Going places alone as a child

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As a child (let's say under puberty whatever that was for you), did you sometimes do things alone that were unusual for a person of that age? For me as a child, I only wanted to go out with my mother if we had to go somewhere. And I did not like to go most places. I only liked to play at home with neighbor kids and mostly alone. But then I would go on big walks or bike rides across the town sometimes, or to the store alone to get candy or some toy I wanted, as long as I had a mental map of where I was going, which was easy for me. Did other people do this kind of thing?

Yes, from time to time. I lived a short walk away from an area of open forest land, which my dad took us for walks through at the weekends. But I remember mid-week going off there by myself. It felt very liberating and forbidden to be wandering about there alone. I also liked to ride around the block on my bike. Later, my mum's best friend's two daughters kind of became my best friends by default, and we used to go wandering down the local shopping street, buying candy and small toys, pencils and stuff. We also used to wander around the residential streets together.

This was the late 60s earyl 70s when kids were allowed to go wandering off more than they are now. It felt fun to be given the freedom.
When I was about 13 I started nagivating the London Underground subway system by myself, and I felt very daring and adventurous.

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No. I was quite a timid child and didn't go far unless an adult was with me, (when I was under 11). When I started at High School, I was 11 and was really anxious about walking to school on my own (because I didn't have any friends to walk with), but there was a very strict ''rule'' invented by High School kids that nobody must be seen walking to school with their parents. You can be driven to school by your parents obviously, but not walking. It was socially forbidden. It was such a big deal to the other kids, that if you were seen walking to school with your mum, you could literally feel other kids looking at you and thinking harsh judgemental thoughts about you, that you just couldn't do it. After a few months I got used to walking out on my own, but at 11 I still felt young and not ready to walk out on my own.

Going places by myself didn't really bother me. My parents are both on the spectrum and hate to socialise, so for Haloween parties, school fayres etc. I always went by myself. I wanted to go because the events were hyped up at school and everyone else was going, so I wanted to go too. I was an only child for a long time too, so didn't even have my siblings to go with.

I think it gave me confidence to go places alone as an adult. I don't mind doing things alone whereas I know people who are always desperate for comany where ever they go and can't stand to do things by themself. I've always been alone, so it doesn't bother me.

I was so called "child with a key" since age 7. My parents are grandparents were working so I was given a key to get home by myself after school. And since I got no friends and was very curious child with good terrain orientation I was walking all around the neighborhood instead of waiting at home.

I am not sure how unusual the places were but I wandered a lot. I remember going to a slope 2kms from my house and watch whole city from there. Going to stone pit area and climbing on the "mountain". Catching water lizards in a pond and sliding there in winter. Going to the trainroad or highway to watch trains/cars passing by. Checking old, "haunted" buildings.All by myself. With no people around... Come to think of it I wonder how I managed to survive my childhood. That was dangerous!

Later on, when I got older (9-13 years old) and got some friends I was wandering with them. But they were 2 or 3 years younger than me so I was taking care of them. At first their parents were worried of letting us go but soon they realized I know what I am doing and I won't let the childs to be hurt. My area got bigger there because my friends were more interested in places with lots of people. I started going to swimming pool, cinema and festivals with them, playing the role of their guardian despite being a child myself.
I was comparing myself to Pippi Longstocking at that time. And my friends were very much like Tommy and Annika (they were siblings, boy and girl).

I was always wandering around by myself. For some reason, I was afraid of kids my age. Grownups didn't bother me in the least, though. I even let myself into strangers' apartments if they had the door unlocked. It's lucky I didn't get kidnapped or worse, but this was in the early to mid 1970s.

I used to wander off a lot. I lived in Queens, NYC, so there was lots to wander TO.

One time, when I was 10, I wandered miles off my usual path, until I got to the Jack-in-the-Box in Corona, Queens. Then, I walked back home. My mother was furious with me!

I once also cut off all my hair when I was about to turn 10. I felt guilty about something. When my mother saw me, she cried, and I cried. My hair grew back pretty rapidly.

I started using the NYC subway myself when I was 8. Back then, they had the little tokens, and it cost 20 cents. Now, we have MetroCards, and it costs $2.50!

I don't think I went anywhere unusual. I liked to explore on my bike, though. Usually alone. I got lost a couple times.
My younger brother and sister had a secret club with their friends that I wasn't allowed to go to, so I made my own. There was a weird forest-y area between some houses that I found on accident. The trail led to a convenience store and I bought candy. It was kind of the "long way" because the store was just up the street from my house and I had to go out of the way to get the trail. But it had lots of bridges and little creeks and I could catch frogs. When I was like 11 I broke my foot, and after a few weeks decided Law and Order was more interesting than mosquitoes, frogs, and dragonflies. lol That was mostly the end of exploring by myself. I still enjoyed riding my bike, but I stuck to main roads.

I used to go on phenomenally long walks and bike rides by myself when I was between nine and twelve years old. It was just one more thing that convinced people that I was a bit weird. Sometimes I would ride my bike by myself to neighboring towns and back. Sometimes I would walk and walk through the forest in my area in Northwestern PA.

I only ran off to the park once when I was about 7-8, the rest of the time I would only go out with my parents. Still to do this day as well.

Not really. I only remember going for bike rides by myself when I was like 10-12 and I usually didn't go too far.

If only. Would love to do that so much, but I have no mental map what so ever and get lost really easily.

I also need someone with me because I have poor awareness of surroundings like as far as streets and traffic goes, so on my own it would be likely I'd step into traffic because I was too busy looking at something and get run over.

But thankfully my dad loves to go for long meandering strolls and so me and him walk around places. A lot of times he will just follow me and let me wander about, and be ready to grab me just in case.