to feel anxious when my 5 year old DD is out of my sight in playgrounds etc?

[RooTwo]

I can't work out if I am massively overprotective or pretty normal. I really don't like not being able to see my 5 year old DD when we are out in playgrounds or open spaces for playing in - whereas lots of parents I know seem remarkably chilled about this and happy to plonk themselves down and just let kids run around and reappear at various intervals. I get pretty anxious if I don't see her for a couple of minutes. But I know it is impossible to have your eye always completely fixed on your child, especially as I also have a 3 year old (who certainly needs to have an eye kept on always). Also, when my DD is with her older friends/cousins (age 7 ish) then I know, again, I ought perhaps to be more relaxed about not having her in my sight, but I still freak out a bit about it! Generally I reckon I probably do need to get a bit more relaxed, but wondering what other parents think ...

I think you sound a bit anxious, if we are talking about an enclosed area, such as a playground. In more open areas of the park, tell her that she must be able to see you, or set rules about how far she can go.

Make sure she knows the rules, and that might include having a little talk about never going anywhere with anyone else. Teach her your mobile phone number and tell her who she should approach if she is lost or worried

i think you are way too overprotective.be in the playground, or nearby, by all means, but to not want her out of your line of sight is ridiculous.She's not a baby.When my dtandparents were that age they were walking 3 miles to school and 3 miles home agin alone.It is a playground full of equipment specially designed for children to play on.

When DD1 (6) and DD2 (2.5) are in the playground, I always keep my eye on the little one but DD1 often disappears for a few minutes playing with her friends. It's only a small playground but can be rather busy after school. She wouldn't go anywhere - say, out of the playground and into the field without asking me, but still, I think "Oh I hope J is ok!" and look round for her when I can't see her. So I think it's entirely normal.

Also in our street, 6 y olds play out on their bikes, which is nice and J has just started playing out a bit with them, though they are an 'older' six and in the same year but born towards the beginning of the school year whereas her birthday is at the end. It kind of feels ok, that she is sensible enough and it feels mean not to let her but also the worry is still there. I think you have to let them take small and appropriate risks though.

Oh no YANBU. Foolishly the other week I took DS 5 and his friend who is 7 to the park. The boy seemed to turn into Houdini and spent the entire time disappearing from my sight, bringing DS with them, I had my heart in my mouth the whole trip it was a nightmare as I know DS is not old enough to navigate all the stuff the older boy was on but wouldn't want to appear babyish to his friend.

For the record DS gets a reasonable amount of freedom he is allowed to walk to his friends house ( next door) unescorted and come back when its meal time, but there is something about parks that set me on edge. I guess it's because there aren't neighbours there that you know, you don't know the other parents, I really hate the mindset that there is a peodophilie behind each corner, but I do believe that in the rare event there was one about they are likely to hang out where a large number of children are congregated, so I don't think its unreasonable to keep them in sight at that age.

I think it's natural to worry about them I have 3 dcs (5,3 &1) and although they're sensible (the older 2) I always watch them in the park and wouldn't dream of letting them go alone even though it's at the end of our street in a smallish village. However one wee girl I see has been out everyday whatever the weather since she was about 2 or 3.I once found her in my garden after 7pm when she couldn't have been more than 3. Our houses also back on to a motorway sliproad! I would rather be overprotective than not protective enough and regret it.

I lost mine in a playground earlier this year. They are 6 and 4. Husband and I sat on a nearby bench, they knew where we were, and they went to play in a nearby fort thing.

Five minutes later they had not reappeared. They had gone out of the other side of the fort thing and wandered off.

We were at a National Trust property, luckily bigger one had a moment of sense, and went up to one of the stewards and explained that they were lost - we caught up with them sitting in reception and drinking juice.

At our local playground I am more relaxed because they know not to go out of the gate.