What age should a 'child' go to a movie without adults?

[Felicia]

My son is turning 11 next week and he wants the same "party" as he has had for the past 3 years - invite 4 boys (plus him makes 5) over for pizza, then off to the movies (with DH and myself), back to our house for cake and sleepover, then go home at 10am the next morning. We have done this for years and the kids always enjoy it.

This year my son wants us to take them to the movies, drop them off, then pick them up when the movie is over. Well, that is not going to happen. I am not about to leave them in the theater alone. I was telling this to another mom at the school and she said she took her son (11yo also) and his friend and left them at the movies and she doesn't understand what the big deal is.

Am I just too over protective or is this the age they can be at the theater alone?

 

[VALDAN]

My daughter was at the end of the 5th grade ( almost 11).
The next year in Middle school, the kids from the other grammer schools were just starting to go to the movies alone.My younger daughter is in the 5th grade now, and I can't see her going alone for a long time. It depends on the maturity level of the child also.

 

[Pop Daddy]

2

 

[Beauty]

The first time I dropped mine off he was 11. He was NOT alone he was with 4 other friends. We did drop them off, watch them go inside the theatre and then we were there about 10 minutes before the movie let out to pick them up.

I agree it depends on the maturity level of the child.

 

[Kendra17]

My daughter's 12, and I'd let her go, but she hasn't yet. But, I live in a really rural area, I wouldn't let her go if I felt the area was unsafe. Also, would they get too rowdy without supervision--a group of kids? You'd have to decide.

 

[PooohBear]

I didn't let my DS go until he was 13,,,, but that was when I felt I could trust him and his friends. I think it has alot to do with the maturity of the kids, some may cause alot of rutkus and therefore their safety might be jeopordized inside the theater, others might know how to conduct and protect themselves better,,,if you want to let the kids go, but are still unsure.......well, you can always sneak in and sit somewhere way behind them !

 

[Mimi Q]

My older DD is 12, and I haven't let her yet. A lot of her friends go without their parents though.

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

I think I started going to the movies alone around 11 I am 15 now and I have always been pretty mature. I think if he is with 4 other friends. I always at the movies with at least 1 friend. We lived in suburb of Boston when I started going alone with friends so its not like we were in rural area. Went a ton alone with friends in orange county california, for sure not a rural area. LOL I would let him go with 4 other friends. Just tell them not to leave the theater and meet him right outside the theater. It still depends how mature he is.
Matt

 

[ksjayhawks]

My son is a 6th grader. Just this fall he and his friends started going to movies by themselves. The movie theatre lets one of us parents go in with them and get them settled and give them the "talk". Then another parent picks them up later or sometimes goes to a movie in the theatre complex.

My daughter was allowed to go to movies with friends in 6th grade also.

If you feel uncomfortable leaving them there, get them settled in the theatre, then go to a movie yourself. Have a designated meeting spot inside the theatre.

 

[gr8tpanther]

My DD10 and DD11, I am hoping never want to go. I don't promote going to the movies so I am hoping they never want to go. I think they might have been to the theater once, maybe twice.

I am going to have issues the day that either of them come to me and want to do something alone.

 

[aprilgail2]

My godkids wanted to see one movie and we wanted to see another so by the time they were 9 they were together in one theater and we were in another across the hall. They started goign with friends in around 5th grade.

 

[holycow]

I think it depends on where you live too....I wouldn't drop my 11 yr. old off at the movies here....sorry...over protective momma here....





Holycow

 

[poohandwendy]

Totally depends on the children and how responsible they have proven to be. Mine started to do this around 5-6th grade.

 

[flaps]

I don't know that there's a magic age. I do know that I was 16 (so it was probably a "when you can drive yourself, then you can go yourself" thing).

 

[eeyoreforever]

I can't even imagine letting my 5th and 6th grade dd's go without an adult. I trust them both, but the thought of it would still terrify me. My older dd has friends who go, but I know for a fact they met some boys at the theater on at least one occasion. These are not girls that you would expect to do that-they come from homes very much like my own.

I guess you have to do what you are comfortable with, but don't be pressured into it because others do it.