to feel sorry for kids who are always playing out

[vodkanchocolate]

Probilly sounding very judgmental here. On our bit of street we have 2 families who never seem to do anything with their kids they are just playing out constantly I often wonder when they manage to go in for tea/dinner let alone baths, homework etc.

So yesterday dinner was time for us to go out go find my eldest dd who said why cant she play out with the others explained we are going to see an elderly relative whos about celebrate her 80th then we can call to the near by park this girl was listneing in and said thats laim fair enough not the most entertaining day for a 9 year old but the younger ones enjoyed themselves. Got back tea time and the bunch of same kids were still all i the street aged ranges from 4-12 and apparently one of the kids have said to my 2 eldest that Im stuck up and trying to stop them playing with the other kids. Why the hell would an 8 year old come out with that comment.

My kids do play out particully my 9 year old and never stopped her playing with anyone theres the odd incident where ill say think you best come away for a bit to avoid something.

Its same after school eve on a school night during summer months out until 9pm some nights wonder where the hell they find time to do stuff.

Sorry on phone today typing not very good.

That's a bit sad, we have kids like that here too. One lad comes to our door several times a day and hangs about outside waiting if we go out etc.

He is lovely but I think he must be very lonely.

I always try to get them out in the holidays or weekend want them to experience lots of different places and activities. Would love to know why that is stuck up. The kids on street are all fallig out and gettig into mischief and its because they are bored.

I know what you mean. There's a handful of kids where I live, and I honestly wonder if their parents would be able to pick them out of a line up. They seem to be out all day and until well into the evening. Even when it's raining and the other kids have gone inside, they're still wandering around.

I can't see anything wrong?

Sounds very 70's.

Dd had a friend like that too would never take no for an answer that shes not playing out. Shes actually recently gone to live with her grandparents so hoping shes happier with her brothers there. Mums still i house over road think shes on drugs

What i wonder aswell is what exactly the mums are doing i this time they never seem to show there face would drive me crazy in house all the time

My dd loves playing out YABU

We do go out as a family but given the choice she would rather play out with her friends

So it isn't that they play outside all day?

It probably concerning you as you think there might be trouble at home?

When training playworkers, I ask them about their best memories of playing as a child. They almost always talk about unsupervised, free play - just hanging out with friends.

There's a lot of children like this in the next village on from me, I think playing out unsupervised is important to help them become independent and street wise but not all day every day!
The children I see are aged 7-12 ish and they play football on the grass which is lovely but then their younger siblings come out who are aged 3-4 and they're running about next to a main road
I can't imagine it would take much for one of them to run out onto the road chasing the ball.

Their mothers are well known in the village for taking and dealing drugs and having teenagers round doing drugs with them. A very odd set up!

I think kids need a balance. Out all the time they may feel bored lonely and neglected (if not out by own choice which in my experience many of them aren't) in all the time and they loose something as well.

I think there is a big difference between free unsupervised play and just being permenently unsupervised

Well maybe i am been stuck up? My daughter 9 loves playing out but im not having them on the street all day maybe when shes older i might start leaving her with neighbours i trust so she can. These kids are bored silly hence why they are gettig into mischief. Eg 6year old boy throwing twigs at passing cars.

A balance is what i want for my kids. The kids on street seem to be really jealous everytime we come back from somewhere. I refuse to stay in for more than one day in the holidays

That's like where my DD lives. My Dgd plays out with the others but some are out all the time. There's one who's only about 6 who's out in all weathers, runs back and forth across a busy road, which gets a lot of traffic including buses. Parents don't seem to care.

I'd rather play out than visit an elderly relative during school hols and I'm all grown up.

I don't get the whole playing out thing! I never did it, my DC don't. I don't see children in my road doing it.

I think nowadays the only children who play out are those from chaotic homes. The only children I ever see playing out near me, are from a very rough estate half a mile down the road.

yanbu ds had a freinds(twins) who were even calling for him on xmas day.
found it sad, another one was always as well.

Kids playing out are from chaotic homes???

I'll let my parents know!! Talk about a mass generalisation. We played out, there were loads of us and we would be out all day in the summer. It was great and I have fond memories of trying to build dens and playing complicated games involving 20 odd kids running about.

My kids play out too. The younger one and dsd play out on scooters, or take a ball up to the grass and play there. We do not have a chaotic home and are very average thank you.

Depends. I think too many kids have too little time to just kick around outdoors tbh! It is so important for them. If they are being ignored full stop of course that is different.

I do, rather.

The great 70s and 80s childhoods often heralded on here as some sort of child utopia were, in my view, neglectful and potentially highly dangerous.

Mine play outside in the garden but absolutely not on the street.

I don't think anyone on here, apart from one poster, has any objections to children playing out a lot during the Summer. It's the kids who always seem to be out, even after the other kids have gone home for tea or been called in for the night, and they are left either wandering aimlessly around or bored and causing annoyance and hassle to other neighbours.

And children of 4 and 5 wandering unsupervised around a housing estate, crossing roads etc are definitely being irresponsibly parented.

I wish my 2 were playing out right now! Would curb the XBox angst.
They declined a "day out" today; they'll head over to the park later when all their friends are playing out.

The chaos in this house is due their poor tidying up skills. I think there are some quite nasty generalisations on this thread.

And never staying at home for more than one day during the hols?! That would drive me mad! Kids need time to decompress, scheduling constant activities does not allow that. Being at home, learning to amuse themselves is hugely important IMO. We are lucky to be rural and have a big, interesting garden, allotment over the road et c and when the weather is good, (and even when less than good) it is common to barely see mine for hours because they are up a tree or watching the chickens or whatever.

I constantly played out as a child, by choice . I bitterly regret that where I live means my children can't.

So, YABMASSIVELYU