Kids out playing

[InScotlandwetrust]

So I have two DCs 7 and 5. As its summer all the local children are out playing, ranging in age from 4 up to 15. They aren't all playing together. No one else seems to be watching their kids and I feel like the over protective mum.

The other kids are allowed to go anywhere they want where as I like to see where my 2 are and I ask them not to move from the grass out the front of the house.

To give an idea of the street, it is a housing scheme of sorts. It's a circle with 11 different streets and around 150 houses in each street. It has a busy road running around the outside.

So aibu to make my kids stay where I can see/hear them or am I being overprotective and should let them go with their friend?

In that situation I think I would do the same as you till they are a bit older. 7 still seems very young to be out and about, specially considering they would essentially be responsible for the 5 yr old!

Yanbu. Mine are a little older now but at that age they did need to stay on the green more or less outside the house. Relaxed the rules a bit when I was gardening or other adults were out there. They weren't allowed to roam other streets, even forty-forty hiding places had to be within the close.

I don't let ds play out of my sight. He's 5. I'm baffled when we go to the park & there are totally unsupervised Dc of the same age.

I would maybe let the 7 yr old go a bit further so long as they stayed on the street. Difficult when you have a 5 yo that will want to as well. And of course it depends on how sensible your kids are.

Stick to whatever you are comfortable with, no need to loosen your rules just because the other children are allowed further afield. Though also think back to your own childhood and what level of freedom you had - the world isn't any more dangerous in terms of bad strangers but traffic is more dangerous now but it seems the busy road is on the outside of the circle so I guess its not so busy within?

I let my 5 year old play out the full length of my road but its very quiet with speed bumps and no one goes on it unless they live there or they're going to the church at the end.

They are currently out the front playing with one of their friends. The little boys stays across the road from us and there is definitely no way his mum can see him. Anything could happen to that little boy and she wouldn't know.

My DS aged 6 is allowed to play out as long as he remembers the rules: stay within sight of the house, don't go off with anyone, don't talk to strangers. He is good at sticking to the rules and I trust him.

Unsupervised roaming at 5 and 7 does sound a bit unreasonable, but there are plenty of kids round here that do it, and I used to, at the same age.

They start roaming from age 3 where I live! Now the neighbour has had a new baby I expect the toddler will soon be allowed to join his older brothers and sisters outside (even I find that a bit too lax but I expect the parents have grown up in this safe atmosphere and feel more relaxed than I do as an outsider)

Yanbu. My children post in our garden, not out of my sight.

I would be constantly worried if I just let them wander around. You don't know who is around.

The road is just the other side of those trees. My DD7 is very sensible, knows not to go off with anyone she doesn't know, knows how to cross a road etc but she can give into peer pressure. DS5 isn't as sensible as DD. He knows about going off with people but forgets about the road.

I was allowed to play up and down my street when younger. My mum could see me out the front window and my friends mum could see us as well. So we could be seen from the top and bottom of the street.
I was also allowed to walk home from school from 5 and I wouldn't dream of letting my 7 year old do it, even though it's the same school and distance.

Looks like lots of room for them to play OP, that should be enough for now if that's what you are comfortable with.

I agree with you. My sis 'lost' her 9 year old for 4 hours one summer when he went to play with a neighbour (sameish age) and they went from out front, to over to the park, to down to the beach front for an ice cream - they were about 2 miles away when she finally found them after driving round in the car.
That was 20 years ago - she's never got over the 'what if's.

I can't relax unless I can at least hear them, most of the time I can see them. DD is always reminded DS to play where I can see him.
I'm currently watching 4 kids, one who I don't even know.

Do you have a front garden? When mine were that age and in a similar situation (street with lots of free range kids, one of mine a bit young to play out ) I put a climbing frame in the front garden and invited their friends in. You could then graduate to them playing out while you are outside (good excuse for a deckchair in the sun)

Yeah got a front garden but it's tiny so they're just across the path on the green. I am tempted to get a few outdoor games and get them all to join in. Get some swing ball, space hoppers, a football etc.

sounds like a good idea, maybe a set of cones for a bike route or a soft frisbee.
(at which point the parents who haven't been watching their kids will start worrying about their cars, I'm afraid, but hey)