When do I let dd "play out"?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

We live on a street of terraced houses (on street parking, bus route). Dd will be 8 at Christmas.

About 10 doors down are a couple of her schoolfriends. It's half term next week and I'm sure the request of "playing out" will come up. I'm thinking I could sit on the front step with a brew and a book and she and the others could play on the street (in my day we would chalk a hopscotch on the path or ride a go card etc). Would that be appropriate?

Additionally there's a little playpark two streets down. I can see it from home, but would involve two roads crossed. Where do I go with this?

Oh, I should say we live in a flat, so whilst our front door is at street level the rest of our home isn't.

wwyd?

Only you can judge your area. I feel ok with my 8yo playing out. Maybe start with you sitting on the step and see how it goes? Agree some clear rules about car safety. I let my 8yo go to a small park out of sight of the house as long as there is a group, so that if someone got hurt there would be someone to come for help.

If the weather is nice, then make a brew, take some chalk and get them started with hopscotch. I did similar by accident in the school playground. I was showing my 3yo how to play and before I knew it, I had a queue of kids wanting to play too!!

Do you know the other kids' parents? If so, chat to them about taking the other kids over to the park with yours.

It is fun to play out, I rode all round our village. But the difference then was that everyone knew everyone and people would step in if they saw a problem. Now we don't know the people in our street, they don't know my children and my children don't know them. Most people walk on by even seeing quite serious incidents, people don't want to get involved.

Only you can judge your area

The police did a dawn drugs bust a week ago in fairness it took us all by surprise but I suppose that is a mark of the area.