How old were your DCs when they were allowed to play out on their own?

[Primrosefrill]

And at what stages - e.g. were they allowed to play out the front on a quiet road, then down to the park etc? Did that depend on their personality?

Mine are 6&9. I am constantly torn between feeling like I am overprotective to feeling like I am being too relaxed.

[thecatsthecats]

@Greenoutside

But traffic isn’t the only consideration, and living in or only permitting your children to play unsupervised in perceived ‘safe’ areas doesn’t work, does it?

No, it isn't the only consideration. That's why "it depends where you live" covers a broad range of risks quite nicely.

FWIW, traffic was non-existent outside my parents house (private road, no through traffic), and there literally has not been a recorded crime within the past thirty years. On the flipside, there are plenty of watercourses to drown in, and some unsecured farm equipment.

It is honestly ridiculous to pretend that "depends where you live" doesn't make a difference, when my mum grew up in a suburb that contained heavy traffic (for the time), and literally Ian Brady. Oh, and the river was a dye works waste dump, and they played in refuse heaps.

But nooooo, we can't say that some places are nicer and less risky than others. Perish the thought.

[ksjsb]

Sadly? You'd rather them be shootings?

Really hope you're being sarcastic.

[ksjsb]

Abductions by strangers are rare but they are even rarer now, and to be honest that’s largely because there just isn’t the same sort of opportunity arising as there was in decades gone by

Is that right, I suppose you can't source this fact of yours either?

[Phos]

My 6 year old plays in the garden on her own. I would have allowed it earlier but due to the layout of the house and windows I can’t easily glance out to keep an eye on her.

I can’t allow her to play on the road in front of us. Although it’s quiet and a no through road, we are situated just after a bend in the road and our next door neighbour is a bloody idiot who speeds down it at 50mph.

There isn’t really a very good park within walking distance so that’s trickier.

[Primrosefrill]

@caringcarer

I've always had a large garden so my kids played in the garden and could have friends to play with them. I live in a quiet cul des sac but no way I'd let them play on the road? Why would you? When older I took them to the park as it was several miles away, they wandered off to play, I read my book and drank my coffee or just walked around the park. When 12 or 13 I dropped them into town to meet friends then collected them later.

To bike or skateboard?

[caringcarer]

@Primrosefrill

To bike or skateboard?

I've always taken mine to skate park or BMX tracks and collected a couple of hours later.

[GnomeDePlume]

@Greenoutside

I’m not convinced by the ‘it depends where you live’ argument.

Thinking back to so many high profile incidents, many have been in affluent areas in the middle of the day. There is no criticism here but it is just something where you either think the benefits outweigh the small risk or you don’t. It’s certainly wrong to claim that terrible things only happen in poverty stricken places where drug dealers prowl, though.

'Where': some areas are more family friendly by design.

Where we lived in the Netherlands was family friendly by design. Lots of play areas which were visible from surrounding houses, not tucked away. Cycle paths and speed bumps. Generally very bike aware. A lot of people out and about on their bikes during the day.

A child on their own is vulnerable, a child in a group is far safer.