Would You Let Your 12-Year-old Son Jog Alone?

It really depends on how you feel about the neighborhood. If you think the area is safe, set parameters about what time he must be back and let him go. The ideal situation would be if he had a running buddy, but if he doesn't and the area is safe, I would let him go and give him a time to be home. If he misses the appointed time to be home I would punish him for being late just so he gets the message, but let him go. He is going to be driving in a few more years and if you think this makes you nervous then YIKES!

Michelle - sorry - I don't let my 12 year old who is a black belt go out at night by himself....strength in numbers...even to walk the dog. Not that I don't trust HIM. I do. I don't trust other people.

So, No. I would NOT allow my 12 year old to job by himself.

Twelve is EXACTLY the age I started giving my kids some freedom. I think it's an important part of their development. I assume you've had the whole stranger danger talk?
I would be nervous about it being dusk, too, but more because of traffic safety. We have a lot of cyclists and joggers around here and some of them are SO hard to see, especially in the shade on the side of the road. Make sure your son is wearing something bright.
Too bad he doesn't have a buddy to run with, but still, good for him! My son's a runner too, it's such a healthy habit :)

I feel your anxiety, M.. When their world starts to expand it's impossible not to worry. I have a more relaxed parenting style than some; I think 12 is a good age for kid s to start spreading their wings. Some say it's a different world out there than when we were kids, but I feel there's nothing new under the sun. We just get instant news about every evil that happens and it can make us fearful and controlling; I agree self defense classes would benefit this "small" twelve year old, and maybe a pay-as-you-go cell phone for him to take along would ease your mind.

My daughter reminded me.. get him a plain old whistle on a cord.. .. In her self defense class they say this is an inexpensive lightweight way to get other peoples attention.

Sure, if he is in a safe neighborhood he should be just fine.

Has he ever taken a self defense class? This is a good time for him to learn..

I would rather he run early morning, then at dusk. (If it were my son.) Lots of people out and about, and pretty cool outside. Just make sure, that he does NOT listen to music while he is running. It's dangerous for many, many reasons.

No, I would walk with him or have hubby ride a bike along side.

Is he running a distance in which you would normally allow him to walk to a friends house? Other than being in a safe neighborhood, I would just make sure you know exactly his route, and make sure he does not stray. Also, it sounds as though you are worried about the time of day. Is the reason behind it because he will be hard to see by drivers, or because there is a heightened safety issue in the dark? You can make him wear reflective gear (my husband is in the army and they are required to wear a reflective belt on top of their clothes while running) or make set times to avoid darkness and increased danger.

I don't think so.
Esp at his young age behind a building.
Maybe w/someone in your neighborhood w/reflective tape on back of shirt.
And no ear phones in so he can hear traffic.
Maybe run against traffic so he can see cars coming.
Can't he pick a better time of day in your neighborhood of homes?
I would rather be safe than sorry. Lot of crazy people out in the world.
You could also invest in a treadmill for you home.

Is there any other options about where he can run? On the side of the road, particularly at dusk, can be quite dangerous. I don't even run on the road. My husband does and I don't like it.

I think if you are diligent about keeping track of him, it is probably ok, as far as being alone (not necessarily about being visible at dusk). Do you "mark" the time when he leaves? Are you aware of when he SHOULD be back? Does he carry a cell phone in case he gets hurt and needs to be picked up? Are there other people where he is running or is it relatively deserted?
Any chance you could take up running and go along for part of it? Maybe the first 10 minutes, then you stop and wait for his return leg and run the last 10 min home with him? You'd know more rapidly if something were to go wrong.

My son was running by himself at 10, when he was prepping to test for his 1st Degree Black Belt. But it was in our neighborhood (with only 10 houses and we know all our neighbors), not out with random people wandering/driving by. Very quiet closed neighborhood--no street traffic, just the neighbors.

Twelve is a very good age to be running alone. I would rather he run at dusk than in the heat of the day. If he is on the sidewalk then traffic isn't a problem. Do you feel comfortable in your neighborhood alone? If it would be safe for you, it's safe for him. And if he has been walking to school, then he must know basic safety rules.

My daughter often asks if she can go for a walk early in the morning. My neighborhood is pretty desserted even at 7:30 am with people at work and no one at school. I tell her once around and that is it. I plan to get her a personal alarm she would wear on her wrist and we have a rule of NO headphones. You cannot hear anyone come up behind you--car or foot traffic. I used to carry pepper spray. It won't do any good unless close up and if the person is high on something, might not affect them at all. A personal alarm is nice and loud. I also am going to get my kids in a self defense course so they can protect themselves.

1) Is this an area, where other people routinely jog at also????
ie: is it full of other joggers or people at this time of day??? Or not?

2) It does not matter if is it a good or bad neighborhood. Things can happen anywhere.

3) As they say, a person should vary their path and routine... because if someone observes that a person always walks the SAME path everyday, they are more predictable... and susceptible for even being robbed.

4) Are there neighbors that you know around there??? If so, let them know that your son jogs there... and to look out for him if they can.

5) Does he jog with music/earphones on or not? People listening to music via earphones, are not as observant... or careful about their surroundings.

6) Being "fast" does not mean anything. There will always be someone else, faster.

7) In my area, which is a "good" neighborhood... there was a 12 year old girl who was walking home after school. Daylight. Many people around, as it was after school. But as she was walking, she noticed that a man in a truck was tailing her. Following her. So she got scared and ran faster. The man in the truck, kept following her, in the traffic lane closest to the sidewalk. Then, she got the idea to turn around and run BACK toward the school. Then, the man, stopped tailing her. She got back to the school and told the school office. They informed the Police and put out a memo to all schools.

8) I would not let my kids, if they were that age, to run alone.

Get him one of those very brightly colored shirts so you know he is easily seen. And make sure you know his route and how long it takes. My family knows my bike route and how long it takes so if I'm not back by a certain time they know to try my phone, if I don't answer they can come look for me. If you know and are comfortable with the route and he has a cell phone then I think it's good to let kids have some independence.

Looks like you got a lot of good feedback. The only other thing I would add is (and maybe I'm just a nervous nelly), I would re-think having him carry pepper spray? I went to college in the city, and we had to go through a training class on living in the city. One thing they told us is that most times, attackers are "pros" and they will scope you out (unbeknownst to you) from afar. They come up from behind, or where you wouldn't expect--kick or knock the spray from your hand and use it on you to make the attack that much easier. Will he be wearing headphones? To me, wearing headphones makes it easier for someone to attack, because you're that much less aware of your surroundings. But I think if he takes precautions and stays aware, he should be ok.

You mention there are sidewalks. Make sure he understand to stay on the sidewalks and never jog in the road and to stop for traffic when he has to cross a road. (So many drivers still don't know that pedestrians have the right-of-way when in a crosswalk in certain states like PA.) Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way when not in a cross walk, so if he's jogging on the road close to the sidewalk and gets hit, it's his fault and not the driver. (PA does have a $10 fine for pedestrians if they are walking in the road when there is an available sidewalk, but it's never enforced.) Also, a lot of drivers "now a days" drive way too fast and some are not paying attention, instead they are on the phone. When on the sidewalk, try to be on the side that you can walk against the traffic so it makes you a harder target to pick up and you can see if someone is driving erratically. A good idea would be to tell him you'd like to start jogging to in order to stay healthy. Maybe even make it a family thing to do.