To think that allowing young children to "play out" is a safeguarding concern?

[LongTimeLurker234]

Was just wondering how people feel about children between the ages of say, 6/7/8/9 "playing out" unsupervised by adults for hours, and without a phone. Going to the local parks, shops etc... Are there any laws about it?

I'm posting this because I'm actually concerned for some children, not just because of this issue alone but this is part of it.

YABU- playing out is normal
YANBU - safeguarding concern

Depends on the location. There’s a vast difference between allowing children to play out on a city main road than a short, single street with a park at the end of the street.

Kids have always played out in my area. Nobody has suffered/died from playing out… yet

Fear of crime is more of an issue than crime itself…….that’s what I was taught on my criminology degree. That rates of crimes such as kidnapping, child abductions and murders aren’t any higher now than in the 50s/60s when playing out was more normal. But we think rates are higher because of the media.

Look at you and your facts !

Without giving all the facts as you see them I will continue to say that you are unreasonable.
All you have said is that children from 6-9 play out for an extended period without an adult present, that's it. No mention of location, time of day or length of time. If you think that kids shouldn't be out of sight, then possibly you think an hour is an absurdly long time, others may be imaging 8 hours!
To me you are either being presumptuous and slightly arrogant in thinking your way is best, or possibly anxious and are trying to prevent you blaming yourself in an event that these children come to harm.

@LongTimeLurker234 To some extent it depends on what is the norm in your area. Where my siblings live, kids play out, initially supervised but eventually unsupervised when they are a bit older.

Where I live, it would be unusual in a similar sort of area.

I think if you have concerns it is no harm to mention them to the school. When Ds was in primary a friend came to the house wanting to know if Ds could go into town with him. I said no (early evening, getting dark, shops shut). I invited him to come in instead but he wouldn’t. Years later that kid has messed up his life in a big way & it has transpired there was a lot of neglect. I suspect now he was out & about because there were no adults at home.

Me too, I was born in 1969 & very grateful for that.

.? .?

It's true, culture of fear etc but still I think the harms then were minimised plus traffic is way bigger. I don't think the vast majority of people are a risk, some are, but it's more about crossing roads, falling over or out of a tree etc than people being more dangerous now.

Its normal here in Ireland, for most.

My sister is one of those weirdos who only let's her children outside the garden if she has organised it and can stand over them, walking up and down beside them. It's such a sad sight, always breathing down the kids necks.
Its particularly cringy watching her do it to her nearly 9 year old.

Yes, roads are very probably more of a risk now.

I can’t imagine it’s a safeguarding risk unless/until something happens. Certainly lots of primary school kids in our village out on the sports field with no parental supervision. I let Dd out on her own when she was in Year 6. Rule was she wasn’t allowed over the “A road”. At weekends she was allowed to catch the bus into town with two friends.

Oh and someone did threaten to report me to social services for letting my 10yo play out. I smiled and said I’d stop (and carried on).

It's common in my area for children to play out in the street from about 4, usually only with kids a couple of years older. Very common to hear parents calling them for about 20 minutes at dinner time because they have no idea where they've gone. It's not too busy a street and the vast majority of people know to slow down because children play out.

I allow my infant school age children to play at the front of our house with myself or my husband keeping an eye, but I wouldn't leave them out there alone. I'm quite unusual in my area in that respect though.

It’s not just the risk of abduction, as you said it’s traffic, it’s also dangerous dogs, it’s being subject to things as a child you’re too young to see. We all make calls when out with our children to keep them safe, primary school aged children aren’t mentally equipped to make these judgement calls themselves.

primary school aged children aren’t mentally equipped to make these judgement calls themselves.

They always used to be. 🤷‍♀️

Oh and someone did threaten to report me to social services for letting my 10yo play out

🤣🤣 People are fucking mental

In two minds on it all- we lived in front of a Green and next to a cul-de-sac and parents just let their kids off- myself or neighbours would regularly have to come out because a dog had wandered over/ a fight was going on (big argument with pushing not a riot to be fair!!)/ some dodgy looking teens or older kids had come along / someone had fallen or fallen off a bike or gotten hurt somehow. Parents were never ever there and in some cases you had kids as young as 4 there who’d chase a ball onto the road further up. I once met a parent whose 6 yo played there and she said it was a godsend to send them out. I said ‘Jesus I hate living there, I’m the one who watches all the kids and I have 2 of my own that aren’t even old enough to go out!’ and she said nothing. There’s lovely rose tinted glasses going on here but kids under 11/12/13 need adults doing some form of parenting!!!

Everyone over 40 must have been neglected ! FFS

Mothers also used to smoke when pregnant- but ahh yes let’s look back on the good old times

Indeed

Think I had run away from home at least 5 times before I was 10 - always made it home in time for tea though

Yes we squabbled and had fights and learnt how to rub along with others and settle disputes

Yes I sometimes got lost , and developed a sense of direction

primary school aged children aren’t mentally equipped to make these judgement calls themselves.

Someone better tell the primary school children who live in the inner city here! (8-12years)
They walk to/from school alone every day and play out all the time, go to the shops, to the city park etc. I teach a sport in the city, they walk to that too. Even on weekends I see them out all the time. Theyre all fine. Absolutely fine.

No they didn’t- people just didn’t give a shit.
we also didn’t have porn on phones, American xl Bully’s weren’t around, escooters weren’t racing around.

Smoking is bad for health

Playing outside and learning independence is good for physical health and mental resilience

You can do the latter without being left alone- I’m always out and about with my young children, it’s called parenting!

Some folk are just nuts.

Of course a 12 year old can walk by themselves- do you think a 5yr old should? Good luck asking the school teacher to allow them to walk off after the school bell alone.