to let 7 yo out on his own?

[Flojo1979]

We have a field at the back of our house, but the fence runs down so ds would have to walk up the road to get on to it, he wants to go throw his boomerang around, just about to put dd to bed.
Is he old enough to go?

I would hope to have my dd1 (3) playing out by the time she is 7 but you know him. Is he sensible? Will he stay in the field?

Only you know that really. I used to play out all day when I was that age, but it was a different time then, and we lived in a quiet village where everyone knew each other. Is he sensible?

Can you still see the field?

As long as he isn't going to get over confident and wander somewhere else and your neighbourhood is safe, then i might let him.

This isn't really for strangers on the internet to decide, tbh.

I would't no, though it is hard to say why.

He is sensible, but very sweet n naive.
Its a quiet village.
But I always worried of the what ifs.

I would. I let my 7 year old out. He knows where he can and can't go and if I shout he is able to hear me.

I wouldn't.

What could happen to him? I would (then again my ds is only 4 at the moment so may change my mind!).

I'd let my 5yo do it, but then again we live in the middle of nowhere so there are no cars.

If you are worried about the road, can he climb over the fence?

My 7yo is out at the moment. We live in a quiet side street, he knows he is forbidden to go in the road - and he is playing with his 8yo pal outside pal's house anyway.

But I do think the age at which you let DC play out depends on the individual DC and, more importantly, on where you live ie how car-free it is.

I let my now 10yo son start playing out of the garden at 7. But only at the park to the rear of our home, i could see him from the kitchen window. The more he proved he was responsible enough to play out like that, over time, the further from home we let him go. Having said that, we live in a village and there are only quiet roads around for him to cross over. Kids need freedom to grow and playing away from the family home IMO is vitally important in building up their confidence, helps them exercise and makes them gain some kind of 'common sense' IYKWIM? Although none of my children have the freedom to play like i did at their ages. Im sure things arent any worse really, but the media coverage of the bad things that do happen are enough to scare me into keeping them closer to home.

Is it a public playing field or part of a farm?

My 7 and 5 year olds play outside alone. Quiet village, cul de sac, know everyone.

We live near Craven Cottage. At 7 I let my son walk down our road, around corner, cross road on pedestrian traffic lights, buy stuff from corner shop and come back. Admittedly, the first few times I was following him, hiding like a ninja behind parked cars/trees/parking meters.

BUT he is very sensible and had done the journey hundreds of times before with an adult. He took the responsibility very seriously.

Something like this is completely dependent on the actual child - my SIL will not let her 9 yo DS do a similar trip on his own as he is dizzy and would be so busy thinking about the precise distance from Jupiter to Mars he might walk into the road.

My 7 year old plays out round our estate if with older friends and is allowed to his friends 5 mins away but mustn't go elsewhere if he says he's going there. We have a park out the front so he's mainly there. Yanbu but depends on the child, can he jump over the fence?

I think it is a fear of the unknown thing for me. We live very inner city, my ds has just turned 8 and for the last year-ish I have been letting him go to the shop for me (end of our road, no roads to cross) and I will let him go up and down the road on his scooter and am thinking about letting him do 'blocks'.

However the though of him playing alone in an empty field gives me the heebie jeebies, but I have never lived anywhere rural, I can well imagine those who do might find what I let ds do far more worrying iyswim.

Is there a friend who could go with him? That would make me happier about it.
I do not and will not let my DD out while living where I do because of the hideous neighbours, but I might, living where you live with a friend.

will he be alone or are his friends there? i think even the most sensible children are vulnerable on their own. can you see the field to keep an eye on him?

I can see the field, its just when he goes down the side street I can't see him and cars could come, tho there's only 3 houses down there so shouldn't be any cars really and becauses its bumpy off road they r usually crawling along. Tho my imagination goes in to overdrive of what if they were reversing and didn't see him and he didn't understand that cars go backwards too etc!
Where we live there isn't really many children around for him to go with, catch 22 really because he doesn't play out then he doesn't really see any other kids so noone really.

This is one question you can not ask Mumsnet

With the best will in the world...none of us know your 7yr old or your area.

Is there anyone in RL you can talk this over with?

Agree with WorraLiberty - depends hugely on the child and area etc...

I don't let my 8 yr old on his own because he's not 'ready' yet but I know 5 year olds running errands to the shop across busy roads.

my ds 7yrs is road savy but i wouldnt let him play alone.

I asked my mum and she said let him go and call him back after 20 mins and start from there.