I recently started taking him to a park for about 45 minutes before I take him home. I'm physically active and climb the slides, chase him around and play with him. He loves our time together. Over the last two weeks, there has been a little 6-year-old girl at the park who seems to be on her own. Her parents, I assume, are in the parking lot.
Experts say between 11 and 13 years old can be a good starting point, but stress there's more to the equation than age. And they say what's right for one child may not be for another, even within a family. It's not a one-size-fits-all ordeal. And you really have to take it and understand the bigger picture, said Jaesha Quarrels, director of child care services at Oklahoma Human Services.
As soon as the children start descending, look around for parents or loudly ask the children where they are. (If the children are not old enough to respond, just get louder.) Once the parents have been located, say to the kids, You might want to tell your parents that you are here, because I'm not sure how long we will stay. And we don't want to abandon you.
