To not let my 6 year old play out in the street without me or dh?

[Celestia26]

Struggling to work out if I am just being over protective?

We live on a fairly quiet cul-de-sac where there are lots of families. Seeing as it's summer and the holidays, lots of children have started playing out in the street together (no parents). My son has just turned 6 and wants to join them. My husband thinks yes, I think no.
Most of the other kids are older than him, 7-8 at the youngest, but most are 11-13. AIBU to say he can't play out until he's a bit older? He's a bit of a follower and if the older kids tell him to do something dangerous he would probably just do it. I want him to be safe but I don't want to wrap him in cotton wool either!

Opinions please?

My six year old half does ... it's more ambling from her house to a neighbours with possible stopping to play on the grass in the square we all look out on ...

I wouldn't let mine in a million years! I've just started letting my 9 year old go to the park down the road - there's a relatively busy road to cross and I don't want an unaccompanied 6yo anywhere near it!

Dd is 7 in September and has been playing out without us for a few weeks. Only if she's with a friend though and stays within sight. She has a quiet road right outside our house to cross then it's a big patch of grass where kids aged 5-12 play out. They go in and out of each other's gardens too but parents text each other re which one and I check on Dd every 15 minutes or so and have the window or door open so I can always hear her.

I wouldn't let my 6 year old. Too young.

No
It doesn't matter how quiet your area is. Weigh up the pros against the cons. How bad would it be if something went wrong ?
I've got no problem saying it's irresponsible to let young children out on their own or under the watch of older children. There's no such thing as a sensible four year old

It's the "follower" bit that would concern me.

Jarhead - so you smother your little snowflake instead?

I find it odd on here how everyone lets their kids play out but then say they wouldn't leave that age home alone.

I find this odd too.

I would not let my 6 year old out to play alone, however I recognise that he wants to play with this friends so I would set myself up in the front garden with a deckchair and a gin & tonic to keep an eye on him.

We used to live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac de sac, all the kids played out from the age of about 5. Mine certainly did. It was fine.

I wouldn't either and I never will, it's not what I want for them.

You will NEVER let your kids be without you, Blue?!

Absolutely I would - and do. He's six, not three.

In the area I live in I would say no unless you can see him at all times

I would let him if he is likely to follow rules. My DD plays out since 6 and it happened by accident a wee girl chapped the door and I couldn't say no as didn't have a reason also my DD is shy so didn't want to discourage her.
At first she was only allowed in front of our row, then round the block, now anywhere in our estate as built up trust she is where she says she will be and she knows the first time she isnt she will be grounded. Also I have got to know the other children and they are nice so I have no worries there.

I think it's great for her to develop friendships, keeps her active rather than on computer and develop their own games.

If you don't think he is ready that's fair enough though. Personally had I not been thrown in the deep end I don't know when I would have been ready!

My daughter is just turned 7 and I don't let her out to play. She is allowed her friend from a few houses away in to play and we have a large back garden.

It depends where you live and what your neighbours children are like. We've lived in three places where children play out. Two, including where we live now, were fantastic, with happy, healthy children and safe neighbourhoods. One was not.