to bring my kids in from playing.................

[iliketosleep]

DD1 7 and DD2 6 go out every evening and nearly all day saturday and sunday to play with their friends. They only go to the bottom of the cul de sac which is about 6 doors down from us so isn't a problem.

The thing that is troubling me is that I call them in at 8pm apart from on a sunday when its in at 6 for sunday 'dinner', bath and bed ready for the following school day. I think this is more than ok for kids their age but their friends are allowed to stop out until around 9pm. The friends are of the same age or younger, dd1 is the eldest of them all. When I bring DDs in they can hear their friends laughing and screaming down the road and I feel really guilty that I have brought them in

They dont complain about it but i keep thinking maybe im being to uptight?

Its also the same when it rains, it could be bucketing it down and i will call them in and their freinds will just go and get umbrellas and stay out there.

Am I too over protective??

Used to tell my nieces that the children across the road would end up down the labour exchange with a dog on a string because they played out so late on school nights. This was not appreciated by my sil when it was repeated to the children's Mother by my niece.

I think it's wrong of the parents to let them stay out so late, it's not fair on the children themselves. They must be shattered by the time they come in and possibly quite difficult to control/manage due to tiredness and IMO, excessive freedom. Combine tired kids and tired parents and what do you get, mayhem. The child gets told off just before bedtime. Not fair.

You are unreasonable about the rain, though - they're not made of sugar!

Perfectly reasonable about the time - mine are in earlier.

Whoever it was said about the 10 year old and cycling to the pool - I think you should let him go. If you feel strongly about helmets (I'm ambivalent about them) them wearing a helmet should be a condition of going. But you should let him go. IMHO.

True, I just hate the thought of them out there getting drenched or if a car comes up the road in the wet and brakes sharp.....

Paranoid moi???

seeker, It was me re the pool convo. I know it's you op, but are you mad?

He 10 fgs

The dangers-2 miles away, busy road(main route in town all downhill) bravado with mates, massively deep pool, perverts possibly and a responsible adult not present.

Let him go you say? Over my dead body.

me?

My last post addressed to 'seeker'

sorry i get a bit confused with what an OP is, I thought it was the person who started the thread

sorry, 'op' as in opinion, my mistake

No harm done

I've been letting my dd go to the pool with her friends since she was 8(as soon as the pool rules said she could). At that age I dropped her off and picked her up. By the time she was 10 she was cycling or getting the bus - again with friends. No, I'm not mad. I like my children to develop independence and have some freedom.

My DS is usually in bed by 8pm, if not then he is certainly bathed and in PJ's doing his reading. I have seen kids as young as 4 and 5 out playing while my DS is in the bath and was wondering why they weren't being bathed and tucked up in bed being read a lovely story! Think I am a bit overprotective though.

I think 9 and 10 is too late as well, partly for the level of sleep kids need but also selfishly TBH - kids playing out is all part of the summer days but 9 and 10 o'clock at night is adult time if you ask me, to sit out and have some peace and quiet if you want to

I think YANBU wrt the times but YABu bringing them in in the rain. I can remember coming in earlier than my friends on sundays but I didn't mind because we allways had a nice 'family time' on Sunday eves. (crumpets in front of the fire type thing)