[LRoggy]

When my Dad was eight he would take the NYC subway by himself.

[TheThirdRuffian]

When I was eight, I would hunt all day. With a rifle or a shotgun.

Sometimes, we’d bring a shotgun to school and put them in our lockers so we could hunt birds right after practice.

[nopardons]

I don't know how old your father is, but growing up in NYC, I walked to parks, to school and to friends on my own,from the time I was 8 too. My friends and I rode our bikes all over and in the park on our own.

My best friend and I would also go to the movies and to the Bronx Zoo by bus or subway, when we were 12, living in a different borough.

We weren't treated like "hot house flowers" and we turned out just fine.

[Elsie]

When I was 8 and my cousin was 6, we went on the train from Induanapolis to new Jersy alone.

Of course our parents knew where we were and the train folks knew of the situation and watched over us; but it was cool to be ‘on your own’ for a bit.