Do you let your children play outside........ - Page 5

[jeca]

I will let the kids play in our fenced in backyard by themselves when I'm in the kitchen because it overlooks the backyard.

[jenaniah]

I'm another one that lets my little ones play outside without me (4 yr old and 2 yr old) and doesn't have a completely fenced in yard. It isn't always practicle for me to go outside with them...if I have my 4 month old niece as well and she needs to eat or is sleeping then I stay in with her. I am sure you will all say "sling the baby" but she HATES the sling and we have only recently been able to put her in it for more then a minute at a time. I also have to clean up the kitchen after lunch and things like that. I can see both kids from where I am most of the time and I can hear them all of the time. If Haley (the 2 yr old) tried to go around to the front of the house Max would SCREAM for me and I could go out the side door and intercept her. Also neither of them have EVER tried to go around front without an adult with them...I know my kids very well and it would be punishing them to make them stay in until I could go out with them. Oh we live in a pretty urban area and I am not worried about kidnappers...I would see anyone walking by to the backyard b/c only one side of it is open (the driveway side) and cars would have to go through the house in order to hit them. And as far as the dangers of the yard...it's a risk I am willing to take. When I was 5 I was at a playground with my parents and I fell and broke my arm...both of my parents were right next to me and couldn't stop it from happening. I ddon't think my hovering over them is going to help make them any safer...just opposite...I think it will make them second-guess their skills

[Nabbe]

Guess i cant compare to you guys living in USA... Because i live in Norway. We live in a suburban area to the second biggest town, its a very quiet and nice neighbourhood, so my kids are out all day if so is, playing with other kids. Where we live, i can see them trough the trees, so we always have an eye on them, just like other parents. We all watch out for eachothers kids. Besides, my son especially is so loud, that i hear him outside even if he wispers

[Ceinwen]

I imagine by 8-10 years my dd probably will be outside alone sometimes- it will depend on her and our circumstances.

Not to pick on anyone, but this one sentence stood out for me. Do you live in a really busy, dangerous area? Cause otherwise, 8-10 years old is pretty darn old to be "outside alone sometimes".

How is she going to learn ANY independance if she can't be outside with her friends to play? It'd kinda suck to have your mum hanging around every second. JMHO

[slightly crunchy]

I would say 4 and 5 are old enough, for most kids (probably not all) to be outside in their own yard, certainly. I think 5 or 6 is old enough to be riding bikes in the neighborhood, for short distances, with friends or to a friend's house.

IME, this is actually a bit conservative (but I am on the conservative side, too). In my neighborhood, which is very safe, and quiet, parents routinely let their children out unsupervised from 3 years old on. Not just in their yards, but up and down the street with older brothers and sisters. The 3.5 year old my ds is friends with rides a small 2 wheeler with training wheels. He is allowed to ride all up and down our street, ON the street! His parents are rarely outside at the same time. This blows my mind. His father laughed at me for not letting ds ride his trike on the street (when we do have sidewalks)--"this street is so safe, everyone is watching for the kids".

I think physical abilities come long before the development of good judgement. This little boy almost got hit by a car the other day by an older woman trying to back out of her driveway, but the little boy was oblivious. No one had taught him to wait for cars, watch if they have their lights on, etc. There are a couple of other times where we were out playing and found him upset and helped him get home. It is a community and I guess people feel like all the adults are looking out for the kids. But I think until a kid is elementary school aged, the person looking out needs to be the parent.

[Linda KS]

Originally Posted by slightly crunchy

No one had taught him to wait for cars, watch if they have their lights on, etc. There are a couple of other times where we were out playing and found him upset and helped him get home.

That is so sad! I feel like my kids are pretty safe outside because we spend so much time together outside. We've gone on lots and lots of bike rides around the neighborhood (they ride, I walk the dog). We did it just because it was fun, but as we did I naturally taught them to watch for cars pulling out of their drivesways, crossing streets, etc. We don't have sidewalks to ride on, so they have to ride in the street. Because of this they aren't allowed to go and ride their bikes without us unless they are riding with a family across the street who we know well and trust. Cars scare me. My kids both have good judgement, but not all drivers do.

One day we were out for a walk and came across a little boy who was only about 2 and couldn't speak clearly and couldn't tell us which house was his! We stayed with him unti his dad showed up