I know Aly and her friends are responsible and I can trust them.  It also depends on the time of day/evening.  If it’s early evening…I will usually go with a good book and park myself where the kids know they can find me.  Also, keeping in touch via cell phones is also very helpful.

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Jen Flynn

Most of my decisions regarding independence are decided upon regarding my child's maturity level. I think it is important for kids (or even a rite of passage) to be at the mall with friends. Sometimes when I question what should my kids do I remember what I did at my child's age. My 11 year old hasn't asked me yet but she can when she asks. I highly recommend this book for help in answering questions such as these for our kids http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/