Machinegun91:
I started farming at the age of 5.

Your son at 7 is old enough to have a girlfriend.

Idaan!
I had my very 1st gf around dat age!

How many cars/okadas/keke napeps were on the road when you were 4? How many ritualists? You can't expose innocent children to unnecessary danger in the name of proper upbringing. The best at this time is to take them with you to do such errands so they can watch and learn. At the proper time, they'll be able to go on their own.

MichaelSokoto:

says who?
in Ajegunle my area, we go little errands from 4-6yrs but not on d road per say..
but from 6yrs confamm, we dey fly main road dey go msg, not even for our parents but 4 neighbors sef!
I won't lie u!

Two minor 7and 5yrs where missing on there may to buy akara and pap. For there kid sister in my area. Na so there mama they shout devil work! Devil!!! You can send your 7yrs old to such errands. But me I no dey send my own, until they get to 10yrs atleast. That's my own personal opinion.

My less than 3yrs son can do errands to the next 3shops from mine. I'm sure he go dey cross road at 5 because my shops are by the road side.
Train them as you are comfortable with. You don see person wey use training manual build family??

Acidosis:
Do what works for you. Many 7 year old kids in Lagos jump buses, okada, and keke to school on their own. Errand na small thing. Meanwhile, in some families, kids don't go to school without their parents in the same chaotic Lagos. There's no principal manual.

The only bad thing is that you and your wife are yet to come to an agreement. Every form of disrespect has consequences.

Exactly my train of thought; "each to his own", do what works for you, i've already started doing chores, running all kinds of errands whether far or near at that age.

lawrenzoo:
Good day, Nairaland families. I would appreciate it if mature and responsible families in the house could enlighten me on this. My son is only 7 years and 4 months old, and I allow him and his 5 year old sister to do minor chores such as making their beds when they wake up, sweeping their rooms to some extent, taking their plates to the kitchen after eating, and brushing their teeth at night. However, there is one thing I frown upon in the house, "Sending a young guy of his age on street errands," but I discovered that my wife finds it so easy to do so.

Most times my wife would want to get simple stuff like detergent and so, she calls him which i do stop from happening most times since i am of a personal opinion that it is rather too unsafe for him and he should not be sent on an errand alone until he is at least 10years old and above.

Please i want to know if I am simply the one overreacting and too overprotective OR a child of that age should not be sent on an errand?

It's too early, restrict your wife from continue to do so

Ventura1:
You are on point, my wife was initially worried when I sent my 8 years old son on an errand, she later realized my reasons, and keyed into it. One cannot afford to have street dull children nowadays, one must do everything to make them conscious of their society. I know couple of grown up who are being affected by unnecessary pampering by parents. When an 18yrs boy cannot be sent to Ikeja from Isolo without the parents being unnecessarily worried.

That’s an extreme case you are citing . A child who is ready would say, I can go or do it but in this Nigeria. Going to play with friends is one thing but running errands is another. In a gated community perhaps but otherwise it’s a no for me

The times we live in it is not advisable. Your wife is ignorant and will be the first to make you miserable if your son is snatched.

Topics like this saddens my heart..

They open our eyes to how bad our present day society has degenerated..

Back then, 7years old that is capable of going to school Kms away from home by him or herself in Nigeria of 80s, 90s and even early 2000s is what we are debating if is old enough to run errands

It's well

Omo, I don dey enter bus go buy vegetables and hawk ugwu since I was 6, maybe things have changed from what it used to be, back then kids can go out to play by moonlight and it was safe, now streets n military so its unsafe.

Tuff times create weak men, weak men create tuff times. Our kids might be weak ,cos we have been strong ,too strong that we want to protect them

Funflipper:


Oga you are wrong. A 7yr old kid shouldn't even be allowed to step out of the house alone.

Mr. Jailer, dat is imprisonment!

lawrenzoo:
Good day, Nairaland families. I would appreciate it if mature and responsible families in the house could enlighten me on this. My son is only 7 years and 4 months old, and I allow him and his 5 year old sister to do minor chores such as making their beds when they wake up, sweeping their rooms to some extent, taking their plates to the kitchen after eating, and brushing their teeth at night. However, there is one thing I frown upon in the house, "Sending a young guy of his age on street errands," but I discovered that my wife finds it so easy to do so.

Most times my wife would want to get simple stuff like detergent and so, she calls him which i do stop from happening most times since i am of a personal opinion that it is rather too unsafe for him and he should not be sent on an errand alone until he is at least 10years old and above.

Please i want to know if I am simply the one overreacting and too overprotective OR a child of that age should not be sent on an errand?

You are trying to over protect that child, he's old enough to go out on errands,this one important part of education that the children of the rich never had,it teaches the child to start taking decisions early in life,

lawrenzoo:
Good day, Nairaland families. I would appreciate it if mature and responsible families in the house could enlighten me on this. My son is only 7 years and 4 months old, and I allow him and his 5 year old sister to do minor chores such as making their beds when they wake up, sweeping their rooms to some extent, taking their plates to the kitchen after eating, and brushing their teeth at night. However, there is one thing I frown upon in the house, "Sending a young guy of his age on street errands," but I discovered that my wife finds it so easy to do so.

Most times my wife would want to get simple stuff like detergent and so, she calls him which i do stop from happening most times since i am of a personal opinion that it is rather too unsafe for him and he should not be sent on an errand alone until he is at least 10years old and above.

Please i want to know if I am simply the one overreacting and too overprotective OR a child of that age should not be sent on an errand?

NO!

TimT:
I actually see nothing wrong in sending a 7 year old child an errand...
Although I agree with what has been said that "Across the main express is a no no", but within the street is okay....
You see ehn, social interaction and welfare is important in a child's life, so it's good to let them interact with their surroundings....
A 7yr old child should be in pry 2 or 3... at those age, if their school is close by, they can be coming back by theirself with their friends...
So going to buy things will make them know how to interact with their surroundings by conversing with the sellers, knowing items...

And above all, never stop your child from going on errands in the presence of their mother.....

I miss those days... I don't i can allow my child do that now!

lawrenzoo:
Good day, Nairaland families. I would appreciate it if mature and responsible families in the house could enlighten me on this. My son is only 7 years and 4 months old, and I allow him and his 5 year old sister to do minor chores such as making their beds when they wake up, sweeping their rooms to some extent, taking their plates to the kitchen after eating, and brushing their teeth at night. However, there is one thing I frown upon in the house, "Sending a young guy of his age on street errands," but I discovered that my wife finds it so easy to do so.

Most times my wife would want to get simple stuff like detergent and so, she calls him which i do stop from happening most times since i am of a personal opinion that it is rather too unsafe for him and he should not be sent on an errand alone until he is at least 10years old and above.

Please i want to know if I am simply the one overreacting and too overprotective OR a child of that age should not be sent on an errand?

In this age and time, it is a bit risky. Bikes, more vehicles, Keke on the Road. Also it depends on where you resides.

In our days, we are already running errands by 4-5years.

Years ago, maybe I will allow errand that is very close by the child's home but nowadays that everything bad has gone to all time high, I will not support sending any child that is 10 years & below to any errand outside their compound.
Uwa a di egwu these days

So the Alfas and hausas are kicking Yorubas out of Ilorin just like how igbos are kicking them outta Lagos😂😂😂



One day they'll have nowhere to live but osogbo😂😂😂

It's not totally wrong sending children of 7yrs of age on errands. It depends on the nature of people living there and the proximity of the places you are sending them. Regardless, I see no offense at all. We all know that no sane human being will send a child where there is danger. And most of these kids now are very smart at such ages too. Unless you want to groom an Ajebo

lawrenzoo:
Good day, Nairaland families. I would appreciate it if mature and responsible families in the house could enlighten me on this. My son is only 7 years and 4 months old, and I allow him and his 5 year old sister to do minor chores such as making their beds when they wake up, sweeping their rooms to some extent, taking their plates to the kitchen after eating, and brushing their teeth at night. However, there is one thing I frown upon in the house, "Sending a young guy of his age on street errands," but I discovered that my wife finds it so easy to do so.

Most times my wife would want to get simple stuff like detergent and so, she calls him which i do stop from happening most times since i am of a personal opinion that it is rather too unsafe for him and he should not be sent on an errand alone until he is at least 10years old and above.

Please i want to know if I am simply the one overreacting and too overprotective OR a child of that age should not be sent on an errand?

No one can give a precise answer to your question. It depends on a good number of factor which only you can determine.
1. How safe is the street?
2. How far is the shop from your home?
3. How familiar are you and your family in the neighborhood?
4. The maturity or personality of your child?
5. What's the traffic on the street like?
I live in a street where kids safety ride bikes all the time. If you can allow you child to cycle then his mother should be able to send him on errands. Note, not all streets are like mine.
Finally, unless you and your wife are on the same team, you can't stop her from sending him on such errands.

I thinks its not an issue.
Depending on where you stay, if the place is a good neighborhood, you should let the child be sent on errands. This will boost his self esteem right from childhood and also make him more responsible. Otherwise, you know what to do best.

Avoid the habit of making children disobey their mothers. You and the mum should have a chat on the issue.

Ofadaman:
Omo, I don dey enter bus go buy vegetables and hawk ugwu since I was 6, maybe things have changed from what it used to be, back then kids can go out to play by moonlight and it was safe, now streets n military so its unsafe.

Tuff times create weak men, weak men create tuff times. Our kids needs might be weak

Your position is very true.

I think that in Japan, it's a normal thing.

The Japanese start very early to give their children basic training on home chores.

I have seen several videos of some little Japanese children mopping the floor and doing some other basic home chores.

Bankowner:
How many cars/okadas/keke napeps were on the road when you were 4? How many ritualists? You can't expose innocent children to unnecessary danger in the name of proper upbringing. The best at this time is to take them with you to do such errands so they can watch and learn. At the proper time, they'll be able to go on their own.

and there was no okada then?
u think say okada start from 1995?

Ogbomogbomo was even rampant then, yes!
wit 25kobo coin, sopè, u're gone, otilò!
buh we sharp well well too!

see, do u knw how many main roads we cross in attending our primary skools?
some parents don too dey spoil their children dis dayz!

ChybuzzDD:


You female folks always have a way of reasoning things upside down.

It's not always about you.

The security and safety of such a young child in an unsafe country like Nigeria must be considered over the mother's selfish interest on obedience and respect.

because south east is not secure doesn’t mean other regions is not secure

My second child is 7 years old, it depends on the environment and area one resides.
My spouse and I send him on errands with his bicycle to get things needed @ home.
It is not a bad idea. but you have to know the kind of area you people stay to avoid had I known.
May Almighty God protect our kids.

Omo..... when I was 5 years I don de go far place the buy things for my mum and my late dad.... sent by my late dad..

[quote author=Peppysco post=125390824][/quote]

That's the mindset of parents who kept their kids at home till uni and even drove them to write Jamb and Waec .

He goes to school by himself.

Thread on child upbringing, who never even commit abortion dey give opinion! Someone on the Fp even referred the Op to Netflix....kikikiki.... Chineke!!😂. No other nation can compare in oversabinus to Nigerians!

Gadafii:
you could cross road at three khe😢😢

Which village did you grow up in because if na urban settlements, I pity you oo

adults around seeing a 3 yo crossing road will raise alarm, slow down with this your lie please

Haba. Na warri dem born me o.

Even my neighbor in ph did similar thing frequently at age 4. Crossing the major road to go see her grandma.

Kingosytex:
How can a child of 7 years be sent to the streets to do what exactly?
That is child abuse... Whatever happened to the safety of the child?
Why expose the kid to all forms of hazards?
The kid might be kidnapped or hit by a vehicle.
Shey the mama no feel pains during child birth? Shey being pregnant for 9 months na joke to her?

There's no issue with a 7 year old performing some minor chores in the house but going to the streets is way out of it.

All these woke and nonsense generation.

We ran errands for our parents at even younger age than 7.

There's nothing wrong sending a 7 years old child an errand in the same street. Unless there's a busy road in between.

Teach your kids to be street smart, not "omo go inside"

Romanoff:
As much as children of these days will be tech savvy and book smart, I fear a lot of them will not be Street smart. At age 7, he's not too young to be sent on an errand. You and your wife should give your children security and environmental awareness tips. At this age, they should have a fear of not wandering from where they were sent.

As long as it's within the neighbourhood, I feel it's okay o.

Street smart is a mentality of the poor vis a vis the average mind. What is street smart..?Are Dangote or Otedola or Adeleke's children street smart?Street smart or street wise is the language of the poor.

NairalandSARS:
The kids that come to buy stuff from my shop are most times below 7.

I coule cross roads at age 3. Mtcheww

Poverty...