[shillelagh]

i was 12 when i got my first door key on a string round my neck just in case my mum was out when i got home from school. I kept it on that string till i was 16 then graduated to a keyring in my purse!!! Was 10 when i was left in the house on my own watching telly on a saturday morning while mum & dad went down accy doing the shopping. Go for it flashy ... you wont know till you try... and like you say your dad is next door if he gets frightened or something goes wrong .... Its part of growing up getting your door key, being left on your own, going to the shops on their own, catching the bus etc....