Quick poll: What age did/would you let your DC play out in the street without you supervising them?

[ceebeegeebies]

Just wondering as some of DS1's parents let them play out and don't check on them for 1-2 hours at a time...they are 6.

This seems incredibly young to me but am I being over-protective of DS1 as we don't let him go outside unless either me or DH are with him

[Wallace]

My ds is the same age as yours (as you know!) where we live (small village) ds is allowed to play out all day. Between all the parents there will always be someone that knows approximately where they are.

I also let ds in the woods as long as he is with the older kids he plays with (8 year olds!)

[Boardiegirl]

Unless ur with them urself i wudnt allow them out until about 9yrs old myself. But its an individual thing i guess, like lettin them walk to school on their own, dpends on the child, the area u live etc.

[ceebeegeebies]

Thank you for the responses so far.

Wallace - I couldn't imagine letting DS1 out all day and not knowing where he is but I think that is probably more to do with me. I think I am also reluctant as he has no road sense whatsoever and would end up being run over!

[Wallace]

We do have some rules. We live at the end of the cul-de-sac and he has to stay at the bottom unless he specifically asks to go further. Isn't allowed out of the street at all unless in the woods (with our permission) which are behind the cul-de-sac.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

DD is almost 9 and it's been this year really that she's been allowed out without me (or her brothers) being able to keep her in view. We live in flats and she's allowed to roam within the grounds of the estate (which isn't actually that big - if I yell out of our balcony like a fishwife she can usually hear me)

She's not going to be able to do that as it gets dark (street lights going on is her cue to start playing in the common area of the block) We live in an okay but not wonderful part of South London and I'm not comfortable with her being down there when the older kids/teens start hanging about smoking joints and play fighting.

[alwaysworriedtoo]

We were quiet shocked when a girl from dd's class came to call on her to play out. They are 7. Our end of the street is really busy near a main road and also some dodgy flats quiet close. So personaly I wouldn't let dd out to play till shes about 16 (lol) The other parents at our end of street are the same as us 'no way!' Further up the street, the quiet end there are quite a few 6 / 7 year olds that play out. And if we lived in one of the culdesacs I would probably let her, but only if I was sat on the front/watching out of the window and keeping an eye on her!

[brandnewnickname]

Neither of mine were allowed to play out unsupervised until they were 9.

[Bigwheel]

My 5 year old plays out but wears a watch and checks in every 15 mins, there are also rules about where he is / isn't allowed to go. Depends mainly on where you live I think.

[Wiggy29]

I live in cul de sac and our 7 (nearly 8) year old is allowed out of the house in cul de sac where we can see him. It's not 'stranger danger' I worry about as so rare but, as another poster mentioned, traffic. Still has no road sense, especially when excited and with friends. He's currently 'grounded' for going three streets away (near v.busy main road) without permission!

It's awkward for us as children who live nearby are either that bit older (10ish) so can play out locally and there are a few who, are much younger (2/3) but pretty much left out on the streets till all hours/ weather. Had to actually ring police before about them but very awkward to explain to ds that we're not being 'unfair' keeping him in when younger children are out- they're simply out because their parent couldn't give a hoot about their whereabouts.

[topsi]

My DS is 5 1/2 and plays out on his bike if one of us is out and around, say DH is working in the garage, or if I am looking out the window every 5 minutes to check on him. We are at the end of a road but there is a public foot path that goes round the back of our house. I would be happier if the foot path wasn't there. We had a dicussion ablout not talking or going anywhere with strangers this evening before he went out.
Am still a bit uneasy about it but he needs a bit of time to ride his bike round.

[Shutupanddrive]

My 6 year old is allowed to go to the park around the corner. He is not allowed across the road or past that point. He is very sensible though and my aunt lives right next door to the park and keeps an eye on him, and he can go there for a wee/drink etc. We do live in a small village in north Wales though, where everyone looks out for each others children.
I think it depends on the child and where you live really

[Shutupanddrive]

He is not allowed out on his bike without supervision though as there is nowhere to ride it except in the road/pavement though some of his friends do.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Ds is 6 nearly 7 and I don't allow it. I'm starting to get moans about it now as he plays at my mums a lot and loves playing with her neighbours kids who are allowed on street.
I have a couple of reasons for saying no. He is fairly traffic savvy but all sense goes out the window when they are all in a group and giddy. And he is still young enough that his need to please adults would get in the way. I honestly question whether he'd have the maturity to handle it if an adult actually shouted at him to get in a car and told him he'd be in trouble. He hates getting told off and despite us discussing stranger danger I'm not sure he wouldn't get in the car to avoid getting 'into trouble'. So I keep him in the garden.

[marbleslost]

Mine's 7 and not allowed out by herself yet. There are no others playing out where we live so it's not really a problem. I guess it depends on where you live but the roads are really busy here and there isn't really anywhere to play.

[OVoodooZombiesEatYourBrains]

My DS1 was 6 when he started playing out without me watching. He's now almost 8.

We started with only playing on the pavement/nearby small grassy area and having to pop back inside every 20 minutes then worked up to going to the park just around the corner, but only with other children. All the kids around here play out. It's a family area and they all charge about between each others garden mostly.

[oopsydaisymaisy]

They don't play on the street as such, it's a main road, and there's been some recent deaths (thankfully no children). They are 11 (twins), 7 and 4. However, DS1/2(11) go to the park with friends or with each other but not for the moment (big arrests when they were playing football with their friends in the park, ten drug dealers were arrested) as I'm worried for their safety. However, they go down roads on their own easily, to the shops etc; from about 8, and from 8, they can cycle around the block.

They have quite a lot of independence (they go to the centre of London by Tube, and to smaller towns like Canterbury, the 11yr olds I mean, as long as they stick together) and go to the cinema and shopping centre with friends, but going around the local area isn't a good idea (I live in a bad part of London).