would you let a 3 year old play alone in a securely fenced back yard? - Page 5

[veganf]

Yes, we have let our kids play in our fenced yard by themselves by 18mo, as soon as they can navigate the porch steps. I can see the gate from the office & kitchen so I just keep an eye out and check them regularly.

[schoolmom07]

RE: Can't say that I would...

My daughter is almost 7 (in two weeks) and I am very paranoid about letting her out to play alone at her age. Have you checked www.familywatchdog.us to see where the child offenders are? We moved to our new house and that was one of the first things I did. Unfortunately, we have one that lives 2 doors down from us. Child snatching can happen faster than you think. I saw a program that teaches children (yes, children) that if someone tries to grab you lay down, wrap your arms around one leg and legs around the other leg. You can't very well run if you are struggling to even get the child to become upright. Child snatching is a crime most dependant on speed. The main thing that I would be concerned about it would be bugs, snakes, or poisonous plants. Any of these things could be deadly to a young one.

[lamairs81]

Our yard is currently only fenced on 2 sides, but I'm perfectly fine with letting my 7yo DS & my 4yo DD play outside on their own. Whenever their sister is walking, I'll let her at least go out on our deck that has gates at both sets of steps without me outside. The only reason I plan to fence my yard is so my dogs can have a bit more freedom. I don't think we'll ever be able to trust our malamute mix to stay in the yard...his breeding alone makes him way too independent...and our akita mix, though she listens better when called, gets too distracted by all the other dogs in our nighborhood (last count in our fairly small block was about 20). We recently had a couple move in across the street with 4 dogs & I am so jealous that they stay put. I have however seen that our dog tends to stay where she belongs when the kids are outside, although I haven't tested this theory for extended periods of time.

[OGirlieMama]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I'm the OP. The only windows I can see the backyard from are in the kitchen, and I can't see much from them. I can go out on the back deck (which is off the kitchen) and see most of the yard. I don't know how much I'll be able to hear in the back yard even with a window open (it's still winter here) since the house is on a daylight basement and so the kitchen is basically on the second story...plus the neighbors' kids behind us jump on their trampoline all day when they're not in school and they are VERY loud.

I don't think I could do it in general, but definitely not in the situation you described. I think you (rightfully, IMO) feel uncomfortable about it and that's why you made this post.

I do not have a fenced yard, and sometimes I let my girls play on my patio (right outside the back door in the kitchen) while I prepare dinner (like, nuke something or boil water for mac & cheese - not a 4-course-meal) or run in to grab something, but anything beyond that would make me too tense if I couldn't see them.

[octobermom]

YEs and no... First if it was a young three VS near four would make a big diffrence to me. I don't think i could just alow totally free outdoor play if I didn't have a better view but I could set him up outside with various activities and leave him be and check up frequently so if there say with a sand box or a water table (Assuming comfort with water) I could for small spurts but I'd defiently check often.
That was a hard age for me because we lived in apartments so now secured priviate place outside.
Deanna

[leximom]

I let my 2 and 3 year old play outside while I'm busy. I stay on the first floor, have both french doors open plus the kitchen window. I don't really need to peek out often since they are both running in and out the whole time. When it quiets down I definitely make a trip out to see what they are doing...usually involving a snail

[lovbeingamommy]

My DS is three and DH and I have agreed it's still too young for an only child. I think if he had a 4 or 5 yr old sibling it would be a different story, but there's just too many things he could get into that just wouldn't be good. We do go out every evening to talk and relax and he does what he wants outside, but we keep a pretty close eye on him.

[zeldamomma]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 3 year old playing outside essentially unsupervised (which is how I would interpret your set-up, where you can't see or hear him).

I would try to find things to do outside in the yard while he plays.

ZM

[Lizafava]

I do. DS is 3.5 and it feels okay now. It definitely didn't when he was closer to 2. We have caribeaners on the gates that he can't open, and in any case he is very good about boundaries and won't leave the yard. I can't see much of the backyard, so with windows open and frequent peeking and chatting through the open windows, I feel okay.

The thing that causes us trouble most often is digging in the raised beds, but that's not a safety issue!

[motherof3babes]

I thought my girls were safe in my locked back yard. I'm still praying for Justice! If anyone can get any kind of access to your kids and they want them..they can take them.  A fence can be false security!! Someone can take them and put them back. I was lucky that mine were put back! Molestation only takes a matter of minutes!  Please pray and send your hopes to my family. We need all the strength we can get.  This is an article of what we are going thru because I made the wrong decision of thinking my secluded locked back yard was safe!

http://www.10news.com/news/30376159/detail.html

[CraftyDoulaMom]

My yard isn't fenced so I can't actually let my almost 4yr  and almost 6 yr olds outside totally unsupervised but...

I do let them go play outside right in the back yard while I sit at the dining room table (the dining room has french doors that look right out into the back yard). I keep the door cracked open so I can hear what is going on and the rule is that they have to be within sight and hearing. If I have to go to a different room for some reason, where I cannot see or hear them, they have to come inside. If my yard were fenced I would have no qualms at all about them being out there with a less supervision although I think it's likely that I would still want to keep a door or window cracked so that I could hear what they were up to and wouldn't be comfortable not checking on them regularly.

[motherof3babes]

That is exactly what I thought. Just make sure you truly can trust your neighbor!! I thought I knew mine! I had my dining room table by the window too and back door open!