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Let me preface my questions with an explanation. Skip the explanation, if you don't have time and answer the questions if you can--all the feedback and various points of view will be helpful.
I went to a new friend's house. She is a midwife, bfed her kids until they were all around 5 (still nursing the littlest ones), is a wonderful holistic, down-to-earth, natural everything kind of mom. I really admire her. I brought my kids to play with hers and another mom's kids.
When I arrived, I saw a two-year-old, a four-year-old and a six or seven-year-old outside in the front yard. No adult supervision. The house is not on a busy street, but there were some cars going by while I was parking.
This surprised me.
I took my kids out of the car, and all the little ones followed us into the house.
Once inside, they all played nicely. Then the six/seven-year-old asked if they could all go outside. The other mom there said sure no problem for my kids (hers are 2 and 1). But I said I wasn't too sure about that (mine are 3 and 16 months).
So they were asked to stay inside. And they did for a while.
Then I noticed it was very quiet. So I jumped up and went to the back door to see all of them climbing up a ladder to an above ground swimming pool (which was covered, but the cover cannot hold weight, and was full of water). I glanced around the yard and noticed that the fence was missing sections, and it backed up to the woods and there was a metal swing set and this pool. It seemed to me that it could be dangerous for unsupervised toddlers.
But when I came back inside to explain that they had all gone outside--the other moms seemed surprised that I was worried.
So immediately I questioned myself.
At what age should a toddler be left to play unsupervised in the same house as mom, but in a different room? Alone?
At what age should a child "looking after" a toddler be (if mom is in the same house, but in another room)?
At what age do you allow your kids to be outside without supervision--in your own back yard? In the front yard?
I know that "maturity" has something to do with it, too, so please include that in your comments.
THANKS!
I went to a new friend's house. She is a midwife, bfed her kids until they were all around 5 (still nursing the littlest ones), is a wonderful holistic, down-to-earth, natural everything kind of mom. I really admire her. I brought my kids to play with hers and another mom's kids.
When I arrived, I saw a two-year-old, a four-year-old and a six or seven-year-old outside in the front yard. No adult supervision. The house is not on a busy street, but there were some cars going by while I was parking.
This surprised me.
I took my kids out of the car, and all the little ones followed us into the house.
Once inside, they all played nicely. Then the six/seven-year-old asked if they could all go outside. The other mom there said sure no problem for my kids (hers are 2 and 1). But I said I wasn't too sure about that (mine are 3 and 16 months).
So they were asked to stay inside. And they did for a while.
Then I noticed it was very quiet. So I jumped up and went to the back door to see all of them climbing up a ladder to an above ground swimming pool (which was covered, but the cover cannot hold weight, and was full of water). I glanced around the yard and noticed that the fence was missing sections, and it backed up to the woods and there was a metal swing set and this pool. It seemed to me that it could be dangerous for unsupervised toddlers.
But when I came back inside to explain that they had all gone outside--the other moms seemed surprised that I was worried.
So immediately I questioned myself.
At what age should a toddler be left to play unsupervised in the same house as mom, but in a different room? Alone?
At what age should a child "looking after" a toddler be (if mom is in the same house, but in another room)?
At what age do you allow your kids to be outside without supervision--in your own back yard? In the front yard?
I know that "maturity" has something to do with it, too, so please include that in your comments.
THANKS!
