If your 6 year old is playing near you do you...

[drspouse]

Sit where the 6 year old can see you (and so can random adults who come across the 6 year old) or
Sit where you can see the 6 year old but don't worry if nobody can see that the 6 year old has an adult visible?
Said child came up to me and my two DCs (older one is 10 and is sensible enough to play alone/with DC2 but I was there). Asked to go on the big bowl swing with them.
I asked where their mum or dad were. Was told they were inside the pub (next to park, you can see park from pub but can't see inside - there are seats outside but they are empty).
I told 6 year old he needed to go back because we couldn't see that there were adults with them.
Child told me "BUT I'M 6 I'M BIG" 🤣
I told child to come with me to pub. Child ran ahead, I checked there was a parent in the window seat, all good, felt I'd done my duty. Didn't talk to parents and child came out again but I knew child was being watched.
Next thing dad came out and shouted at me. I pointed out I could actually have called police and in fact just checked there WAS a parent.
YABU: this is adequate supervision and I could have believed 6 year old
YANBU: parents should be where child (and random other adults) can see they are watching.

@Georgeskitchen

Well if I took that stance I would be chasing people left right and centre in the pub gardens in the summer. I’m not there to police the world, I’m there to supervise my own children.

Like I said, I found a young boy randomly hiding behind my car one day and took action.

Common sense applies.

@NoKnit

Also sounds like you have children who can't speak for themselves. Surely the 6 year old was asking your kids to play with your oldest being 10 I'm sure they can actually speak for themselves? How odd

The child spoke to me, not my DCs. I had no idea if he was telling the truth about his parents being able to see him, he could have been confused or lying at that age.

It’s tricky. I’m semi rural and a lot of people here let children as young as four play on the lane / in the park unsupervised. Being from a city, I find it odd, and I don’t parent that way myself, but it isn’t as unusual as you seem to think. I wouldn’t intervene if another adult had chosen to leave their 6 yr old like that unless I thought the child was in danger.

I would rather interfere and get glared at than do nothing about a child that could be in danger

Oh I hate this shit. Like you know you'll be judged for looking for them but what if they've actually walked off from their parents?

At Center Parcs last year myself and DH was watching our 4yo when a must have been around 2yo fell off a massive climbing frame designed for older kids. No parent in sight. Looking for parent when massively chavvy lad came storming out of pub. Accused my 4yo of hurting him, then squared up to my husband IN the park. He ended up having to be removed by security. My son still says 'trouble makers, like that man in the park'.

I would probably have just let child play. Possibly asked where his parents were but not sort them out.

I wouldn’t leave a 6yr old home alone (and would probably contact Ss if I found one was home alone) so I certainly wouldn’t leave one in the park if I couldn’t see an adult. I think you did the right thing OP.