To think DS is far too young to be playing out in the street (sparked by the other thread)

[lilacclaire]

This issue has annoyed me since last summer, I also live in a cul de sac and all the other kids (same age, younger and a year or two older) are allowed to run up and down it.

Now DS who has just turned 4 in Jan screams to be allowed to do the same.

I flatly refuse him to be out of my sight, he isn't street wise like some of these kids and I know if he hurt himself, he would just lie there crying wondering where I was.

I'm sure the neighbours think im being pfb, but I really think he is far too young.

One of the neighbours allows her grandson to run to the very end of the cul de sac (she can't see this from her house) and look out onto a busy road, he is one year younger than my ds and I first noticed this last summer.

The cars also scoot up and down our cul de sac as it is quite long.

Last summer ds hadn't even started nursery, im dreading this summer, the other kids are welcome to play in the garden, but of course they get bored and run back into the street, cue lots of screaming from ds to be allowed out as well.

So am I being pfb, I don't think I am. Opinions please.

lol at "rough" "lazy" and "dirty". We live in a very middle class area, with manicured gardens and everything. Dear God we get looked down on if our door knob isn't kept shiny!

So DD is allowed out to play with her friends in the front cul-de-sac - how does that make me lazy or to busy to give a shit? I'm proud that she's making friends herself and that she isn't tied to my apron strings.

WTF is streetwise anyway? What does that really mean? I had common sense without having to mix with unsupervised children in the street.

divine why on earth would kids being allowed to play outside mean that they have busy/lazy parents? would you rather they were inside watching tv or on their computers instead of outside playing?

stranger still is you calling them 'rough'

Play outside in a garden, park, lots of places.....
When I was younger the children who played in the street were rough.

lots of young kids play out on our street, the parents never go out and play with them or even pop out to supvervise from time to time.

yes i also think it's lazy and rough.

PMSL at Coldtit's Gaza comment!

lmoa @ devine, stick and arse spring to mind

Good Lord

Whilst I think 4 is too young I dont think kids playing in the street is indicative of lazy, rough parents.

We live in East London ( I know, how dreadful for us } and we are lucky enough to live around a green. The only cars that come in are those that belong to residents. In the nice weather the green is alive with kids playing. Its wonderful. They have their usual spats and squabbles, they learn to get along, to watch out for each other, to work out who is trouble and who is not. They learn about life and they have a lovely time playing football, tag, rounders. I have yet to see any 5 year olds swigging back breezers and offering BJs for the price of a fag.

Yep if you came to our street you would think we were 'rough'. Quite a few of the families would not look out of place on shameless but it doesnt mean they dont care about their children. There are always parents keeping an eye out (obviously because we are all workshy scummers and have nothing better to do), My 6 year old doesnt play out yet because he has developmental delay but when he is ready he will. We used to live in a 3rd floor flat and when we moved here it was heaven for DD and DS1. They could play out for the first time. DS1's behaviour improved no end and they made loads of new friends.

I love it when the sunshines and the green is full of happy, noisy kids even if they are dressed in fake uggs and moody burberry

4 is too young. My dd is 4 and she is most annoyed that the boys across the road (7 and 4) get to play in the street. The younger one has been out and about, running across the road etc since he was 3.

They don't learn road sense ime. Neither of the boys displays any - they never check for cars before they dash out. It makes me anxious.

Dd doesn't understand - she knows the younger boy is the same age as she is. Life's tough sometimes. I would rather deal with dd's anger than deal with her being hit by a car.

It's easier for me though, the two boys are the only ones in our street who are out and about. (Other kids nearby are much older)

To be honest its the unsupervised 15 year olds who tend to cause problems - not the unsupervised 4 year olds....

My dd is not rough - she and her other 5yr old friend tend to play in the front garden dressed as fairies looking for frogs.

Oh wait - though according to above playing in front garden in fine - its only when they venture off the grass onto the tarmac that they become rough..

lol and "lazy and rough"

God you're right, get them in the house staring at the DS, quick

when I was younger we were put out the front in the morning after breakfast and told to be back for lunch, then tea etc

we certainly weren't rough, we just wanted to play with our friends and our parents didn't want to entertain a hoard of kids in their houses so we played in the fields/parks/gardens about the house and came in when the street lights came on

time change but the need for kids to run free and have a bit of freedom doesn't

jeanpoole how do you know that the parents dare not playing or supervising them?

And what if you live in a flat and don't have a garden? When my son was 4 I would have had to walk around thirty minutes to reach a park...which I tried to do every other day...but sometimes I would open my front window and sit on the ledge (groundfloor) and watch my son and his friend line their toy cars up on the pavement. Not ideal - but at least he was outside in the fresh air.

dd, because i'm doing lot of work on my house and garden and have been out there for months, well a year really.
have never seen one single parent play with them or pop out once.
there's a nice park at the end of our street too.
but the parents never take them there.

Yes

My comments about road sense = referring to pre-school children

YANBU. Letting kids out that young these days is insane. I was allowed to play out around the neighbourhood when i was around 6 years old, i had an older sister though and it was safer back then.

I wouldn't be letting my ds out that young.

Meant to add - I possibly looked 'rough' siting in the window with my cup of tea looking out at the street...but why should that be different than if I was sitting by an open julienne balcony sipping a glass of wine looking over my large garden??

The children in my street all play out in the street, on bikes, scooters, rollerblades etc. They play games with each other, run in and out of each others back gardens. They have a great time, they are unsupervised apart from parents having a quick look from time to time.

They have fun and exercise, why would I bundle my DDs into a car to drive them to a park to play on their own?

my dds are 6 and 4 and i let thm play outside
they knownot to leave the culdesac - we live at the foot of it

lol fio at strongbow pitbull etc