A poll of 750 parents and their children aged 6-16 found mums and dads see their youngsters being able to use public transport alone and being allowed to go to sleepovers or spend nights away from home as signs of growing up.
But the biggest signs, they say, are walking to school without a parent or guardian (21 per cent) and expressing their own opinions (21 per cent).
When it comes to kids developing their own financial freedom, top signs included their child choosing how they spend and save (29 per cent), having a spending card instead of cash (25 per cent), and getting a part-time job (25 per cent).
But with another school year approaching and many youngsters set to start secondary school, 16 per cent of parents facing this are worried about ‘letting go’ and giving them more freedom.
Will Carmichael, CEO of NatWest Rooster Money, which commissioned the research, said: “Money is such an important part of our lives as adults, so it’s essential families are empowered to help kids get to grips with it early.
“And clearly parents are on board with that, with 37 per cent wanting to play an active role in helping their children develop their sense of independence.
“Our survey has also shown that creating the right framework to empower kids to get the level of freedom they want, whilst giving parents the reassurance they need, is really important – especially when it comes to these inflection points in a child’s (and parent’s!) life.”
The first taste of freedom
The study also found 20 per cent of parents whose child is reaching their secondary school years are anxious about them walking to school alone, although almost the same number (21 per cent) consider this to be an indicator of their freedom.
The other biggest anxieties were around relinquishing control, with 21
