AIBU to dislike seven-year-olds playing out of sight in the woods?

[Dontwanttobeahelicopter]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm a helicopter parent. Often in the summer months, our child's class will go to a big field in the village (next to a playground and wooded area), have a few drinks and the children all merrily play. It's a lovely community BUT my problem is that my daughter, who's just turned 7, is the most curious little soul and will constantly go off into the woods, where there is a very shallow stream, high trees and and deeper in also a lot of rubbish unfortunately. The other parents let their kids go off out of sight without checking on them for ages however my problem is that the wood opens up at the top leading to a river and it's really easy for the kids to get carried away!

AIBU to not really like kids playing out of sight at age 7??

At 7, surely you give the kids boundaries : don't go past this rock, don't climb higher than that branch, stay together etc. if you don't trust your DD then don't take her or take her and don't let her play out of sight or check on them more
often 🤷‍♀️

I think it’s natural that you don’t like it since your dd isn’t able to follow rules about the area to stay in. I wouldn’t allow my child to be out of sight if they were like your dd.

Of course YANBU to dislike it, but it's on you to impose strict boundaries to your child instead of following the others.

Other parents will be thinking they are building independence and when there's a group, it's a good time to do it.

I don't know what the woods are like where you live, but I'm my area I'd be concerned about my kids coming across used syringes, condoms, discarded drug-related detritus, bottles of urine, dog shit, and- potentially- homeless people, drug addicts, and criminals.

I live near a similar place OP. I tell my almost-7-year-old that he has to stay where I can see him and if he wants to explore elsewhere, come and get me to go with him. I don’t think this is old enough to be out of sight.

If it wasn’t for the river I’d probably say give her a whistle, that’s what we use for woods and bike rides where a child is out of sight.

The river adds an extra layer of risk. If you aren’t comfortable with it you need to hold
the boundary with your daughter that she can go as far as x or similar. Even if other families do something different.

Oh no, sorry to hear that! No concerns about that, it's more about tripping over a tree or just straying too far away..

Yeah exactly, I don't want to deprive her of adventures, and she craves independence! I'm just thinking we used to do it all the time that age and were absolutely fine!

you can be very specific and tell her she must stay with friends at all time, unless they go to a place she finds dangerous.

People complain about phones, but it makes such a difference when they go with their phone out of sight but you can follow the tracker so you can go to them in minutes!

I don't think playing out of sight is a problem, but not around water.

We had rules that our dc couldnt go to the stream near us alone.

Your feelings are understandable but it’s time to land your helicopter and start letting your child develop.

A lot of this is going to depend what sort of kid you have.

the kind that goes off and merrily finds every danger and gets into trouble - problrm

the kind that you have to prise off your side and never leaves your sight anyway - fine.

what are you actually specifically worried about? The river? Going too far and getting lost?

write each of the risks down and think about what you can do to stop them happening.

Thank you. I probably do. I get immediately into a panic when I can't find her straightaway (by which I mean, within 30 seconds)

I think at 7 years old I’d probably follow at a distance to keep an eye on her, but let her feel a bit independent.